Thursday 28th August 2008

We are coming to the end of two hot, steamy days in sensational Seville. I can't come up with enough superlatives to do it justice. Despite the heat (39C this afternoon, 32C at 11pm last night) we have walked our feet off exploring the wide boulevards and plazas and getting ourselves lost in the winding little streets that unravel themselves around the main roads. We are staying in the Ibis hotel, a 10min bus ride from the centre of the city - and we certainly appreciate the air-conditioned rooms when we get back! The car has been tucked away in the car park, meaning we don't need to negotiate the 5-lane highway that is the Avenida de Kansas City every day.

Last night we strolled for several hours, soaking in the atmosphere - sadly you can't capture this on a camera. We had tapas and beer just off the Cathedral square in a former Moorish bath-house. Some rather unusual twists on the theme - not a patatas bravas in sight.

Today we did the tour of the Alcazar and cathedral and, of course, Paul had his hair cut (there IS a barber in Seville!). The Alcazar started life as a fort and over the last thousand years has been a palace for both Muslim and Christian rulers (we rather liked the sound of the one called Pedro el Cruel) and the building reflects all the stages of it's past. It was worth every cent of the entry charge. The gardens are also fab; not quite cows on Christ Church Meadow but still hard to believe you are in the middle of a city. The cathedral was less interesting - apart from Columbus' tomb; where you had to fight your way past the tour groups frantically getting their photo in - it was all rather dark and imposing and full of icons for my liking. We did climb the Giralda - the bell tower and former minaret (the cathedral was built on top of the former mosque and they kept and 'improved' some bits they liked). No steps but ramps ascending up 35 floors - they used to ride horses up there, when it was a watch tower. Great views of Seville from the top. More tapas for lunch; in a bar where the owner was obviously an old retainer of the Addams family. A bit of window shopping; if you want shoes this is the place to go, nearly every other shop is a shoe shop; then back to the hotel to cool off before another round of eating and drinking tonight.

We head off to the Sierra Nevada tomorrow. We are joining up with a guided three day treck, back packing and camping out on the mountains. A bit of a contrast; en-suite hotel room to wild camp and digging a poo-hole. Still, variety etc...Hopefully it'll be a bit cooler!