Travelgal on the move

Discovering a city that oozes personality.

Arriving in Seville on a sun-drenched early autumn day will set you up for your senses to be tickled and your spirit to be enriched. This Andalucian metropolis has personality to spare and the sevillanos are out and about in force on a saucy Saturday.

Layers of history here are peeled back and the past is generously etched onto a new canvas with modern Seville.

Seville has historical layers; Roman ruins testify the settlement’s earliest face, memories of the Moorish era flicker like medieval engravings in the Santa Cruz quarter, while the riverside Arenal reeks of Spanish conquest and lost colonial glory.

Join the throng of almost 700,000 locals and don’t miss out on the culture of the city, traditions and artistic heritage:

• Visit the third largest cathedral in the world, the Church of Seville, built on the remains of an ancient mosque and it still retains the extraordinary Giralda (tower) at almost 100m high. (There are 25 bells here, all with their own names and the oldest dates back to 1400.)

• Seville is the birthplace of the sensuous and bold Flamenco, and a night at the Museo del Baile Flamenco (funded by Spain’s flamenco legend Cristina Hoyos). The museum is fascinating and the performance, though touristy, is intimate and more than sensational and sincere.

• The Alcazar of Seville is one of the most glorious palaces in Europe. Soft, architecturally exquisite with history and beauty etched into every bit of stone work and love at every planting in the immaculate gardens. (Fans of Game of Thrones may recognise the location of the Water Gardens of Dorn here.)

A startling apparition as you stroll the traditional and urbane city streets is the Metropol Parasol, an almighty piece of architecture that curves above the streets in a bold and brassy manner. Some call it the ‘mushroom’ and the sevillanos are quite divided in their opinion of the building. Not fond of it myself, I feel that it has the substance of cardboard and could wilt in a decent storm!

• Treat yourself to the elegant hotel Alfonso XIII for lunch where you dine like a king and feel like a movie star.

And to finish of an evening, hit the cobblestones and be taken on a tapas tour with a local to visit the classic tapas bars.

Ola! Walking, talking, eating, viewing, and looking for the barber of Seville?

Getting there: Fly to Madrid. Seville is well-connected to Madrid by the high speed train AVE. Peak season here is April to September ushering crowds. Sweet season is late March and October to November.

Writer, Bev Malzard enjoyed the Tapas Tour here, a variety of tiny bars were on show and as authentic as a sizzling garlic prawn. Totally recommend this experience. AND a gelato to finish off the night’s eating extravaganza.