By Shobha Rao Smilemaker
I have pleasant memories of our 4 nights stay in Seville, using it as a base to travel to other regions of South of Spain.
My first impression of Seville when we stepped out of the railway station, was the intense dry summer heat that just hit me without warning.
We visited the old town area of Santa Roza and literally got transported to an ancient era. The narrow alleys, the cobbled stone streets, the new shops among old style buildings all gave Seville a unique character that cannot be described but had to experienced. The locals and Tourists seemed to enjoy their evening dinner on the streets together with live music and laughter for company.
We visited the world's largest Gothic cathedral - the Seville Cathedral of St. Mary and soaked in the opulence of the ornate interiors. Christopher Columbus is said to have been buried inside this cathedral which was originally a mosque. The previous minaret had been converted to a huge bell tower with a statue on top called the Giralda. People were relaxing around the open square and a bubble seller sent happy bubbles in the air.
The Alcázar entry was not possible because it was past closing time, we did mange to get a peek of its garden. We walked past the majestic building of the General Archive of the Indies which houses the ancient records of the history of the Spanish Empire.
It was a nice walk along the banks of the river Guadalquivir where we saw a watchtower called the Torre del Oro built in a unique Moorish style influence. And was happy to see a treer cafe called Bombay!
Next morning I remembered my beloved Bombay airport again when I saw the Metropol Parasol at the La Encarnación square. This is considered the world's largest wooden structure, a monumental umbrella-like building, covering a number of streets, with a I love Seville installation under it.
In the evening we witnessed the true Spanish local magic at the Plaza de Espana. The pulsating energy around this unique circular gigantic building was something to be experienced. The lavishly ornamentel, colourful glazed tiles reflected the history of the different regions of Spain incling the maps.
We were lucky to witness a free flamenco show that Spain is so famous for. The soulful music, combined with flying frilly costumes and energetic foot tapping was happily applauded by the local audience. We continued our walk inside the beautiful Maria Luisa Park.
On the last day we drove past the Fountain of seasons and the gardens of Muile - These were the Royal Gardens which were later given to the people of Seville by Queen Isabel.
At some places we saw one of the few arched brick remains of the Moor dynasty rule, most were used by the Roman invaders to make roads instead.
After the universal exposition 1992, a lot of new routes and modern buildings were introduced in Seville.I wanted to experience the modern centre of Seville, so we visited the Carlosargos mall, next to our home stay. Finally purchased a lot of olive oil from one of the many Carrefour super markets that we visited regularly. And yes I just had to buy a bright big red flower clip that I saw the local ladies wearing!
And on the last night I took a solo walk, to soak in the weekend party vibe of the quaint narrow streets of the old town side of Seville. Again I saw a flamenco show, this time at a local restaurant with locals cheering in full gusto.
This was the perfect finale to add to the wonderful memories of our stay in Seville.
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Shobha Rao Smilemaker has a vision of living in a world where people use their ability to find and make smiles in any situation. She is a lawyer by qualification, a soft skills trainer by passion, a motivational speaker, a freelance journalist, a bestselling author, an avid traveler and founder of 'Smilemakers Trainings'. She can be contacted at www.shobhasmilemaker.com.