Charms of the City
By Laurel
Seville charmed us! With its elegant old buildings, wrought-iron railings and gates, pretty squares full of tapas bars and sidewalk cafes, green parks, as well as courtyards and narrow streets, what was not to like? While there, we joined the locals and tourists bustling about and enjoying the city’s offerings: delicious tapas, wine, window-shopping, history, and flamenco. In particular, we wandered the Plaza de Espana, toured the ancient Roman site of Italica, sun-tanned at a bullfight, and were mesmerized by passionate flamenco performers (more about these below). I suggested Jim get his hair cut by the Barber of Seville, but he said his hair is still too short.
Spain was featured in international news during our stay, as it experienced a major country-wide power outage for several hours on April 28 (along with Portugal and part of southern France). It was a weird thing to observe — the outage hit suddenly at about noon and people in our area stayed out and about and sitting in sidewalk cafes; everyone remained calm while chatting to each other, since no one could be on their cell phones/internet. Waiters served drinks and sandwiches to cash customers. We had planned to visit museums, but of course they were closed due to the power outage. Thankfully, the lights came back on in our apartment at 5:30 pm; other streets came on variously. Most of the country’s electricity was restored within 18 hours.
 |
| Plaza de la Encarnacion affectionately known as “The Mushrooms”, is a market that attracts locals and travelers alike. |
 |
| A countrywide power outage left restaurants closed while cooks and waitstaff watch optimistic customers line up |
María Luisa Park and Plaza de España
By Jim
On our first morning in Seville, we got an early start, grabbed some coffee at Bar La Niños, and headed out along the Guadalquivir River to find María Luisa Park and Plaza de España.
María Luisa Park was originally part of the gardens of the Palace of San Telmo. The park was donated to the city in 1893 and is an impressive green space for locals and visitors alike. Spanning over 84 acres, the park features beautiful gardens, fountains, tiled benches, monuments, and architectural landmarks.
There are several notable landmark buildings within María Luisa Park, including the Seville Public Library, the Science Centre, and many pavilions built for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929.
Also constructed for the Exhibition, Plaza de España is an architectural masterpiece located at the southern end of the park. The plaza showcases a beautiful blend of Renaissance Revival and Moorish architectural styles. It has been featured in movies such as "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Star Wars."
Spanning 50,000 square meters, the semi-circular plaza includes ornate buildings, a beautiful central fountain, and an oval grand canal with picturesque tiled bridges. The buildings feature colorful azulejo tiles, representing the different provinces of Spain.
Our early start gave us an exclusive walk through the park and some great photos of Plaza de España. By the time we decided to leave, the tour buses had arrived, and the plaza was filling with tourists and souvenir vendors.
 |
| Cafe con leche and cafe doblo, our morning fuel |
 |
The Guadalquivir River has a well-developed promenade leading to Maria Luisa Park |
 |
María Luisa Park contains many pavilions built for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929 including Plaza de Espana |
 |
| Plaza de España |
 |
Mudejar Pavilion, it currently houses the Museum of Popular Arts and Customs   |
