You may know it better as Seville, or you may not know of it at all, but this weekend I discovered the beautiful Spanish city of Sevilla. Sevilla is in the very south of Spain, just a hop, skip and a jump away from Morocco, so it’s known both for its traditional Spanish vibe as well as its exotic Arabic influence. I decided to visit Sevilla on the recommendation of a Blue Devil that studied abroad there last fall, and I’m thrilled that I took his advice. I went with three of my roommates, and six billion calories later we were all saying, “that was the best weekend getaway EVER.”
We stayed at the Sevilla Inn Backpackers – yes, that’s what it’s called, and no, I don’t know why “Backpackers” comes after “Inn”. Regardless, it was located just down the road from the Sevilla Cathedral, the largest Gothic cathedral and third-largest church in the world. It was absolutely breathtaking.
Anyway, our hostel offered a free walking tour, and 2 hours later we had seen just about every notable building in Sevilla, including the Torre del Oro, the Plaza de España (where part of Star Wars Episode II was filmed), and the University of Sevilla (which is actually surrounded by a moat, it’s HUGE). If you ever stay at a hostel, ask about their walking tours; they usually run on tips, they’re a great way to meet other travelers, and they’re perfect for taking a quick look around and say “yes, I definitely want to go back there and explore a little more.”
My favorite landmark was the Alcázar, a Moorish Palace facing the Cathedral. From the outside it just looks like a large stone wall, so I really didn’t have high expectations. As soon as we went through the first courtyard and opened up our maps of the property, we were blown away. It would have taken a full day to go through every part of the palace, but two hours showed us room after room of colorful tiling, detailed arches, Arabic script, along with acres of beautiful gardens. If I study abroad in Sevilla next semester, can I sub-let a room?
Let’s be real though, the centerpiece of any great vacation (or any great life experience) is food. I had the best truffle I’ve ever eaten at a bakery called La Campana and delicious tapas at Taberna Colonial, but my favorite restaurant was actually an Italian restaurant 3 doors down from our hostel. If you are ever in Sevilla, drop everything and head over to L’Oca Giuliva. Their pizza, pasta, and postres will CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
As always, it’s good to be back home in Barcelona… just a few days before we’re hosting NINE Blue Devils here (yikes!). You’ll hear all about that in my next post!
Besos from Barca,
Ashley