Crucian's adventures...: July 2009

As the days go by and inevitably the summer will finish soon, a good memory about the place visited few months ago seems so refreshing......this is how this post could start, but the truth is I sadly haven't put any notes here because so much was going on in my life lately: living the UK, going back to homeland - Poland but to a completely new life in Warsaw.... It's all part of a big journey that life is, isn't it? Here is to all of you guys who's life is like a huge exploration trip!

First of all notes about Andalusia's Seville - surely this is your choice if you are one of those cheeky monkeys that simply just can't sunbath on the beach during whole the holidays. This is for those, travellers, that are eager to turn your city break in Seville into a proper exploration excercise. The way we have chosen Seville as our next destination was asking yourself some simple questions:

- Do I want to lie on the beach or do some sight-seeing (or both)?
- Am I looking for a quiet place in the middle of nowhere or a vibrant and dynamic one?
- Do I want to explore a new territory or rather the country I know a bit already.

Now, obviously these are the basic ones, not including the prices, distance and the time you have for your exploration. But it worked out beautifully for us: we wanted a bit of sight-seeing and 'doing nothing', in a place that is vibrant and full of energy (like us) :) and because we love Spain (especially Southern part), the choice suddenly became simple.

A good idea in that case would be to find a nice, proper map of the city or a pocket directory, just like the one we had. It divides the city for you into 6 sections that you can easily choose and discover during your holidays in Seville.

Seville surprises with the beauty and richness of the architecture

Try to be lost in one of the tiniest streets

Seville is also about mixing the new with the old

Time for lunch! We found this lovely, typical Spanish tapas bar in the centre of the city. It was so different to other places - you can sit here on one of the stairs covered with 'azulas' typical Spanish mosaic

Mario and the Giralda, Seville's amazing tower situated by the Cathedral. It represents various styles and eras so if you are perceptive enough, you'll find them - Renaissance, Gothic,etc. - but also cultures and religions: Catholic, Islamic...

A Tower of Gold - Torre del Oro - where all the gold from the quests was beig kept. Now - just charming building overlooking the River Guadalquivir

Some of the Seville Expo 1992 are still here and can be viewed from the boat. They are now used for commercial purposes and that way the Spaniards prevent the Expo village from demaging. For me it still looked weird to be in the middle of this quiet village that seemed adbandoned

In Seville's full offer of bar, pubs, restaurants and tapas, we chose one place with a traditional Andalucian cuisine. It was loud, crowded but lovely and the wine with the fish (on my plate) and meat (on Mario's) tasted great.

There could be no Spain without football and for Mario it meant visiting Ramon Sanchez Pizujan Stadium in 'our' part of Seville. The trip was just a glance, comparing to for example Manchester United's Standium, but even from the outside (we could not get in because of some constructions going on), it looked fine.

Decorative mosaic in another great place in Seville - the Real Alcazar Palace. It is famous for its azulas all over the place and I ejoyed the most its open architecture with lots of open rooms, gardens and corridors.

Right in the middle of crime scene-this is where the fishes living in that water where fighting for pieces of bread (and sweets!) people were throwing at them. Shocking picture, really. Apart from that - nice place to relax by the water and enjoy the view on the royal gardens.