Our two-week sojourn in Andalusia is coming to an end. We based ourselves in Sevilla (say-VEE-ah), better known in English as Seville. Our small (50m2) apartment was next to Santa Maria la Blanca church, at the edge of the old Jewish quarter (judería) in the old town. Literally in one of those tiny alleyways the city is famous for: the first thing our taxi-driver told us was how he couldn’t get us there (too small).
Those teeny pedestrian alleys are a feature, not a bug. Temps hit over 38° Celsius while we visited (100° F!). Out in the sun, you quickly realize the importance of . . . not being out in the sun. But hit those alleyways, and the shade includes a blast of cool air, as the winding passages not only keep the sun/heat out, they channel winds like canyons do naturally. Pro-tip: navigate the alleys during the days, even if they take longer, because they are far more confortable.
Our apartment location was perfect: fifteen minutes (or less) walk to the Cathedral, the train stations, the Setas, the Triana market, just about everything. Sevilla is an eminently walkable place,and what extra exploration we wanted to do was available by tram, a very limited subway, or an excellent train system (local and high-speed).
This trip we wanted to settle in and enjoy the local rhythms (so to speak), while checking out neighborhoods in case we want to set up a home-base here. So we had no tight sight-seeing schedule, but rather tried to simulate living (vice visiting) here. We did decide not to try cooking too much; while the apartment had a basic set of kitchenware, cooking anything beyond the most simple dishes would have been too inconvenient (for the chef and the dish-washer). That and Sevilla is famous for its tapas bars, so why not?
I’ve seen estimates there are more than 3,000 tapas bars in Sevilla. Having walked the town for two weeks, I think it’s an undercount. As you may know, tapas probably originated in Andalusia, most likely as free snacks placed on small plates atop drinks (to keep the flies away). In many places in Spain, tapas remain this way. But tapas in Sevilla evolved: they have become a cultural tradition. They are not free. They come in different sizes (tapas for one, raciones to share, plato for a meal). They highlight local delicacies and fusion of different cuisines.
And they are delicious! Carrillada (beef or pork cheeks) and rabo del toro (Bull’s tale) are slow-cooked, savory, and fork-tender. Every kind of fried fish, including things like cod, squid, octopus, cuttlefish, anchovies and dogfish. Pringa (pork stew) on a sandwich! Spinach and garbanzos, a warm, flavorful side dish, and of course, jamón iberico. These thin slices of the most succulent pork one can imagine, salty and sweet (some are only fed acorns), and accompanied by a surfeit of local cheeses. The servings sizes may be small, but the flavors are immense and quite filling. We regularly planned more tapas than we would order, and sometimes even more than we could eat.
We tried to meld our normal daily schedule with Spanish approaches. Breakfast (desayuno, literally “de” as in ending and sayunar as in fasting) is small here, usually a coffee and perhaps a small, sweet pastry. Late morning, Spaniards will have a snack (almuerzo), often some toast with olive oil and/or tomato rubbed on it (very good). Lunch is a big meal, often eaten in groups, where plates of tapas, etc., are shared. There can be another round of snacking (merienda) in the later afternoon, with dinner (not usually a big meal as in the West) not before 8:00 or even 10:00 pm! We had a single, big breakfast of coffee, fresh bakery items and pan con tomate, did some sight-seeing or neighborhood recon, then hit a tapas bar for one-of-everything, por favor. That was it for our eating day (we gave up eating dinner a few years back, which neither of us miss), although I usually had a little merienda in the afternoon.
Funny thing about tapas bars: we made a point of getting to some of the more famous ones, but every one we went to was between good and great. Businesses, especially food businesses, take great pride in their offerings here. Heck, the snack bars at the train station had better-than-average food. So you don’t really need to squeeze into a reservation slot at La Bartola, just walk around and follow these rules:
- Start at any major tourist sites and walk away from it, using the smallest street you can find.
- Look for places with no English-language menu offered.
- Look for places which do advertise their seasonal tapas or a “menú del día.”
- Select the place with the most locals eating there.
- Ask the waiter “que me recomienda” (Kay may reck-oh-mee-END-ah”) to get their advice.
Never fails. And don’t be too strict in applying these rules. In a very touristy town like Sevilla, many local places have started putting English-language signs up (as they work for nearly ALL tourists). And maybe there aren’t any locals in the bar because it’s not local eating time. Be flexible! We did eat at places like La Bartola (we even walked in without reservations and only a short wait), and it was also very good. Sadly, such places have become “Insta-fodder,” overrun by younger tourists trying to be totally themselves by doing what everybody else is doing on social media. #signofthetimes.
I tried my wine experiments yet again, with great results. One is to just ask for the vino de casa (house wine) which is usually very nice. The other is to walk into any supermarket, go to the local wine section, and pick the first bottle I see. This trip it was a local red blend called Mucho Más and it was . . . excellent. For E3.50 (about $4.00 USD). Priceless.
We took a food tour, which by luck turned into a private tour with just us on it. Since we had already visited once, and already knew much about Andalusian cuisine, we spent more time talking about living in Seville and other cultural points. Our guide pointed out that while most people know to try pan con tomate for breakfast, the locals go one step further. Take your toast and give it a solid dose of extra-virgin olive oil. Let it set for a minute. Then, instead of simply rubbing on tomato puree, pour on Salmorejo, a cold, tomato-based, rich soup full of garlic. This local delicacy (Salmorejo) is beloved as a refreshing break from the meat-heavy tapas menus, but I never would have thought of it for a breakfast topping!
As for touristy things, we did visit las setas, a very recent (2011) all-wood art monument resembling giant mushrooms. The lower level has a small museum with some ancient artifacts uncovered during the construction, the ground level with shops and cafes, then a top level with a very good observation point over the city, albeit a trifle pricey (E16@). Some say the view is especially fantastic at sunset, and there is a light show on the Setas once dark sets in. Pro-tip: it doesn’t get dark before 10:30 pm in tourist season, so plan accordingly!
We also attended laudes and mass in the altar mayor (main altar) in the cathedral. It’s free for those wishing to worship, but worth the ticket (and audio guide) just to take in the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. The security folks gave us the side-eye when we said we wanted to attend services, and they did hover nearby throughout, making sure no one tried to otherwise enjoy the setting in a touristy way. Necessary if not welcoming, but understandable nonetheless. I did sneak a photo of Christopher Columbus’ tomb, camouflaging it as a photo of one of the priests at our mass (mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!)
Other sites worth visiting are the Archivo de Indias, which contains all the Spanish correspondence about the New World during the age of exploration. Ever wonder why Brazil speaks Portuguese and mostly the rest of South America Spanish? Blame the Pope and the treaty of Tordesillas, which divided the entire world between Spain and Portugal. The records of the Conquistadores? All here. Free to visit, too! Nearby is the Torre de Oro, a small former watchtower which contains a very nice Spanish naval museum (they did win at Lepanto, after all, if not with the Armada) and views of the city for a small donation.
Our verdict on Sevilla? Very friendly, very easy to get around, very delicious. Oh, and very hot, even in mid- to late-May. Excellent hub as a home base, but still a little pricey for apartments. We liked the suburbs of Dos Hermanas, close enough for a ten-minute local train service. Jerez de la Frontera (whence the fortified wine sherry gets its name) is much closer to Cádiz, and also very enticing, but seems a little far afield. Our biggest concern is the heat. No one wants to be trapped in an air conditioned apartment from 1000-1800, or longer. The heat is so oppressive it reminded us of a winter visit to Quebec City where we simply walked from café to café downing chocolat chaud. Here the opposite extreme: I started drinking the local lager, Cruzcampo, just because it was cold! This was an extreme heat event, and it made the local news. But as we all have experienced, such “rare” events are becoming more common.
We’re headed east to the coast to try that out next!
Just by reading this entertaining review, i gained 5lbs🤣
Ok, was the title SUPPOSED to be a play on homonyms? Since the Spanish equivalent of “I say” is ” yo digo”? (“Yo se” is “I know.”) Or are you telling us your deep.experience there means “you know” Sevilla? Inquiring minds wish to know!!
Brilliant! I started with a riff on the old “you say to-may-to, I say to-mah-to” gag. As I wrote it, I realized the Spanish portion would come out “(yo) digo”, which didn’t really work. Then the “yo se” version occurred to me, playing (as you say) on knowing vice saying. Good fun!