An Iberian Exploration: Sevilla and Cádiz

After three calm days of small towns we found ourselves back in a major city again. We arrived in Sevilla a little over an hour after crossing the border into Spain. Our hotel in the historic center had advised us that GPS would misdirect us but the detailed instructions they had provided didn't serve us much better. The maze of narrow one-way streets was even more complicated than in Lisbon and a good deal more crowded, but at least there were no winding alleys that deadended at the top of a hill. Eventually we found the hotel and disembarked. Our location couldn't have been better, smack in the middle of Sevilla's pulsating touristic core and a hundred meters from the legendary cathedral.

Once we were settled we couldn't wait to get out and explore. Sevilla's old town manages to accommodate its deluge of tourists very tastefully, providing appealing pedestrian streets and outdoor restaurants without the gaudiness that afflicts many other popular European cities. We realized as much as we tried we couldn't walk more than a block away from the hotel without getting lost, but that was probably the most efficient way to explore the city. At the bank of the Alfonso XIII Canal is the medieval Moorish Torre del Oro. One of the most famous cultural aspects of Sevilla is flamenco and it wasn't long before we came across a performance right on the street.

Although the restaurants in the Casco Antiguo looked appealing their menus and reviews didn't match so we decided to walk a few blocks north to a tapas restaurant that seemed to be a better bet. Here we found Las Setas, a huge wooden sculpture in Plaza de la Encarnación that is formally known as Metropol Parasol but acquired its nickname from its resemblance to a clump of giant mushrooms.

Dinner was good although I've had better tapas in my hometown of Miami. During the night my stomach was very upset and I didn't get much sleep. I'm not in the habit of blaming any gastrointestinal problems on the local food but I'm fairly sure the trouble this time came from eating beef tartare at dinner. I had almost exact same problem after having beef tartare my first day in Paris as well, although I've eaten the raw meat dish countless times at home without any problem. This time I learned my lesson and never again tried beef tartare in Europe. In the morning I was still queasy but not enough to get in the way of walking to Mercado de Triana for breakfast. Sevilla is a great city for food markets but unfortunately at this time I hadn't developed my travel research skills extensively and we only had one on our list. On the long walk to Triana we passed by Sevilla's brightly-painted bullfighting ring, known as the Real Maestranza.

Crossing the Puente de Isabel II into Triana we might have been forgiven for thinking we were crossing the famed River Guadalquivir, the only major navigable river in Spain. In fact it was the Canal de Alfonso XIII that runs along the old course of the river before it was diverted away from the city center to avert flooding. A similar phenomenon occurs with the Alte Donau Canal in central Vienna which many mistake for the Danube. Welcoming us to Triana was the Capilla Virgen del Carmen. Although reminiscent of 16th century Mudéjar architecture, the colorfully-tiled chapel was built less than a century ago.

The two hundred year old Mercado de Triana is located at the foot of the bridge. The current version of the market was inaugurated in 2001 and blends modernity and tradition in a very pleasing manner. I was still feeling the effects of the previous night's gastronomic misadventure and even the appetizing sights of the market couldn't awaken my appetite, but Mei Ling did quite well with the Sevillano specialty of stewed snails.

We didn't stay long in Triana because we still had the city's major sights ahead of us. Seville's cathedral is reminiscent of Spain's other majestic Gothic cathedrals but what sets it apart is its sheer size. At the time of its construction it replaced the Hagia Sophia as the largest cathedral in the world and it still holds that title, although there are now two basilicas which are larger. The cathedral stands alone in a large plaza without any other significant buildings to detract from its magnitude. The vast edifice has fifteen different entrances, each with a unique ornate design. In front of one entrance is a replica of the Giraldillo weather vane that crowns the belltower. Inside the cloister is an orderly array of the famed Seville orange trees surrounding a central fountain.

It's just a two minute walk from the cathedral to the other star of the Casco Antiguo, the Real Alcázar. Although this castle has a Moorish appearance similar to other Spanish Alcazárs, most of the structure was built after the Christian reconquest of Andalusia in the Mudéjar architectural style. Inside the castle the exquisite details in the cavernous rooms and courtyard are breathtaking. The Celebration Room has enormous tapestries and colorful tile designs that extend seven feet up the walls.

Behind the castle a lengthy loggia extends into the gardens, allowing visitors an elevated view of the beautiful landscaping without exposing themselves to the elements. The exterior of the loggia is encrusted with mortar outcroppings designed to give the appearance of the wall of a cave, hence the name of Grotto Gallery.

We spent the majority of our time at the Alcázar exploring the extensive gardens but I'm sure we only discovered a fraction of the many separate sections of the estate. Overall I would be hard-pressed to compare the Alcázar unfavorably to the Palace of Versailles, and it was certainly much less crowded and onerous. Cleo was thrilled to get out of her stroller and we even found a hedge maze which she thought was hilarious.

On our final morning in Sevilla my stomach was settled so we decided to return to Mercado de Triana. This time we had identified our favorite seafood vendor and we had a plan. We bought whole sea urchins and cut them open and ate them right at the stall for an appetizer, then had a full meal at the best of the little restaurants in the market.

As we were on our way out of town we had more time to explore the neighborhood of Triana. Triana was originally a separate city from Sevilla and maintained its independence until the first bridge to be built across the Guadalquivir made Sevilla's expansion inevitable. Few tourists make it this far from the Casco Antiguo, making Triana an excellent spot to absorb an authentic Andalusian urban vibe. There is plenty of energy in the streets, but the sidewalk cafes are filled with locals and the colorful building facades are more representative of neighborhood pride than commercial hustle.

One of my regrets from the trip is that we didn't stop in Jerez for a few hours en route to Cádiz. Since that trip we've made a regular practice of stopping over in cities that we otherwise couldn't have fit into our itinerary and it has worked out quite well. I looked at Jerez a little more closely after we returned home and it was clear that we shouldn't have missed it. We also managed to drive past Ronda, one of the most uniquely beautiful cities in Spain, so I have no doubt at least one more trip to Andalusia lies in our future.

Cádiz isn't one of the most well-known Spanish cities but it has several unique characteristics. It is the oldest city in Spain, having been founded by the Phoenicians who gradually migrated from the Middle East across northern Africa before crossing the Strait of Gibraltar. The city is also practically an island, being connected to the mainland by a narrow strip barely wide enough to accommodate a beach and a highway. The strip may technically be a tombolo, a sandbar that connects an island to the mainland, but I was unable to find any reference to corroborate that theory.

The modern portion of the city that is closer to the mainland is largely composed of unattractive block housing and has little of interest to travelers aside from a beach. The landscape changes dramatically on the other side of the old city wall remnant known as Puertas de Tierra. Here in the Santa María barrio the streets become narrow cobblestone alleys that feel like canyons between solid walls of antiquated four-story buildings. Further towards the end of the peninsula the streets of the historic district become mercifully wider and there are some open squares to alleviate the claustrophobia, but overall the impression of the Casco Antiguo is one of extreme density of buildings and population. I think it would have felt quite dystopian if it wasn't so beautiful.

Our hotel in the center of the Casco Antiguo had no parking, so after depositing the bags I found the municipal lot which had been constructed to fit as many cars as possible into the smallest possible space, thereby leaving almost no margin for error. I scraped the side of the car while foolishly attempting to maneuver into a space front-end first instead of reversing, which infuriated me after we had survived our trial-by-fire in Lisbon without so much as a scratch. I put aside my annoyance with myself so that we could enjoy our evening walk around the historic center.

A bright, sunny morning chased away the ominousness of the old town. Our focus was on the Mercado Central, renowned for its fresh Atlantic seafood. The singular market was designed in Neoclassical style by native son architect Torcuato Benjumeda in the early 19th century. Produce stalls fill arcades arranged around the central market hall, which has the appearance of a ancient temple supported by Roman columns. Within the hall we weren't disappointed by the beautiful display of fish and crustaceans.

In the arcades surrounding the market we found vendors selling bags of beautiful, plump live snails. Our appetites thoroughly awakened, we found a seafood restaurant where they agreed to grill the fish and boil the mantis shrimp we had bought in the market. We regretfully took our leave of Cadíz but not before making a reservation for the night after our stay in Morocco for the Carnival celebration.