Sevilla

Sevilla. One of the most iconic and recognized cities in Spain and somehow I'd never been. It was one of my only regrets about Granada, that somehow I'd lived only three hours away and never went. This time around though there's no missing Sevilla, since my sister now lives there! So after Granada, I continued on to the next stop on my week-long tour of Southern Spain: Sevilla. Finally. In four days, Meg took me to see all of the "must-sees" in her city:

Las Setas, the mushroom-shaped observation deck with views over the entire city.

The Torre de Oro, on the banks of the Guadalquivir River, with a beautiful sunset behind the Triana neighborhood.

The Museo de Bellas Artes, where Meg studied for her upcoming Art History exam by teaching me everything she knows about Renaissance and Baroque art. The building was as beautiful as the art work, with a series of beautiful Sevillan patios which the museum was centered around.

The Alcazar, the Moorish palace.

The cathedral and Giralda, worth the climb up to the top of the tower for the amazing views out over the city. Fun fact: There are no stairs in the tower, it is one long ramp because it was originally built for horses!

Exploring the Triana neighborhood, full of quirky, fun houses.

Plaza de España, my favorite part of the city mostly because the geography nerd in me was obsessed with the beautiful tiles along the edge of the plaza depicting each of Spain´s provinces.  

December is the perfect time to visit Sevilla, and I really can't imagine going any other time of year. No tourists and no heat! December was perfect weather (24ºC one day!) and the tourists were almost entirely gone. There was no line at the Alcazar or the cathedral (places where you usually need to reserve tickets in advance or wait in line all day). Plus, all of Christmas lights are hung up in the streets, making the city more beautiful than usual.

Seeing Sevilla from a local's perspective was definitely the best part of the trip- staying in a residential barrio on the outskirts of the city, getting coffee in a neighborhood cafe while waiting for my sister to get out of school, and visiting what must be Sevilla's best undiscovered ice cream store- Helarte (for non-Spanish speakers, a fun play on words since helarte can means "to freeze yourself" but is also a combination of helado and arte, ice cream and art). The ice cream was amazing, they were playing Christmas music, and their pastry case was decorated like a first aid case.  

"This isn´t a cooler, it´s a first aid kit full of rich homemade cakes that are a cure for: sadness, heartbreak, tiredness, apathy... and a celebration of love, friendship, encounters, affection, the sweetness of being alive. Becuase of this, this isn´t a cooler. It´s a first-aid kit."

I might have to go bck to Sevilla just for the ice cream!