Hello friends. We started our third day in Seville early again. We had already seen most of the city, but we wanted to take a closer look at Plaza de España. The first time we went, half of it was closed, so this time we hoped it might be open. There was also a park across the square called María Luisa Park that we had skipped last time, so we decided to visit it too. And we were so glad we did. The birdsong and the shady paths inside the park completely enchanted us. We kept saying we wished we had discovered it earlier. After the crowds of the square, the calm of this place felt so good for our souls that we did not even notice how our walk came to an end.
On the way to the square, we once again walked through those typical Seville streets. Small towers, colorful facades and a souvenir shop on almost every corner. I still wonder how so many of these shops manage to survive. In between, there are tiny houses, some clearly built later, but they still have not lost their Spanish character. One thing caught my attention: there were almost no large balconies. You might say, who would sit on a balcony in this heat anyway. Maybe just to get some air or smoke a cigarette. Still, why are these little balconies so small? Even the French balconies in France are bigger than these. We do not have a balcony at home either, just panoramic windows, but here the glass facades look so charming that you cannot help but like them.
When we reached the front of the park, we realized something had just finished. Apparently there had been a flamenco show shortly before, but we were shopping and missed it.
The park in front of Plaza de España is really huge. Palm trees, pine trees, shady walking paths. After Córdoba and Málaga our eyes were a bit spoiled, but this place was still impressive. Of course it was also hot, which made you tired. I did not remember this park like this before. Little maze like paths, fountains, bridges. It reminded me of the Alcázar gardens, except there were no peacocks. The problem is that every year there is a music festival at Plaza de España and they close everything off. It was the same two years ago. In the evenings it gets so crowded that even the park cannot breathe.
There is also a waterfall here, but it was not working that day. It is hard to understand why some things are closed. Still the park is beautiful. Together with Plaza de España, it is a must see. The buildings around it were also very nice, some of them almost had a Mexican feel.
In the park there were also huge sticky insect traps, something I had never seen before. As for mosquitoes, our first night in Málaga was a disaster, but we bought a plug in repellent and it worked perfectly. In Córdoba we used it once and that was enough. In Greece, we were not that lucky.
Inside the park we went to a little island and a gazebo surrounded by ducks. It was much cuter than I expected. Trees, ficus, water, cool air. The gazebo was empty. We took off our shoes and stepped into the water. We really loved the atmosphere. Baby parrots were coming out of holes in the trees.
Seville also has many inner courtyards called patios, like Casa de Pilatos. Usually there is an entrance fee between 1.5 and 6 euros. They all look quite similar, but they are still nice.
Then we went back to Plaza de España and decided to go home and eat something. We were again near the mushroom shaped Metropol Parasol. We went into a pizzeria, but the menu was only digital and the website was not working, so we left disappointed. I think paper menus are still necessary. Luckily we found another pizzeria. A huge pizza with a 50 cm diameter cost 18 euros. It was really very good and even lasted until the next day.
The next day we were at Plaza de España again. This time it was 26 degrees and wonderful. Swans were swimming in the water. On the ceramic panels around the square there were different regions of Spain and everyone was looking for their own city and taking photos.
Even though it was Sunday, the shops were open, even H&M. We stopped by El Corte Inglés. In Germany that would be unthinkable. We slowly wrapped up Seville. This is a very special city. The atmosphere, the style, the spirit of Spain are something else. Germany is more comfortable for living, but here there is a different kind of energy. We had an early flight in the morning. Two weeks were not enough, but we were tired. We thought about going to Granada, but left it for another trip.
Seville left a very beautiful mark on us.