Alcazar, Seville, Spain

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Alcazar, built in the 10th century as a palace for the governors of the local Moorish state, still functions as a royal palace today, and is the oldest in use in Europe. The core of the palace was redone in the 14th century by Muslim workmen for the Christian King Pedro I in 1334-1369.
You can visit several sections of the Alcazar which is mysterious and spectacular with its distinctive Islamic style designs and flourishes. The palace costs 8.50 euro to enter and is open until 7 p.m. I again went very late in the day (around 4) and found that the large tour groups had diminished which left it much more pleasant .
There are huge sprawling gardens that you could spend days exploring. I will let the photos speak for themselves on the wonders of this palace.

Tapas

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In Spain, a big part of the culture and cuisine are tapas. Tapas are small plates of appetizer size foods. You can make a meal off of these, and it is a great way to sample some of the local flavors. They can be hot or cold and range from olives, cheese, fried fishes, and skewer meats.
Because Spaniards eat so late, tapas can be a great way to bridge the gap. Try them in the plaza with a glass of wine, and watch the world go by!

The Cathedral of Spain

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Construction of the Seville Cathedral started in 1402, and was built over a Muslim mosque. It took 120 years to build and is the 3rd largest cathedral in the world behind St. Peter’s at the Vatican and St. Paul’s in London. It is the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world. It costs 8 euro to enter and when I went, it was late afternoon and there was no line for the tickets or to enter.
Inside the Cathedral is the tomb of Christopher Columbus. There are 4 kings who carry the tomb and they represent the regions of Castile, Aragon, Leon, and Navarre. Columbus was originally buried in Spain, then in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, then Cuba and finally when Cuba gained independence from Spain in 1900, he was taken home again to Seville. Columbus died in 1506, so he did quite a bit of traveling after his death!Admission to the church also admits you to the Giralda Bell Tower which you can climb. The bell tower was formerly a Moorish minaret from which the Muslims were called to prayer. It dates back to the 10th century, although the top of it was replaced due to damage by an earthquake. It became the church bell tower after the Reconquista. The bell tower is Seville’s most important land mark and no building can be built higher than the statue atop the tower.

Seville, Spain

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Visiting Seville was like being in another world! The weather was perfect in mid-April in the mid-70’s during the day and slightly cooler at night. The crowds of tourists had not yet arrived. Spain and Seville in particular is ornate and flamboyant and the Muslim influence is evident in the architecture and food. Seville was one of the most important gateways to the New World in the 16th century, and all of the explorers such as Amerigo Vespucci and Ferdinand Magellan sailed from its port. In the 17th century Seville was Spain’s largest and wealthiest city. The harbor eventually silted up and the Spanish empire crumbled.
Today, Seville has a huge pedestrian zone, allowing the old world charm to really shine through. It is Spain’s fourth largest city, and Andalucía’s leading destination. It is not a huge city and the sites are manageable to allow plenty of time to hang out in the plazas and enjoy tapas and the Sangria. I felt very safe walking the streets of Seville alone, even at night. Seville and all of Spain gets a very late start on things. Restaurants usually don’t open until 7:30 and only tourists inhabit them up until about 9:30 when the Spaniards dine. I didn’t find that English was spoken much here, so I got to brush up on my Spanish.
Food, lodging and transportation costs, which are relatively inexpensive, make Seville a great travel destination. I spent 4 nights and 4 full days there, and one day traveled to Granada. I feel that I was able to see all of the sites and really get a flavor for Seville during that time. Having seen the sites, it is a destination I would go back to just to relax and enjoy!

Terravision

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I often fly out of Pisa to get to other places in the European Union. Some of the smaller airlines fly from there such as Ryanair, Veuling, and Easyjet. Delta flies to Pisa, as does Air France and British Airways making the Pisa airport another good option when visiting Tuscany from the USA.Terravision makes the entire process really simple. For 10 euro, you can book a round trip bus ticket (4.99 each way) from the Pisa airport to the Florence train station. The buses are convenient, comfortable and reliable. I have used them many times for transportation to the airport and back and have never been disappointed. There are a few bus lines now that travel between Pisa and Florence, but I have only used Terravision. When you are checking for flights, inside the EU or from the States to Florence, try the Pisa airport also, and don’t forget about Terravision. www.terravision.eu