Sevilla in 48 hours

Home of bullfighting and flamenco, Sevilla is a wonderful mix of old and new. Walk the narrow winding streets of the old Jewish quarter in the Bario de Santa Cruz. Visit the cathedral with its magnificent treasury. See the Basilica de la Macarena and the sorrowful virgin, the madonna revered by bullfighters, just inside the old Roman wall.

Authentic restaurants that have been operating for over 300 years in the same location, tapas bars that are crowded with locals, and beautiful faces everywhere, Sevilla is what Americans think of when they think of Spain. Take a tour of the famous bullring and museum of which Sevillianos are so proud. Take a bus tour through Maria Luisa park, past the Plaza de Espana and the 1992 World Exposition center.

Be sure to save time for sitting at sidewalk cafes or lunching at tapas bars. Sevilla is the home of tapas and, while a little crazy between Noon and 1pm, they calm down later in the afternoon only to go wild again at night. Even if you don't speak much Spanish, you can make yourself understood. Go for it!!

Quick Tips:

Take in a flamenco show. We were steered to Las Brujas as one of the most authentic and one that the locals frequent. We LOVED it! Be adventurous with foods and let waiters help you pick what is freshest and best that day. We had some wonderful and surprising dishes and wines that we might never have tried on our own. Try a few words of feeble Spanish and you will be treated like royalty in Spain. Usually you can always find someone who speaks English well enough, but they are so happy when you try their language that they will bend over backwards to assist you.

Best Way To Get Around:

Take taxis within the city. They are cheap and taxi drivers can bring you to anyplace you can show them on a map, or from a guidebook if your Spanish is lacking. We trusted them to take us to restaurants when the ones we wanted were not open and they never steered us wrong. There are city buses that are pretty cheap, but we found that the taxi was a better deal for four and they were readily available whenever we needed one.

Walking within the Bario de Santa Cruz or within the Macarena is great, but if you want to get from one to the other, you better be ready for at least an hour walk. Find a good map (we never did) and the trip could take maybe 30 minutes.

Enter the lobby of this hotel tucked within a maze of ancient streets and you will feel like you are in the Seville of the 19th century. Beautiful tile and metal grill work surround the small space. But look beyond the lobby to the hotel courtyard and you are definitley in the 21st century. Beautiful marble surrounds a small garden with benches and fountain where you can sit an relax or have a cocktail. It is very quiet and meticulously maintained. The area surrounding the hotel rooms looks brand new and the furnishings look like they were delivered yesterday.

Large, marble rooms with beautiful large bathrooms, king size beds, and nice furnishings surround you.

Hotel is in the historic Macarena section of winding streets and alleys with tiny shops and restaurants tucked into the most unlikely spaces. Look carefully or you may miss something wonderful!

The beautiful tile, iron, and marble work at this hotel make the price hard to believe. We booked for one night and liked it so much we stayed for two. Top quality amenities in the bathrooms, hairdryers and continental breakfast included, make this hotel a major price performer for the otherwise costly city of Seville. Book through bookings.org/es and get a $10 discount over the hotel booking rate. We paid $90 for our first night and $100 when we booked with the hotel to stay a second night.

Parking is available nearby for $11 night. Take a taxi from the hotel to almost anywhere in the city for about $4. It''s easier and cheaper than the bus for four people traveling together. We would definitely go back to the San Gil next time we are in Seville.

Another winner found quite by accident. We arrived in Seville, checked into our hotel, and walked around with our mouths open for awhile just trying to take it all in. By 2 p.m. we were starving and hailed a cab, pointed to a restaurant address in our guidebook (cabbies generally do not speak English in Seville) and off we went.

When we arrived at our destination, we found that the place was closed. Now we're in the Barrio de Santa Cruz in the old Jewish quarter with not a clue where to go to find another good restaurant. Our driver, sensing our dilemma, asked us if we wanted to try somewhere else that he recommended. We weren't sure what he said, but we said "yes" anyway. Heck, we were there for an adventure in a new place -- what did we have to lose. He brought us even further into the maze that is old Seville to the restaurant El Rinconcillo.

What a fabulous find!!! This has been a working restaurant in one form or another since 1670 in the same location. The decor looks like it has not changed a bit since then. Hundreds of hooks in the ceiling once held the famous hams of the region and a few precious delicacies are still hanging over the bar (although I am sure they are not 333 years old).

We were escorted to a table in the area behind the bar by Jamie, our English speaking waiter. Jamie was fabulous and took over our menu choices once he determined who wanted fish and who wanted meat. We left the rest up to him. He brought out platter after platter of ham, cheeses, roasted pepper salad, grilled baby fish, grilled grown-up fish... He was wonderful and explained every item to us including a tutorial on the various sherries for which Southern Spain is so famous. He even took the time to write down the names of some of the new things we tried so we would be able to order them again while we were in Spain. Our meal was so much more enjoyable because of Jamie.

We had at least 5 courses and multiple wines. We spent two and a half hours feeling like we were finally, really in Spain. Old men stood at the bar sipping their fino and discussing the problems of the world probably as they have been doing for over 300 years in the very same spot. The rooms are tiled and tables look like the originals from 1670. The food was wonderful and we would definitely go back when we are in Seville again.

But if you go to El Rinconcillo, you must ask for Jamie and you will be ensured of enjoying your time there eating, drinking and learning about the history of Seville and its cuisine.

Las Brujas was recommended to us by a Sevilliana as one of the most authentic flamenco tablaos in all of Seville. We took her at her word and found ourselves enjoying one of the most spirited cultural experiences of our lives. The tablao is decorated in typical Sevillian style and is located in a traditional and popular neighborhood easily reached by taxi.

Visiting Seville in early November, the traditional season for flamenco had long past and since there were many fewer tourists at that time of year, the hall, unfortunately was empty except for we four and about 8 other people. What a shame! It may have been due to the fact that we attended the early show at 9:00 p.m. Sevillianos dine at what is for Americans a very late hour. We suspected that the "cool" thing would have been to attend the 11:30 performance instead.

None the less, the performers danced, sang, played and clapped their hearts out without regard to the size of their audience. No narrative accompanies the performance and none is necessary. A varied folkloric show, it combines the pure and genuine flamenco art with classic Spanish song and dance performed by professionals. It mattered not a whit that none of us understood Spanish because no language is necessary. Somehow, you understand. The movements of the dancers and their flying feet tell a story that is an accompaniment to the music and becomes another instrument.

Flamenco is an experience for all the senses. Naturally, you are drawn to the movements of the dancers and as the wood splinters beneath their feet you marvel at the training and dedication it must take to perform the way they do. But to miss the music of flamenco would be to miss the music that portrays the spirt of Spain. You experience the Asian and African roots of the music in the clapping and chanting of the singers and dancers as they encourage each performer to continue. At the end of the evening we found ourselves almost as exhausted as the sweating, heaving dancers. You cannot help but feel their energy and their enthusiasm as you watch them perform rituals that have been passed down for generations.

Seville is the home of flamenco and to miss a performance while staying in that wonderful city would be a shame. Las Brujas is the only authentic tablao we have ever seen, but we would return again when we are in Seville and would definitely try others as well. We are hooked! The tablao performance area is separated from the bar and is air-conditioned. No smoking is allowed during the performance. Dinner and drinks are served prior to the performance and during intermissions. Price for ticket is approximately $31 US.