Bill in Spain - SEVILLA

Thanks to the urban planning for the 1992 Expo, Sevilla added several bridges spanning the Guadalquivir River, a high-speed rail link from Madrid, and the airport was expanded as well.

A good place to stop when you arrive into Sevilla is the glossy tourism center located near the Sevilla Cathedral and the Alcazar. You can get loads of free brochures and maps, and ask the local staff to assist you. There are some colorful displays and interactive screens as well.

If you are going elsewhere in Spain, read my sections on BARCELONA, BILBAO, CADIZ, CEUTA, SAN SEBASTIAN/DONOSTIA, VALENCIA and ANDORRA.

Quick Tips:

Keep an eye out for the hordes of gypsy women who congregate about the major tourist sites. They seem harmless enough as they offer a small flower to you, but they are very aggressive about it and will become even more so if you accept the gift and do not procure a reasonable tip for them. I am not fond of the swarms of gypsies, but you may think they are a charming part of the scene in Sevilla. It is said that there is quite a bit of petty crime in Sevilla, but I personally have had no problems here. Just use common sense when you travel about, as in any major urban area.

Best Way To Get Around:

There is one main train station (Santa Justa) and two long-distance bus terminals (the newer Plaza de Armas and the Prado de San Sebastian stations) in Sevilla. Noted architect Rafael Moneo designed the highly regarded Santa Justa train station. Many buses terminate in one station or the other. However, if you are taking the Anibel bus line to Lisbon, it stops in both of the Sevilla bus terminals.

The city center of Sevilla is fairly compact, so if you are only visiting the major attractions you will probably walk around the center of town a lot. If you are visiting the outlying neighborhoods or some of the newer areas (Isla Magica), you may want to use the local network of public buses.

Some of these wonderful images of Sevilla are courtesy of my colleague and frequent travel companion, Chicago architect and European expert Marius Ronnett.

This comfortable hotel is centrally located near the Guadalquivir River and not far from stellar attractions such as the Cathedral and Giralda ensemble as well as the Torre del Oro. The closest landmark is the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza, perhaps the most famous bullring in Spain.

The Hotel Becquer was formerly part of the Best Western chain, but is now part of the worldwide Utell consortium of hotels. The moderately sized property was built in 1973, and its six floors and 139 rooms were recently renovated. The standard rooms at the Becquer are fine, nothing too fancy but not too plain either. Our average-sized room with two single beds had TV, mini-bar, air conditioning, marble bath with hairdryer, and various toiletries. Upon entering our room, we were pleasantly surprised by a welcome fruit basket and chocolates on our pillows. Our room had a small balcony with a city view of the street and the vertical signage of the hotel.

The Hotel Becquer has two restaurants on-site, and you can enjoy the tasty buffet breakfast in one of them (the breakfast was included with our room rate when the hotel was still a Best Western, and this appears to still be the case). If you are driving, the hotel has car parking in its lower level.

The popular mid-level property is a typical European-style hotel that is suitable for the business traveler or the leisure visitor. It enjoys a very good location in central Sevilla that is hard to beat.

This small and charmingly nondescript bar is typical of the local establishments found all over Spain. You can get some reheated tapas and a drink served quickly and conveniently, or you can linger here with a newspaper.

The bar is located very close to the Prado de San Sebastian bus station and not far from the Jardins de Murillo. There are stools along the bar as well as small tables at the back. If you want a quick bite while you are waiting for a long-distance bus, this is not a bad place to stop in. The streets around here seem to be filled with cars, as fellows with parking cards guide drivers in and out of tiny spaces, so hopefully that is not your mode of transportation here.

The proprietor of the bar did not speak English, but as long as you know a few of the standard tapas choices, you can verbally rattle off a few and eventually you will have a snack or light meal. I tend to lean towards hot rather than cold tapas. I ordered a ham sandwich and a torta espanola, two very typical tapas selections. The sandwich was very simple, with a thin slice of ham on a toasted roll, but it was tasty. The torta espanola is basically a wedge of potato pie, but with a bit of egg and cheese in the mix. It can also be considered a slice of quiche or a large and firm omelet, but this piece had more potato than egg in it. A small section of crusty French bread comes along with the torta espanola, as well as most tapas.

The tapas are not dirt cheap, but they will not set you back too many Euro either. Come in and greet the proprietor and his precocious young boy.

The Sevilla Catedral is usually recognized as the third largest church (and the largest Gothic church) in the world, covering 11,520 square meters, behind only St. Paul's in London and St. Peter's in Vatican City. Some even claim that the Catedral is the largest church in the world, based on cubic measurement instead of the usual square measurement. This venerated UNESCO World Heritage Site has 44 chapels and five huge naves, with a central nave that has a height of 42 meters. Forty massive columns support the cavernous interiors of the Catedral.

The site of the Catedral has had a colorful history all its own. A 6th-century Visigothic cathedral formerly occupied this plot of land. This was demolished to make way for the great 12th-century "High Mosque" of the Almohads that includes the magnificent Giralda minaret. The Spanish conquerors demolished virtually the entire mosque, but they had enough sense to retain the Giralda because of its obvious beauty and symbolic value. The attractive Patio de los Naranjos (with a Moorish fountain at the center) was also retained, with a few Renaissance touches subsequently thrown in. As its name indicates, this courtyard is filled with fragrant orange trees irrigated by little canals. The Puerta del Perdon is the gateway to the Patio de los Naranjos.

The grandiose plans of the Catedral, credited to Alonso Martinez, Simon de Colonia, and Juan Gil de Ontanon, was completed in the relatively short time span (1402 to 1506) atop the huge rectangular footprint of the former mosque. The master architect of the Rouen Cathedral probably had some influence on the overall design. With this pedigree, the architects of the Catedral made a bold statement with its sheer scale, height, and mass along with its aesthetic qualities. The Catedral was not just a place of worship, but was and is a symbol of Christian might and glory.

Walk around the perimeter to glimpse at all the bold details of the exteriors, and look up to see some of the 70 domes sheltering the building. Informational signs are placed around the base of the Catedral for tourists, such as the one at the Puerto San Miguel on the west side.

The vast interiors contain the Plateresque-style Capilla Real, which is the main royal chapel. The treasury includes works by artists like Murillo, Zurburan, and Ribera. There is also the grandiose 1902 "tomb" of Christopher Columbus, which is interesting since about three other countries lay claim to the remains of the great discoverer. Take a peek into the gift shop for some standard souvenirs to take away.

Admission to the Catedral and the Giralda is on a single ticket, although there is free admission to both on Sunday afternoons. The main visitor entrance is through the Puerto de San Cristobal. The Puerta del Perdon is now the visitor exit, though it was formerly the original main gateway.

The Giralda is one of the "big three" of Almohad towers, the other ones being the Koutoubia minaret in Marrakesh and the incomplete Hassan Mosque tower in Rabat. Sevilla's tower is probably the most exquisite and eclectic of the three, although some may argue that the Koutoubia minaret has a purer design. The Almohads constructed the Giralda from 1184 to 1196. Its brickwork facades with arched windows and niches are simple but unique enough to have four subtly distinctive faces. The lower walls are as thick as 2.5 meters to support its weight, which rests atop a dense foundation of stones mostly recycled from Roman ruins.

The original appearance of the tower's top was altered by earthquake and by design. Balconies, the belfry tower (added by Hernan Ruiz in 1568) and a bell chamber were added to modify the original design. The tower is now capped by the giraldillo (weather vane), added in the 16th Century after the original copper spheres were damaged by earthquake. The giraldillo consists of 25 bells, with the oldest ones dating back to 1400. The bronze female figure called "Faith" caps the tower. The interior has a continuous series of 35 wide ramps that lead to the top of the tower. The Moors formerly used the minaret as a prayer calling point and as an observatory. Nowadays, visitors climb the ramps to the bell chamber for superb panoramic views of surrounding Sevilla. Look about also for the Gothic details of the tower itself and the Catedral domes immediately below.

One can well imagine the fierce passions surrounding the Giralda when the Christians, who fought hard to keep it from being completely destroyed, booted the Muslims out. In a way, the Christians placed their stylistic and religious stamps on the tower with various additions, thereby transforming the Moorish minaret into a Christian bell tower. Thanks to the passage of time, the mixture of styles is now widely accepted and the Giralda has become the beloved and most recognized landmark of Sevilla.

The entrance fee to the Giralda is included with the ticket for the Catedral. Enter at the northeast corner of the Catedral near the Capilla Real.

As far as Moorish buildings in Andalucia, the Alhambra in Granada is recognized as the most famous, but the Alcazar in Sevilla is a solid second. Since it is actually a group of palaces constructed over the ages, the complex is sometimes referred to as Los Reales Alcazares. The Alcazar is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and, like the Catedral, has quite an interesting history to it. The prominent site of the Alcazar has been occupied by a Roman acropolis, an early Christian basilica, a grouping of Visigoth buildings, and by Moorish palaces and fortresses.

The Almohads used the Alcazar as a citadel, and its fortifications stretched to the historic Torre del Oro along the Guadalquivir River. Only a few sections of the Almohad walls are left in the current Alcazar. What stands today is the so-called Christian remakes of the complex in a Mudejar architectural style that is a hybrid between Moorish and Spanish trends. Some portions of various Moorish buildings in Sevilla, Cordoba, and Valencia were removed and repositioned at the Alcazar. Various Spanish kings and queens commissioned entire wings, apartments, and extensive renovations to the complex. The royal apartments hosted Generalissimo Francisco Franco in his days in power. The Alcazar is still used as the official guest residence for the current royalty of Spain.

The most complete leftover from the Islamic period is the Patio del Yeso, the former Arabic palace. The surrounding Mudejar architecture does its best to mesh with the older parts. The main palace was rebuilt in the 14th century, with extensive enlargements and renovations tacked on over the centuries by the whims of the royals. The Puerta del Leon, the main gateway into the Alcazar, separates the Patio de la Monteria (hunting court) from the surrounding city. The main courtyard is the Patio de las Doncellas (maids' court). This connects with the Salon de los Embajadores (Hall of the Ambassadors), which features a golden dome. Perhaps the most important hall of the palace, this was where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel supposedly welcomed Christopher Columbus after his triumphant return from the New World. This is part of a newer wing used to plot expeditions to the Americas. The Patio de las Munecas (court of the dolls) is one of the more delicately embellished spaces.

The Jardines del Alcazar (gardens) encompass a great deal of territory and reveals an eclectic mix of Arabic and European gardening styles. There are plenty of wonderful orange and lemon trees. Across the walls of the Alcazar are the Jardines de Murillo, which locals are free to enjoy at no cost.

The Torre del Oro (Golden Tower) has a prime location along the east bank of the Guadalquivir River. It is a visually appealing symbol of the glory days of Sevilla.

The Almohads had constructed this twelve-sided chess piece of a tower in 1220. At that time, the structure was a physical extension of the fortifications of the Alcazar. Gold tiles formerly coated the exterior of the tower, which was later utilized as a storehouse for the valuable hordes of gold dragged back from the New World by the great explorers. Nowadays, only the yellow dome on top has the golden hue, although its name still seems appropriate because of the light-colored exterior of the tower.

The Torre del Oro now contains the quaint Museo Nautico, with a few displays of old naval artifacts, historic maps, and illustrations. Climb up a bit to get a view down the Guadalquivir River. Not a defensive tower anymore, the structure is now just fine as a landmark along the popular promenade beside the river.

Not far, but hidden from obvious view, is the accompanying Torre de la Plata (Silver Tower). It was formerly connected to the Torre del Oro by an underwater series of chains and mechanisms as a means to protect the city. The Torre de la Plata can barely be seen nowadays, as another building at Calle Santander and Calle Temprado has almost swallowed it all up. One must wander into a graffiti-laden alleyway for a decent view of this hidden historic tower.

The colorfully impressive Plaza de Espana was designed as the focal point of the Ibero-American Exposition (also called the Latin American Exhibition or the Fair of the Americas) held in the Parque de Maria Luisa in 1929.

The smoothly paved Plaza de Espana utilizes water as an attribute to great effect. It contains an artificial lake with lots of ducks and swans, and a large formal fountain. A thin landscaped canal separates the plaza from the main building, and cute little pedestrian bridges, daintily painted blue and white, cross between the two areas. The plaza is showing a bit of wear, as it endures the presence of unsightly construction reinforcements. Souvenir sellers and sketch artists populate the edge of the plaza, while the occasional horse carriage takes tourists around for a romantic romp around the loop.

Anibel Gonzalez designed the plaza’s large arcaded structure in 1914, and it eventually became the main office for the fair. It is constructed in a distinctive style called Sevillan Regionalism, with burnt orange brick, tiles, and marble columns. The main building follows the outline of the large semicircular plaza, with two ornately detailed towers at the ends. The tiled surfaces of the main building were used as examples of Spanish crafts and industry during the Fair.

The Parque de Maria Luisa is the principal green space of Sevilla, and is a nice place to wander after a visit to the bolder Plaza de Espana. The park contains other surviving buildings from the former fair, including a casino and restaurants. A couple of pavilions on the Plaza de America now house the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Popular Customs. There are cool pools and walkways in the park, and many locals enjoy strolling through here.

Expo ''92 is credited with drawing global attention to Sevilla. The city''s infrastructure was greatly improved by a series of urban projects. The former site of Expo ''92 is now a splashy amusement park along the west bank of the Guadalquivir River. It is open seasonally, from April through September. The Isla Magica concentrates on themes surrounding 16th Century Spain, with a few roller coasters and water rides thrown into the mix.

Note the two gleaming white bridges that span the Guadalquivir River. Both of these graceful landmark bridges were completed in time for Expo ''92. The Puente de la Barqueta, a symmetrical suspension bridge engineered by Juan J Arenas and Marcos J Pantaleon, is now used as the main gateway to the Isla Magica theme park and the Sevilla Tecnopolis technology park. Just to the north is the asymmetrical Puente del Alamillo, a wildly angling design that reveals and celebrates the engineering background of architect Santiago Calatrava. The cable-stayed bridge interacts uniquely with the inclined pylon, which almost seems to visually pull at the cables that hold up the bridge. Calatrava''s dynamic design looks like some sort of musical instrument instead of just a bridge.

Architects Tadao Ando (Japan) and Nicholas Grimshaw (United Kingdom) designed Expo pavilions for their respective countries. Most of the pavilions of the nations have been dismantled, and the Sevilla Tecnopolis technology park now occupies most of this real estate. Two pavilions that remain are those of America and Chile. A "telecabina" crosses over the grounds if you do not want to walk all the way to the opposite end of Isla Magica.

Just south of Isla Magica is "La Cartuja" Monasterio de Santa Maria de las Cuevas, a 14th Century monastery that was rehabbed as part of the Expo ''92 World Exhibition. La Cartuja was the home for Columbus for several years. This complex now houses the Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporaneo, which features modern art by local artists as well as some international exhibits.