The "Mushrooms" of Seville...

The Mushrooms of Seville.... in Spanish Las Setas de Sevilla.... also known as the Metropol Parasol, is an iconic architectural focal point of the city.  In the early 2000s, the leaders of Seville decided to solicit ideas to rejuvenate Plaza Encarnacion. A German architect won the competition, and the project was completed in 2011.  It is said to be the largest wooden structure in the world.  Here are some views from ground level....

There are elevators that take you to a restaurant, an observation area and a walkway at the top.  The views are stunning....

And some nighttime views....

During construction, Roman ruins were found....

A model of the Setas was on display....

Once you have seen this amazing structure, you will forever associate it with Seville, just as the Eiffel Tower is the symbol of Paris....


More to come from Seville....


Click on any photo to enlarge....

Seville's Cathedral....

No visit to Seville would be complete without a visit to the massive Cathedral.  It is generally considered the third largest Cathedral in Europe, and Europe's largest Gothic Cathedral.  But some experts say that due to its extreme height and volume, it may be the largest Cathedral in the world.....

The Cathedral's massive size can be seen in these photos, compared to the size of the people...

Notice the people in the bell tower....

The Cathedral contains the tomb of Christopher Columbus, whose coffin is carried by statues representing the four ancient kingdoms of Spain during the life of Columbus....

The amazing gold alterpiece, the largest in the world....the pictures do not do it justice....

Photos from inside the Cathedral, including two of its many beautiful and large stained glass windows....

Two photos from the Courtyard of the Oranges at the Cathedral....

A truly awe-inspiring sight to see....

Stay tuned for more from Seville....

Click on any photo to enlarge....

Spectacular Seville....

We had heard great things about Seville, Spain.  Lonely Planet voted it the best city in the world to visit in 2018, and we can see why.  We thoroughly enjoyed our five-day stay there, in large part due to the wonderful apartment we had.  It was called Apartamentos Eslava, and it was superb, finished with high quality fittings and furniture, and a most comfortable bed.  Views from our windows, looking out at the Church of San Lorenzo....

And from the roof-top terrace....

Our view of Plaza de San Lorenzo....

Making our stay at Eslava even better, it was located above a Michelin recommended tapas bar and restaurant of the same name.  The tapas bar was amazingly good, reasonably priced, and packed all day from noon opening until well past midnight....

People patiently waiting for a table, leaning on the church across the street, beer or wine in hand....

The tapas bar was soooo delicious and reasonable.  We ate there three times.  Below is our most expensive bill.  The meal consisted of seven tasty tapas, six glasses of Rioja red wine, three glasses of sherry, and the most amazing dessert we've ever had.... cheese ice cream.... 56.60 euros, about $65.00.

One spoonful missing, couldn't wait...

Seville (or as the locals call it... Sevilla) is a big city, but doesn't feel like it.  It is made up of neighborhoods with narrow streets and even narrower walking lanes.  These tiny streets are lined with buildings decorated with colorful tiles and wrought iron.  And Seville is essentially flat and easily walkable....

These narrow lanes are called "kissing lanes"....

 Seville is filled with public spaces of all sizes, and all of them have outdoor cafes and tapas bars.  And the outdoor cafes seem to be filled all the time....

A happy girl...

Some of the beautiful scenes and sights we saw in Seville....

Just hanging around in Seville...

Flowers in bloom...

Flamenco practice in a public square...

Roman columns...

One of the many Flamenco schools...

Wine regions of Spain...

On our last evening, as we were thinking about dinner, we heard this lovely saxophone music outside our window....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zi1RhVk6T8



More Seville to come in future posts.... the Cathedral, the Setas (Mushrooms), the Flamenco show, the flea market, and crossing the river for ceramics....


Click on any photo to enlarge....