Spain - Seville
Your ass can get lost in this town. Correction, your ass will get lost in this town. The area around the Alcazar and Catedral are figure out-able, but venturing from there can be tough. Maybe I’m just super tired! I did get the hop on hop off bus, but it literally does not even go into old town…I’m sure it literally can’t, but that’s no excuse! Man though, these streets can be fucking narrow for a large city. I mean I had a moment or two where I had no idea how this car and I were both going to fit on this road…remember that scene in the NYC subway in Superman II? Lex you sly mother. Anyway, Sevilla outside of old town has fallen on some rough times. Graffiti everywhere. Closed shops everywhere. I don’t know what to say. Even on the bus tour it was like, yeah, there’s not much left to see.
The old town area to the west of the Alcazar is some of the best walking in all of Europe. Venice comes to mind with their tiny streets and you can’t see 100 feet beyond you because the streets curve so much and so often. The shopping streets in the Tetuan and Sierpes area were actually kind of nice. Chainy for Spain I guess, but not for me. The Triana area was a little bland and their “bar” area along the river wasn’t as dense as I wanted it to be.
The recommended “markets” next to the Triana bridge on the Alcazar side and across the bridge in Triana proper were pretty basic examples of markets. Nothing too interesting. Iberico ham everywhere. Tapa bars everywhere (but NOT MANY ham bars, haha). There were indoor markets though, and not gigantic by any stretch of the imagination, so good.
It’s not even right for us to talk about this. Go to the Aire De Seville baths. Any trip to Seville without going here would be a waste. Yes, I’ve been to Turkish baths before, I’ve even been to a god damn Russian bath in Russia, this, this is something extraordinary. A first world country doing what all of those third world countries can’t, which is replicate old world extravagance. This is it my friends. And yeah, splurge for the extras you cheap asshole. The massage makes all the difference in the world. I’d argue that the hammam (which admittedly was pretty simple) and the salt water pool were my favorites. The rooftop pool (which you only get with certain treatments) had a fantastic view, but overall it was meh. You go downstairs to hit giant steam rooms and salt baths. You go upstairs to hit hot tubs and humongous wading pools. You go up even more stairs to visit the huge and oddly regal massage rooms. I could’ve spent all day here.
My hotel had a spa as well, which they do by appointments…and I was the only one during my time slot, double perfect.
Notes to self:
-Getting the hop on hop off bus was not remotely necessary in my opinion. Everything that is cool to see is within walking distance of where you should be staying (near the center of the old town).
-The train station is not close. Not close at all. Why did you walk? What the f were you thinking?
-The Alcazar and Cathedral are cool of course…that’s the main point for most people I think.
-The EME Catedral could not possibly of been in a better location.
EME Catedral Hotel Seville - May 2015
Listen, full disclosure, I did not love my room. I was a little bitter about my room to be honest. First floor, not well layed out. I mean, it’s big, but it just wasn’t “great”. However, this hotel is great. They have a lobby that is both modern and quaint, and it is literally across the street from the cathedral (nowhere near the train station but nothing is). The lobby bar is indoor/outdoor and the drinks are cheap (food less so I found), the furniture is hip, and the people watching on the patio is perfect. The indoor restaurant is also cool and funky. All of the rooms are unique apparently. Mine had a separate toilet and shower (loved the shower but the toilet was cramped! and I ain’t thaaaaattttt big). The vanity area was in the room a la some crappy W room layouts. They had a small mini bar, no pay per view but free Playboy channel! and Playboy don’t mess around overseas…or maybe everywhere nowadays, and they had room service but it was literally the restaurant menu and tied to the restaurant hours. Breakfast was included and it’s in the main dining room which was actually pretty cool.
Notes
-DO NOT SKIP the free spa tour. It must be reserved but it’s 50 minutes and it includes multiple shower stations, a hammam, an ice station, a relaxation room, a tea room, and a bad ass pool with jets and waterfalls and…yeah bad ass. It is coed and if you plan it properly you and your girl can be in there together…alone. SO plan it properly dumbass. There’s a max of 6 people in any hour allotment so your worst case is sharing with a few other folks… I had it all to myself and it was awesome sauce.
Hotel Alminar Seville - Apr 2006
We loved this place…not kidding. Fantastic location, great staff, lots of charm but still modern enough. Our room was simple but the bathroom was done nicely. We had a balcony off the back that looked at the cathedral and was the perfect place for breakfast. I probably wouldn’t stay here unless I could get one of the terrace rooms again (I think there are only a couple). Cool spot and perfect for Seville. Staff was beyond fantastic.