SEVILLE IN JUNE
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Welcome to Exploreseville,
where you can find helpful information for
the visitor, student or expat. I highly
recommend you read the site
guide to locate whatever you're looking
for. If you're looking for pictures but
don't have time for all the photo
albums, you can take a quick
photo tour of Seville. To keep you informed
about what's going on in Sevilla check out
the sections below for daily updates.
May in Seville: Spring
in Seville is the best time to visit, and
perhaps the hardest time to find a hotel
or hostal! May is when it starts to get
hot, but if you're lucky you will find a
cool day here and there. Adopt the local
schedule: eat around 14:00 and then take
a siesta during the hottest part of the
day. In and around the streets of the center
you can find a Cruz
de Mayo or two. If you are still looking
for the Feria then take the AVE at the end
of the month for Cordoba's
Feria. If you like fur then head to
the Parque del Alamillo for the Dog
Festival (as I am calling it). The Museum
of Fine Arts (Museo de Bellas Artes) has
two exhibits through July: La
Planchadora by Picasso is on loan
from the Guggenheim,
and the works of Murillo,
Zurbarán, Picasso, and Valdés
Leal amongst others are featured in the
exhibit El agua
en la pintura andaluza. If
you want to catch a fútbol match
while you're in town, check out the combined
home schedule for Real
Betis and Sevilla F.C. Sevilla FC is
trying to stay in Champion's League position
as well as fight for the league crown (boooo!),
and you can catch a match against Zaragoza.
For Betis the goal is to stay in 1st division
as they take on rivals just next to them
in the league table: Gimnastic
and Osasuna.
Finally, as you walk around the city take
note of the many changes in the plazas and
streets in the center which are now more
pedestrian friendly: Plaza Nueva, Avda Constitución,
the Plaza de la Pescaderia and the soon
to be completed Alameda. You can find more
information on all of these activities in
Seville (and more) in the Events
& Exhibits section. If you're looking
to rent an apartment, or find a hostal
or hotel in Seville, check out the recently
updated section. I also recommend checking
out sevilla5.com
where you'll find me just about every day.
Plenty of options from budget to the extravagant!
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NEW & UPDATED
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HOTELS AND HOSTALS
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FESTIVALS, EVENTS, EXHIBITS...
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TAPAS BARS BY NEIGHBORHOOD
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Feria in Cordoba
Sevilla vs. Zaragoza
Betis vs. Gimnastic
Betis vs. Osasuna
XIII Fiesta de los Perros
Cruces de Mayo
Exhibit: El agua en la pintura andaluza
Exhibit: "La Planchadora" by Picasso
Tour Iglesia Salvador
more..
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LATEST NEWS
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PHOTO ALBUMS
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Plaza renovations in the center
Watch Semana Santa live online
Starbucks continues to choke the center
Bike lanes everywhere; Rental bikes coming soon
Metro Centro work in the center
Finally, another Rayas!
Contenedor - foods from around the world
Sleepngo.com - shared flats and hostals
Museo del Baile Flamenco
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FEATURES
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Semana Santa in Seville
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Feria de Abril
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It's
that time of year again, as we get closer to spring,
Seville is at it's best. Semana Santa is the first
sign that the season has arrived, with the Feria de
Abril just around the corner. Arising
from my winter hibernation, I recently noticed on
my way to work a large banner hanging over Calle San
Esteban, advertising robes and capirotes
for the thousands of nazarenos who will march
through the streets of Seville. Joining them will
be costaleros, floats, "marching"
bands, and of course hundreds of thousands of people!
The time has come, and for those of you visiting Seville
you'll need some time to prepare. To help you get
ready, check out my Guide
to Semana Santa in Seville. |
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During
most years we only have two weeks to rest between
Semana Santa and the Feria de Abril. This year is
an exception, with just over a week to rest
our weary feet and prepare for several days and nights
of sevillanas, horses, and fino.
It all begins with a little pescaito frito on
Monday night, and often ends with chocolate and churros
sometime after two in the morning. Throw in some clowns,
carnaval games and rides to make your head spin (if
the rebujitos do not). The largest of all
the ferias in Spain, hundreds of thousands
will come to visit. Seville for the Feria de Abril.
You can learn more about the event in my section dedicated
to the event: Feria
de Abril in Seville. |
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PHOTO OF THE WEEK
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HELPFUL INFORMATION
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DINING OUT
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Just a block from the new (and still unfinished) market
in Plaza de la Encarnación, you will find this
shell and plaque indicating the very center of the city
of Seville. While the true center of the city has likely
changed amidst the urban sprawl, the shell is still
accurate when considering the casco antiguo,
or old city center. I've heard the fact tossed around
that Seville has the largest intact old city center
in all of Europe. (I'm still investigating if this is
a firm fact - let me know if you know for sure). Nonetheless,
there is plenty to explore in one of the largest
old city centers in Europe. For some ideas take a look
at the following sections on the site: 57
Things to do in Seville, Sights
& Monuments, and of course Transportation,
to get you around. |
From money
to mobile phones, accommodations
to the sites, or technology
and the internet, you can
read a little about it all here. You'll find some useful
information as well as a few of my general
observations on life and culture in Sevilla to help
you understand some of the quirks and differences of
life here. I've also included sections on tourist info
such as transportation,
shopping, nightlife
(la marcha), hotels and
hostals as well as where to buy food
when you're sick of eating out. With some recommended
books and helpful links
I hope to assist those of you looking for more information
on some specific topics. Finally, if you're looking
for a more long term stay in Seville take a look at
the living and moving
sections. |
I frequent many tapas
bars and restaurants
in Sevilla, hoping to discover a few surprises hidden
in the back alleys. I've also added international
and vegetarian options. And with some recent work,
the sections have been reworked and launched, with even
more informatio. Soon to come: some photos and helpful
tips on eating out. I've broken down the restaurants
in Sevilla by neighborhood, but even if you don't know
Sevilla that well you shouldn't have any problems locating
these places with a map! And of course I've added a
number of new places to eat and there are now over 60
bars and restaurants, from places for locals only (until
you show up!), tapas or a complete meal. |
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MY LIFE HERE (some daily entries)
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Friday October 14th "Rain! Sun!"
So much talk about the weather….rain! After many
months of nothing but sun it has been a nice change, although
a city in the rain is nothing more than dirty. But we know
fall has arrived when you have 5 straight days of rain.
And I am thankful of something resembling a change of the
seasons. As I prepare to spend an afternoon waiting in line
for tickets to the Betis-Chelsea match I only hope it let’s
up a little. I’m expecting no organization and plenty
of pushing and chaos similar to last year. The price you
pay for being a season ticket holder, I guess. Should be
a lot of fun!
Update: The line was very long and thankfully we arrived
2 hours in advance to be the first group of 25 to enter.
Still amazing to see the guys behind the ticket window sort
through 30 boxes of tickets to hand-pluck each ticket. Total
time spent, including transport, was 4 hours. And the weather
has taken a nice turn. Now things are cool and crisp –
this is one of the best times to be in Seville!
Update: things must be very boring now for me to talk about
the weather. Not true, but it's Friday and there's work
to be done and I am tired. Time for a beer and a siesta.
Previous days
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