Seville Snapshot: Christmas Lights at Town Hall

December 10, 2012 by · 5 Comments

When it comes to Christmas, I’m typically a Scrooge. My ears bleed when I hear Christmas Carols or their Spanish counterpart, and the only redeeming part of the season are peppermint flavored ice cream, coffee and candy canes.

But Seville’s Christmas lights make the city look even better, I’ve always loved Christmas markets. Typically lit at dusk on the Día de la Constitución, December 6th, I was amazed to see them go on while waiting for some friends in Plaza Nueva on November 30th. Like watching the portada of the Feria light up in the Real, my childlike wonder of Christmas lights returned for a brief moment on a rainy evening, the rain splattering my face the way snowflakes used to in Chicago. I was suddenly thaknful that my parents had gotten cheap flights to Europe to be able to share the season with me. On the municipal Christmas tree, the reflection of the ayuntamiento, town hall, shone on a Christmas ball, dressed up for the season.

Got a photo of Seville or Southern Spain to share? I’d love to see it! Send me the photo, along with a short description of where you took it and links to any pages you’d like included, to sunshineandsiestas [at] gmail [dot] come. Look for a new photos every Monday, or join me at my Facebook page for more scoop on El Sur! What’s your favorite Spanish holiday tradition?

Filed Under: Andalucia, El Centro, expat life, Featured, holidays, Navidades, Places with Encanto, Sevilla Center, Seville, Seville Shots, Things to do in Sevilla ·

Seville Snapshot: The Feria de Belén

November 26, 2012 by · 6 Comments

One of my favorite Christmas traditions in Spain is the nativity scene, called a belén. It also happens to be my favorite Spanish name for a girl, though I wouldn’t name my daughter after the Little Town of Bethlehem.

Again, at the risk of sounding un-American, I don’t like Christmas, either.

But the belenes, a household nativity scene, fascinate me. Tiny villages  are constructed out of figurines taking the form of primitive buildings, the Holy Family and even working mills, crops and animals. My own family has the same nativity scene under our tree that we’ve had every year – plastic Holy Family with two faceless sheep, an ox, a plastic angel that balances on a nail up top. I once told my mother I’d do the Spanish tradition of buying one new piece each year, much like I did with my American Girl Doll years back.

Seville holds an annual Feria del Belén, a month-long set-up of small, artisan stands that sell all of these tiny cattle, baskets and shepherds.

Over the years, I’ve marveled at the small effigies and menagerie of barnyard animals, but my long-distance lens caught something quite by accident just last week: the Virgen Mary nursing.

Filed Under: Andalucia, Art, culture shock, expat life, Featured, holidays, Navidades, Sevilla Center, Seville, Seville Shots, shopping, Spain, Things to do in Sevilla · Tagged: , , , ,

Seville Snapshots: Bartering at the Plaza de España

November 19, 2012 by · 2 Comments

The first (and one of very, very few) feeling I ever had of notoriety was from one Cassandra Gambill, who started following my blog way back before I knew theat people were actually reading. Naturally, I was thrilled when she chose to come to Spain a few years ago and blog about, so I gladly accepted her submission from her most recent trip to Seville.

Rediscovering Sevilla after a brief trip south in 2007, I had to rectify my image of this Andalusian town. When I had originally visited, preparations for the subway system left the city dirty and dusty. Whenever I saw photos of iconic Sevilla, I couldn’t recognize them as anything I’d seen, including the beautifully tiled Plaza de España.

Even though the day was overcast when I finally made it back to Sevilla, I immediately appreciated the grandeur and color of this sophisticated square. Speaking of color, there were plenty of local characters who also made the place a feast for the eyes and ears. In this corner alone there were lovey-dovey locals, backpacking-toting tourists, a scarf-and-abanico vendor, and a wandering woman hoping to plant rosemary sprigs on unsuspecting sightseers.

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Going on her third year in the Spanish capital, Cassandra Gambill is now working towards a Master’s in Bilingual Education at the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares. Her motto? Where there’s a will there’s a way, and where’s a puente, there’s a trip in the making.

 

You can follow Cassandra via her blog and twitter:

Blog: www.geecassandra.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/geecassandra

Filed Under: Andalucia, Andalusia Tourism, El Centro, Europe, fashion, Feria, guiri atope, money, photo post, Sevilla Center, Seville, Seville Shots, shopping, Things to do in Sevilla · Tagged: , , , ,

Seville Snapshots: Horse Carriages

October 29, 2012 by · 2 Comments

Last night, after my friend Karen’s book party, I fell asleep curled up listening to a heavy downpour while I hogged both sides of the bed. For someone who craves summer and the smell of chlorine coming off my wrinkled skin, I don’t exactly love Fall.

THERE! I said it.

This morning, after an entire week at home researching the motorcycle helmet market for a project, I had no choice but to buncle up, brave the rain and get into town for errands. The skies were a cobalt grey, sign of more rain to come this weekend. But the thing I love most about the rain is how the vibrant colors of Seville’s city center always seem to stand out more. The salmon pink Salvador church, the albero grit on the cathedral are even more striking when skies are overcast.

I was especially taken by the romantic horse carriages available for rent in the city center. As someone who grew up with a horse, I often think of my mother when I walk downtown or hear the clip clop behind me in Parque María Luisa. This coches de caballo seem to be nostalgia tugging at my sleeve – both for our childhood horse, Pudge, and for the Seville that existed in its heyday.

If you’d like to contribute your photos from Spain and Seville, please send me an email at sunshineandsiestas @ gmail.com with your name, short description of the photo, and any bio or links directing you back to your own blog, Facebook page or twitter. There’s plenty more pictures of the gorgeous Seville on Sunshine and Siesta’s new Facebook page!

Filed Under: Andalucia, Andalusia Tourism, El Centro, Featured, Public Transportation, Sevilla Center, Seville, Seville Shots, Things to do in Sevilla, typical Spanish · Tagged: , , ,

Sampling Spanish Food: Five Must-Try Tapas

October 18, 2012 by · 19 Comments

As Seville competes for the World Capital of Tapas, a nod which would give the city another UNESCO World Heritage mention, restaurants and tapas bars around the city are adapting to an eating culture that is evolving towards gastrobar-meets-down home atmosphere. Seville’s tapas culture is a major city attraction.

Many stories about its origins exist, but the practice is universal: bar patrons hop from one bar to another, sampling small plates of food. These can encompass hot dishes or cold, and can be meat, fish, vegetables or anything in between. While Spanish cuisine is considered important, Basque and Catalàn tend to be the heavy hitters in this category.

What sets Seville apart is the participation, making every day special enough to eat out. Tapas can take on so many different forms, making it impossible to get a real taste for Spanish food in a quick trip. Here are five-star dishes that will give you a starter tutorial in Spanish gastronomy:

Pulpo a la Feira

What it is: Boiled octopus served over boiled potatoes, with drizzled olive oil and sweet paprika.

Where it’s from: Typically eaten in the northern region of Galicia, popular varieties include al horno (baked) or a la plancha (grilled).

Where to get it in Seville: Casa Miró is perhaps one of the most famous Galician style restaurants in Seville, but try the pulpo at La Azotea (C/Jesús del Gran Poder, 31), served over mashed potatoes with a mozarabe sauce.

Goes perfectly with: pimientos del padrón, a sometimes-spicy-sometimes-not flash-seared green pepper.

Salmorejo

What it is: A thick, cold soup made with tomatoes, bread, olive oil, garlic and vinegar. Often served with chopped bits of ham and boiled egg.

Where it’s from: This dish is one of the most typical in Córdoba and is a thicker, sweeter version of gazpacho.

Where to get it in Seville: Salmorejo is a staple in most well-established bars in Seville, though not all of it is homemade. It’s pretty good at Bodegas la Pitarra, especially when dipped in even more bread!

Goes perfectly with: Fried eggplant, a ham and cheese mini-sandwich, Córdoba’s other famous dish, the flamenquín.

Paella

What it is: A rice dish that’s often made with seafood, meat and vegetables.

Where it’s from: Believed to have been created in the Albufera region of Valencia, paella is a common dish on the Mediterranean Coast and at barbeques (I mean it!). Rice is a common crop is Spain, and the availability of cheap flights to this region, like from Belfast to Alicante, make it an easy weekend trip.

Where to get it in Seville: On Sundays, La Cocina del Dr. x (Evangelista, 36, Triana) serves rice or paella. If you’re willing to go a bit further out, the duo from L’Albufera in Los Bermejales (Avda. de Europa, 19) cooks their rice to perfection and even serves it to you from the flat, cast-iron dish. Paella takes a while to make and is ordered by the person, so allot enough time or call ahead .

Goes great with: itself. Since paella is a dish that encompasses the major food groups, just keep digging in.

El Serranito

Pepito de Berenjena and fried cheese

What it is: a hearty sandwich stacked high with a pork sirloin or chicken breast, tomato, a slice of ham and a fried green pepper between two hunks of bread.

Where it’s from: This is the Andalusian of fast food. It’s especially common in Seville (I only wish my host mom in Valladolid packed these for me instead of mortadella sandwiches!).

Where to get it in Seville: I’ve found that the biggest and best Serranitos come from the roadside bars in small towns. Many bars in the city serve mini versions of the sandwich for a taste.

Goes perfectly with: A cold beer. It’s hearty, so you’ll need something to wash it down!

Tortilla de Patatas

What it is: This list would not be complete without perhaps the most Spanish dish of them all – the venerable Potato Omelette. As simple as eggs, potatoes and onions, the dish can be tricky to master (especialy when you have to flip it and cook the other side!).

Where it’s from: This is perhaps the only Spanish dish common throughout the entire country.

Where to get it in Seville: Some like it cooked, some like the eggs runny, but I love the tortilla from Bodeguita A. Romero, served with mayonnaise (Calle Gamazo, 16).

Goes perfectly with: Just about anything. It’s actually eaten for breakfast in Madrid!

In homage to a city where the tapeo culture trumps even bullfighting and flamenco (read: it’s accessible and likeable to everyone), I’m starting a weekly Tapas Thursday section that will feature different small plates and where to find them in Seville. Hungry? Read on…

[this post was also selected as a part of the Best World Food posts on The Nomadic Family. More yummy scoop here.]

What’s your favorite Spanish dish? What tapas would you like to see promoted on Sunshine and Siestas? Feel free to upload pictures of dishes to Sunshine and Siestas’s Facebook page!

Filed Under: food, gastronomy, Seville, Spain, Tapas, Tapas Bars, Things to do in Sevilla, typical Spanish, UNESCO World Heritage · Tagged: , , ,

Seville Snapshots:Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporaneo

September 10, 2012 by · 1 Comment

Well, back to sweltering Spain. After a stint at the Travel Bloggers Unite conference in Porto, I lugged my 60+ lb. suitcase back to Seville (notably missing was my laptop, which I left in a cab and have yet to recover). It left me wanting fall, a temperate and dreamy time of the year in the South. Kelly of This Blonde sent me the picture below, plunging me into reveries of comfy sweaters, Kike’s army-issued PJs and the return of boots (want black riding ones, just like the pijas!).

In my world, the season of fall always arrives with color. Bursting from the trees, running down the mountainside, heralding the beginning of my favorite season. In southern Spain, fall is a different species. There is hot, and there is hotter. There are green leaves, and there are wet leaves. While I was daydreaming of bundling up in a sweater and a scarf, in reality I was peeling layers off as the days rolled on. It was here on the threshold of the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo that I found a very familiar scene.This photo is startlingly full of fall for a December day in Seville. The thick carpet of leaves, a woman (a student?) in a full length trench and hat wheeling her bike out into the courtyard.

Seville’s Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo (Museum of Contemporary Andalusian Art) is located in the old Cartuja ceramic factory and monastery, which in and of itself is worth a visit. Reached by the C1 or C2 circulars, its hours are Tuesday thru Saturday 11:00 to 21:00 h, Sunday de 11:00 a 15:00 h. Closed Monday. Free entry on weekdays from 19:00 to 21:h; tickets 1,80 to 3,01€.

Bio:

twitter.com/kmarieholland
thisblonde.wordpress.com

Love taking shots? Been to Seville or Spain? I’m looking for travelers with a good eye to capture beautiful Spain and contribute to my weekly Snapshots section. Send your photos to sunshineandsiestas @ gmail.com with your name and a short description of the photo and look to be featured here!

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Filed Under: Andalucia, Art, CAAC, guest post, Museums, Seville, Seville Shots, Things to do in Sevilla, tourism, travel photography · Tagged: , ,
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