Feeling the effects of excessive wine drinking and merrymaking, and being a fairly avid runner in the states, I awoke feeling the need to hit the pavement. Greg enjoys working out, but he isn’t thrilled by the prospect of running, especially on vacation. However, he graciously humored my pesky need for speed and sweat and laced up with me early morning in Granada for a farewell victory lap before embarking on our road trip to Seville. We jogged our way through the maze-like cobble stone alleyways, passing through small streets lined with delis, cheese shops, and fresh fruit stands. In the end, Greg was grateful for my run request. It really does allow you to see cities in a different, sometimes more intimate way. 
   
 We packed up and made our way back to our trusty steed where we once again hit the open Andalusian roads. Between singing along to Florence and the Machine and becoming overly excited about every sunflower field we passed, one of our random road trip rambles led to me mentioning my strong desire to see a tornado in my life time. Oddly enough, as we approached Seville, to the right of us off in the distance within an open plain, spun a skinny white cyclone winding up to the scattered clouds above. Greg was yet again weirdly calm, as I stuttered, “Wait… That’s a…tornado!” Greg looked back for a brief second, but respectably was far too concerned with navigating to care about any sidelining twisters. “Welp, dreams are already coming true for you in Sevilla Hans!” Greg exclaimed as we whizzed past my bucket-list natural wonder and barreled toward the airport to return the car. To our delight, the seemingly shrewd car rental attendant did not catch the scratches on the side mirrors during her inspection. Exhaling sighs of relief, we caught a cab to our hotel, Las Casas de La Juderia which was nestled within an ideal location in the Old Jewish Quarter. 

  
Our hotel was amazing! The main reception is separate from the other “casas” and the bellhop takes you through these catacomb-like caves to get you to the other sections of rooms. Our room was enormous with two charming balconies overlooking a damp and narrow alleyway lined with vibrant ivy and adorned with billowy bright yellow flags. It was quite a beautiful place.

   
    
  Our first Sevilla stop was for tapas and vino blanco (of course) at a nearby cafe. The streets of Seville are clean, open, and lined with inviting cafes. Beautiful people, young and old, pepper the sidewalks, and though this is probably not accurate, I felt as though there were more locals abound than tourists which provided heightened authenticity and flavor. After refreshing ourselves, we walked through one of the many beautiful parks in Seville, this one lined with a dirt path, palm trees, lush vegetation, and triumphant monuments to Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand and Isabel marking the middle ground. We strolled and admired, admired and strolled, until we reached Plaza de Espana, a stunning plaza that was once constructed in 1928 for a World’s Fair type of event called the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929, and has been featured in Hollywood blockbusters such as Star Wars and The Dictator. It was that bewitching time of day where the sun is melting into the horizon and the clouds begin to blush, the “golden hour” as Greg taught me they call it in cinematography and photography. This plaza is a must see. Framed by an almost orangey building with sky piercing spires and arching domes, the plaza is an open stretch of ponds and elegant bridges, with a stately fountain in the middle. Horse drawn carriages clip clop along the stone walkways, and rowboats lightly bob against each other in the side ponds. We took countless photos of the entire scene from every angle, trying fecklessly to capture the breathtaking beauty bathing in golden sunset light. Lining the plaza is a rainbow of mosaic stalls, each uniquely representing the various provinces of Spain. If you ever have the fortunate opportunity to visit Seville, be sure to visit Plaza de Espana, it will not disappoint you and you’ll quickly learn why it has been a coveted set for Hollywood directors. 

 For dinner we enjoyed, shockingly, tapas and vino blanco at a lovely tapas restaurant tucked away on a back plaza. We both decided we had already fallen in love with Seville. Seville possesses this pedestrian friendly, laid back, naturally gorgeous, traditional charm that won over my heart the moment we arrived. I guess I could say Sevilla had me at tornado.    
   
Stay tuned to read about frolicking in the Alcazar gardens, visiting Christopher Columbus’s remains, and journeying to the top of La Giralda!