There are so many outdoor summer events going on in Sevilla!
I had no idea about this one until I saw this poster up in the street last night.
Theatre nights in the old centre of town, taking place in various popular squares.
And this Saturday it’s in my barrio – the Plaza Alfalfa!
Maybe see you there?
Theatre, music and dance under the light of the moon…
With over 30 shows through the summer until September, the fourth edition of Nights at the Buhaira Palace begin on June 21st with a concert featuring the winners of the municipal competition “Flamenco Joven”.
An easy walk from the centre of town, the Buhaira Palace is located on Eduarto Dato Avenue just a few minutes from the San Bernardo bridge (aka Puente de Bomberos). Built in 1171 by the caliph Abu Ya Qub Yusuf, the Buhaira Palace and its incredible gardens is still one of Sevilla’s “hidden gems”.
Normal ticket price is 12€ with reduced prices of 10€ for students and pensioners, and 8€ for groups of 15 or more.
Tickets can be purchased by telephone (902 021 952) Monday to Friday from 10.00 – 14.00 and at the theatre box office from 19.30 – 22.00 on the day of the show.
Tickets go on sale today for the 13th edition of night concerts in the gardens of the Alcazar Royal Palace. The concerts begin on Monday June 11th and range from medieval and classical music to flamenco, world folk, jazz and blues.
This year there will be 75 concerts and tickets for each week’s programme can be purchased from the beginning of the previous week at the palace ticket office in Patio de Banderas or online. Ticket prices are 4€ or 5€ if you book by internet, no more than 7 tickets can be purchased by one person (per concert) and children under 8 are not admitted.
The entrance for the concerts is the Puerta Alcoba on the Paseo de Catalina, just off calle San Fernando. They begin at 10.30 but you can go into the gardens from 9 o’clock and enjoy a stroll and a drink at the bar inside. Admittance is not allowed after 10.25.
If you’ve never seen the gardens lit up at night it’s worth the price of admission alone, and the concert setting is truly magical.
Noches en Los Jardines del Real Alcázar
June Programme
July Programme
August Programme
Finding good non-touristy tapas bars that are open on Sunday and Monday can be a bit of a challenge in Sevilla. Many of the best family-run places are closed on these days, though some will open for Sunday lunch (1 – 4pm). This is something I always point out to my Sevilla Tapas Tour clients, and so I thought it would be helpful to also post a short list here of my favourite places to eat out on those “difficult days”.
I’ve tried to cover a few different barrios (neighbourhoods) but for some reason the Arenal is a bit of a dead zone on those two days, so I’m giving “honourable mentions” to Bodeguita Romero (open for Sunday lunch) and Enrique Becerra (open Monday).
Remember that tapas bars usually close between 4 – 8 pm, or if they stay open all day their kitchen will probably be closed then. Also, some places close for summer holidays during either July or August, so call ahead those months. It’s also a good idea to call and see if you can book a table on Sundays, which tend to get very busy with families going out for lunch, or else get to the bar right when they open (usually 1pm for lunch, 8pm for dinner).
Barrio Santa Cruz
Vineria San Telmo
Paseo Catalina de Ribera, 4
Tel. 954 410 600
Las Teresas
Santa Teresa 2
Tel.954 213 069
Modesto (restaurant not tapas bar)
Cano y Cueto, 5
Tel. 954 416 811
(all-day kitchen)
La Alfalfa
La Bodega
Plaza Alfalfa, 4
Tel. 954 22 783 62
Casa Antonio / Bar Los Caracoles
Pérez Galdos 13
Tel. 954 213 172
Triana
La Primera del Puente
Bétis 66
Tel. 954 27 69 18
Las Golondrinas II
Pages del Corro 76
Tel. 954 33 82 35
La Alameda
Bar Antojo
Calatrava 44
Tel. 955 425 337
Al Aljibe
Alameda de Hércules 76
Tel. 954 900 591
La Parrilla del Badulaque
Alameda de Hércules, 37
Tel. 954 91 55 24
Twenty years ago today I arrived in Spain. Really until almost the last minute I wasn’t sure about how I was going to move from Bristol to Salamanca, but it turned out a friend of mine was looking for a short-term adventure and so one fine day we packed up all of my worldly belongings into her car and headed to Dover to catch the ferry that would take me to my new home. The first day we got as far as Le Mans, after a short stop for lunch and a walk in Tours (actually Tours was so darned pretty I said to my friend that we should just stay there!). As we were trying to avoid the toll motorways we ended up having a few “where the hell are we now?” moments out on country roads in France, but eventually made it to the Spanish border. It was only then that I thought… “Will they let me in? How do I explain taking a sewing machine on holiday??” But when the border patrol guys saw my Canadian passport they just wanted to know if I spoke French (good thing I was still young and pretty enough to flirt my way over a border back then…).
And well, I know this is going to sound silly, but as soon as we crossed the border and were on Spanish soil I suddenly knew I was home. I can’t explain it. It was like a “phew, I finally made it!” feeling, although that first night in Spain was far from perfect. We had driven into San Sebastián and commenced looking for a pensión to stay the night, preferably one that had a room on the ground floor as we would have to lug all of my wordly belongings into our room. Well, after six hours of driving around that exquisitely beautiful city we decided to try our luck in the next small town we came across. Turned out it was past midnight by the time we reached the next small town and then found out that the only pensión there only had rooms one floor up (no lift) so fuck… we spent a good hour unpacking the car and then finding a place to park it. Once back in our spartan room we lay awake listening to the chucka-chucka-boom of the discoteque next door, and the sound of drunken shouting and bottles breaking in the street below us. Far too soon it was daybreak – had I even slept? – and I staggered over to the window, opened the shutters and… holy crap! It was like the pensión had been airlifted overnight into the quaintest and most tranquil village I had ever seen. The cobblestoned streets looked freshly washed, women were walking together carrying straw shopping baskets, men in berets stood on the corner smoking and waving their arms about in animated conversation. I was in love.
After a quick shower my friend and I hastened to the nearby market for coffee and breakfast. We were immediately charmed by absolutely everything and felt like we had walked into a time warp. But thoughts of how this lovely little village would disappear at sunset got us moving and so we repacked the car and headed south to our destination – Salamanca. Which I had basically chosen because I liked the sound of the name and because it was a university town. As I planned to make a living teaching English I reckoned it would be full of students. Right?
We had a rather hairy ride through the mountains (sometimes literally through them – lots of tunnels!) until we hit less hilly land that eventually flattened out even further. I was struck by the rich colours of the soil and how everything felt so different yet so familiar. When we finally reached our destination and – by sheer stupid luck – found a totally decent and cheap pensión in the centre of town, we unpacked the car for what we hoped would be the last time (for at least a few days) and headed out to get to know our new home.
Remembering all this now I cannot believe I actually did this. I mean, my friend was just going along for the ride and knew she’d be going back to the UK probably sooner than later. But for me this move meant everything.
Anyhow, to celebrate my 20th anniversary I’m planning a few day trips, and also some overnight jaunts to here and there. Starting today! I’m off to Córdoba for the day to check out the Feria, a couple of great tapas bars, the newly renovated Palacio de Viana “Patio Museum” and, well, whatever else takes my fancy.
Hasta pronto!