First Evening In Sevilla 🍊

So Monday morning dawned and this guy in a high vis jacket & satchel turned up in the car park and started collecting €1 from everyone.  Dave popped out and told him that we’d already paid €5 to a guy the night before and he said it was nothing to do with him…

The previous evening (on our return from Sherry & Tapas) a guy had knocked at the door and said “Parking” (or something) and I said “OK – €1 ?” and I picked up the word “Noche” and €5 so I thought “OK – overnight charge”, gave him €5 and he gave me a keyring !!!  (See below a huge wooden circle with a flamingo and a rusty ring attached) – so I DID wonder then if I’d been “had” and I had 😂  !!!  {Oh well, he probably needed the €5 more than we did…}

Anyway with hindsight I NOW think we should have probably stayed an extra day in Jerez and done a sherry tasting tour (although the Tio Pepe Bodega was closed on Mondays but there were several others) but we’d had a nice afternoon at San Pablo the day before and then (as it was Sunday) Jerez had looked pretty desolate with it’s no-water fountains – so we decided to head off a day early to Sevilla !!!

It wasn’t far and we arrived around lunchtime in this place where it fits 100 motorhomes (and again most of the pitches were taken) but the electric is a bit dodgy – and the fridge kept reverting to gas.  Dave thought it was overloaded so when he bumped into people, he said the electric was rubbish and not to bother.  I reckon they took him at his word because now our’s is stable and powering the fridge fine 😂 !!!

Anyway after lunch I felt overwhelmingly tired and (never do this but) had a lay down and slept for about an hour so I clearly needed it.  I got up then DAVE went for a snooze !!!  So I got ready then updated the blog by which time he’d woken up, got the bikes out and we headed into Sevilla Centro – about 2km away.

Seville is a city – with 6-lane-wide roads & mad traffic but (luckily) there are a lot of cycle paths at the sides so off we trundled and I’m getting a BIT more confident on the bike and Dave doesn’t leave me SO far behind anymore…

It was still lovely in the sun but pretty cold in the shade and once in the centre we came upon the cathedral – which started life as a mosque in 1172 but is now the largest Gothic cathedral in the world !!!  It really is vast and the detail in the architecture is amazing – see photies below…

We had a cycle around then came across a little bar (with heaters) and asked for 2 medium sherries but they weren’t like the nectar we’d drunk at San Pablo the day before – these were much drier and it was a hard job but SOMEBODY had to drink them 😂 !!!

We had another little wander then locked up our bikes (to go and have dinner) and there was a little souvenir shop with these little embroidered sheer jackets hung up outside – which I NOW know are called toreritas (which in Spanish I looked up and actually means “bullfighter”) and they were only €12 (£10.50) – I tried one on and couldn’t make my mind up between the red or the white so I bought them both – bargain 🛍️ !!!

Then Dave fancied a steak so had “entrecôte” at this place (which again had heaters) and I had lasagne – and it was very average…. The most exciting thing was that I drank my first glass of red wine 🍷 in over 25 years (as I went off it in pregnancy with Holly) – as Dave had ordered a bottle and needed a bit of help !!!

Then we cycled back and it was all very vibrant – shops still open and fountains – not only with water but lit up too (see piccie) !!!