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Sevilla

I have reached Seville and I have elected to take my first holiday. It’s nice here.

I have always had badly skewed opinions about north and south. Mainly due to the peculiarities of Italy’s history and the scars that it has left onto the current developmental situation in the country. This meant that I had some strange expectations of the south of Spain that are getting rapidly dashed.

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You didn’t see this where I grew up.

Today’s route took me down the hills of Andalusia and into Seville. Short by my current standard, 40 miles, and in the main easy going it allowed me to get into town quite early in the day.

I am staying at the Hostel Calatrava and it is not what I would call an hostel experience. The place is modern and immaculate and the staff bend over backward to be helpful, even upgrading me to a room that had the space for my bike. I’m sure this will make my three days here super and give me the rest I feel I need before starting the new chapter.

This is why I'm staying put .

This is why I’m staying put .

The stop was not in the plan but I thought that, the weather not being on my side and the the fact that I need to do some repairs, stocking up and research before I leave the continent, warranted the pause.

Lots of Jam in the making.

Lots of Jam in the making.

Upon arrival I saw to the essentials. I made contact with the Astolfi bike shop who had kept for me a new tyre and are in the process now of finally rectifying the out of centre problem in the back wheel.

I came back to the hostel, fitted the new tyre and did a bit of admin before hitting the town. I thought I’d go just for a light exploration tonight and do proper turist stuff in the days to come.

Route 2,856,727 – powered by www.bikemap.net

I know remarkably little about Seville apart from what I’ve been told by friends and family but the first impression is really good. I wonder how much the weather has to do with it. All day i was out in a T-shirt and I caught the jumper cladded people giving me funny looks, but it’s approaching 20º C and it could be easily confused for Scottish summer.

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Is this still Occupy Sevilla or something else?

The hostel is in the old town and there are plenty of places to eat around here so the plan is to have, in the next few days, some of the traditional Spanish food that I have not had the will to try so far.

Also I will have the last chance to load up on pork meat as, my mother keeps telling me, after the boat it will be goat and sheep (never mind lamb) for thousands of miles.

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Looks like there’ll be lots to see tomorrow.

 

So long then, I’ll take a break, enjoy the wine and my rather topical book until the end of the week.

Addendum: 26 Nov 2014

Been around Seville in the sun. very nice but I’m not cut for tourism anymore. Here are just three pictures that I thought was worth recording.

British shape, French colour, here's to the Spanish postbox.

British shape, French colour, here’s to the Spanish postbox.

If I was a horse I'd probably look like this.

If I was a horse I’d probably look like this.

From the Puente Isabel II

From the Puente Isabel II

5 thoughts on “Sevilla”

  1. Ricordo Siviglia come una città molto carina, anche se il clima non è dalla tua parte in questi giorni! Approfittane in ogni caso per riposare un po’!!!

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