Plaza de España

High speed direct train tickets between Granada and Sevilla proved to be as elusive as train tickets between Madrid and Granada had been so once again we had to resort to buying bus tickets. Unfortunately, there were no premium buses on that route - only buses they call Supra Economy. The bus certainly lived up to the "Economy" part of its name, but "Supra"....not so much.

For this type of bus, passengers load their own bags in the luggage compartment. Since the bus was full and some people had quite a lot of luggage, this was not an easy task. On board, there was not much legroom and no food or drink was served. It wasn't totally awful, but I can't say it was pleasant.

I had managed to pick another charming hotel called Un Patio Al Sur. It was located on a narrow cobbled street in an area that was closed to vehicular traffic. The lobby and hallways were full of plants and art, and there was a pleasant sitting/smoking area on the roof.

When we woke up the next day, the weather was perfect so we decided to visit the Plaza de España. Built in 1929 for the Ibero-American Exposition with the intention of impressing the world with Spain's accomplishments, it is still a beautiful sight. The building, decorated extravagently with ceramic tiles, curves in a large half-circle behind a large pool of water. You can rent a rowboat and paddle about.

Several elaborate bridges cross the water. On this day, a bride and groom posed for pictures on one of them. I especially loved the tiles.

If any of this looks vaguely familiar, it could be because the plaza was used as a filming location for the City of Theed on the Plantet Naboo in Star Wars Episode II - Attack of the Clones.

The walls are lined with tiled alcoves representing each province. Each alcove has bookcases where people used to leave their favorite books for others. The shelves are empty now, but I loved the idea.

Later we wandered into the adjoining Parque de Maria Luisa where ducks swam and musicians played and people enjoyed the day.

Lunch was a hamburger (for Walt) and chicken strips (for me) in a charming cafe on the edge of the park.

On the walk back to the hotel, we passed the gigantic Cathedral of Sevilla, also known as the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See which Wikipedia says is the 4th largest church in the world. It is where the baptism of Juan of Argon (the only son of Ferdinand and Isabella) took place and also where Christopher Columbus and his son Diego are buried.

The man in the picture on the left below was controlling an entire marionette orchestra.

We enjoyed some delicious meals during our stay in Sevilla - from that thinly sliced ham which the Spanish love so much to Indian, to Italian.