Standing on top of the famous Metro Parasol, the city of Seville seemed to have been invaded by an army of terracotta. The morning sun was writing its own poetry in shades of pink, red and orange.
T he city of Seville is famous worldwide for its culture, monuments, traditions and artistic heritage. This is the birthplace of Flamenco and the city where the most amazing Easter processions take place. It is also the neuralgic center of the South of Spain, a city full of life and possibilities. Seville’s rich history has left the city stuffed with innumerable monuments like the mesmerizing cathedral, third largest in the world, the Giralda tower, the wonderful palace of the Reales Alcázares, the magical Barrio of Santa Cruz with its narrow streets, the Maestranza bullfighting ring and the perfume of orange blossoms around every corner.
Being in the Bijou city where gypsy heroine Carmen was created; I was already intoxicated in the heady cocktail of diverse architecture, exotic food and sensual flamenco rhythms that dotted every corner. The adventures of Seville were waiting to be explored and a young teenager like me was already engulfed in the madness of multitude of emotions. Having been in Spain for a week now I was learning and experiencing new things every day. Each day seemed like an adventure in itself. Although my entire journey had been tremendous, today was unequivocally the best. The architecture of the sweet and simple town took me right back to the medieval times. Gothic and Renaissance buildings stood shoulder to shoulder with abundant orange trees. I walked on the bright pavements feeling carefree and young. Seville and I were fast becoming soul mates!
During my little escapade, I came across a lady selling tickets for a “Segway tour into the city of Seville”. My heart raced just at the mere thought of exploring lanes of Santa Cruz. Being a quick learner, within minutes I learned to ride it, and gleefully followed our tour guide into the quaint streets. This experience was enthralling. It felt straight out of a movie, where the protagonist rushes past the town crowds and everybody cheers for him. Minus the cheering, it felt exactly the same. Here onwards, time flew. Like it does in all times when we feel we are on top of the world. All exuberant feelings come to an end and soon it is time to say goodbye to the euphoria and step back into reality. It was my turn now. So goodbye euphoria and hello Seville!
Pondering for hours on what to eat, the unexpected burgers came to the rescue. They were unlike any burgers I had ever eaten. There was this dressing, bacon jam (whose existence was not in my knowledge), which was scrumptious. Then we went on to devour “the world famous Spanish specialty”, churros, which did its title justice. Walking around, I came across this sweet looking store, which sold the most adorable things one could purchase like cartoon mugs and dazzling stationary. Like any other little teenager, I lost my conscience and went bizarre. I believe I spent most of my money there. (Hahaha). A small trivia fact, the world famous movie ‘Knight and Day’ was shot in Seville. Definitely we went to visit some of those sites. One was the ‘Maestranza BullFighting Rink’. It was immense. The blazing colours of the golden sand and the rustic terracotta walls were prominent. The place did not seem as if it was real and its description did not do it justice. The audio prepared to inform us all about it was more interesting than any history chapters we study in school. The structure, vibrancy and beauty of the rink left everyone astounded. And so my day went on and little experiences kept getting downloaded into my memory box. This day was ideal. It was the kind of day most people wish to live. And my experiences may seem trivial or I may not even remember it in the foreseeable future, but I will always remember how it made me feel.
When I was writing this, a lot of questions popped up, especially from other people. Why Seville? Weren’t Barcelona or Madrid or even Marbella for that matter better? Well, all places were stunning, but if I were to describe Seville as a person, she would be beautiful far more alluring than the rest. Her voice would be mellifluous, heart as pure as gold and eyes a sparkling shade of brown. Everything about her would be radiant. She would have a knack for history and art on one hand. On the other, she wouldn’t be afraid to take risks. But apart from all this, there would be an aura of purity around her; which could hypnotize anyone brave enough to take a chance to get to know her. Seems to me I am one of the few people who took that chance. And I strongly urge you to do so as well.
