Seville

I was still tired, grumpy and cynical when I got to Seville although it was nice to be able to walk through the town without being molested by locals willing to relieve me of the burden of having money in my wallet. At first glance the city was absolutely beautiful; typically Spanish streets and shops, magnificent old buildings and the weather could not be faulted. My mood quickly improved to just sarcastic. I found a bargain opening deal of 10 Euros per night on a new hostel called The Spot. This place was only about a kilometre from the Bus Station so it was an easy walk. Like Vertigo in Marseilles, Purple Nest in Valencia and White Nest in Granada, this place was a gem; clean, well laid out, great facilities, great location and friendly helpful staff. Time for a quick check in then off to explore.

First stop was the cathedral which was another hugely impressive and old building. Next to the cathedral is the Alcazar; originally built by the Nth African inhabitants over 500 years ago it is a magnificent spectacle of buildings and gardens. Typically like most of the old buildings from that time symmetry is obvious. I don't normally pay to get into museums, Salamanca aside, because half the time it is not what I want to do on this trip, on this occasion though I made an exception mainly due to the size of the place. It did seem like it would never stop, every time I went through a door or gate it opened up into something vast. I also noticed a couple of good old Victorian Mountain Ash trees in one of the gardens, Eucalyptus regnans; How it got there I don't know but it was about 40 metres tall so it had been there a long time. It was a highlight of the trip and my mood had improved remarkably by this time.

I spent the next 4 hours wandering aimlessly but with purpose down narrow streets and along the river, the supermarket provided me with sufficient fresh fruit and veg for dinner and after a night walk (the views along the river at night are sensational), it was bed at a relatively early midnight. I was the only one in the dorm that night and the bed was very comfortable.