Good one 99

A quick walk to bus station to see our options … many buses but only one company open … 11am bus to Seville.

A flyby look at the food market … the surrounds are full of cafes … it’s 9.30am and the locals are in full force drinking, eating, shopping.  A churros cafe doing a roaring trade as people dip the tasty pastry in their hot chocolate or coffee.  Beer is also on the table for some.  The markets is predominantly seafood and lesser fruit and vegetables. Outside with the cafe’s the clothing stalls all enjoying the shade of the Plaza while the sun is low. The markets and stalls will all disappear around noon.

The bus is only 9€ and 1hr 15mins, nice country, corn crops, sunflowers, grain.  Lots of sunflowers in full bloom today adding contrast to the stark fields of baled hay.

Here we are in Seville, quick bike assembly and off through the streets to the hotel at 1pm, we are lucky the room is ready. Smiles on our dials … The entrance to the hotel has devil’s ivy draped over an arch at the entry to the rooms, we are on the ground floor potted plants everywhere and draping from the balconies above … seriously this is special. Can I stay for a week to ride out the heatwave? (Mind the pun)

0ut the front of the hotel is a large number of tapas bars under shady trees. Tapas for lunch … we have learned that just one dish each, small but sufficient, croquettes and spring rolls both delicious.

As it turns out, the park in front of the hotel is Alameda de Hercules was the oldest public park in Spain and Europe. Once a down-and-out district that was best avoided, La Alameda has now turned into one of Seville’s hippest and trendiest barrios. Situated around the long thin Plaza Alameda de Hércules, lying to the north of the center, it’s now home to funky art gallery cafés, chic bars, restaurants, and vintage boutiques.

It is very hot, a siesta and a walk around, the old town is amazingly compact we get to the Bullfighting Ring just as it is closing … goodness it’s 6.50pm. We book a city cycling tour for tomorrow morning. Pass through the shopping mall and duck into a few shops just to get out of the heat, despite we are shaded by buildings, it’s still 38C.

We leave the air conditioned room and head out to eat at 9.30pm, whew a very warm breeze still very hot. Tables are filling up under the trees near the many cafes, John had a giggle, ‘even those young guys are fanning themselves’ as I look over and see some guys enjoying a drink waving the menus to keep cool.

It’s sort of too hot to eat so we settle for tapas … John doesn’t want to walk around tonight early night … it’s 10.45pm the kids are still playing in the local playground.

John has certainly pick a great hotel for our next 2 nights before we head coastal again.