How would you spend a 'lazy' week in Seville?
 

DH and I will be spending the week of May 6th in lovely Sevilla. Years ago, in my pre-Fodors days, we visited the city for 2 nights. We visited the 'biggies' and will probably redo them all at a more leisurely pace.

This will be a vacation-within-vacation as we will come from Portugal. We will be carless for the week, we will then return to Portugal to continue our extended stay (with a detour to Extremadura that will be discussed later!).

I'm not deadest against daytripping away from Seville but I'm not inclined to any, as I'm sure that we can find more than enough to do for a week....

So, how would you spend a 'lazy' week in Seville?

One of my favorite things is to wander the streets of Santa Cruz without a real destination in mind.

A very good idea, and I could say the same for the more local atmosphere Macarena and Triana districts, you could make them laid-back "day-trips" in very different parts of central Sevilla:
http://www.andalucia.com/cities/seville/triana.htm
http://www.theguardian.com/travel/20...macarena-spain

While you "wander the streets of Santa Cruz without a real destination in mind", do make reservations for lunch (2:30 would work) at Petit Comite Sevilla, Calle Dos de Mayo, 30, near the bullring (http://petitcomitesevilla.com.es). You will not be sorry!

Tirana seems mesmerizing!

Then go to the bullring museum and the Museo de Bellas Artes.

See the ruins of Roman Itálica just outside town. Italica’s amphitheater seated 25,000 spectators, the third largest in the Roman empire, and it's very much intact. Roman emperors Trajan - allegedly the best of them all - and Hadrian were born here. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...Andalucia.html

The bus takes some 30 mins and leaves frequently from the Plaza de Armas bus station. http://www.andalucia.com/cities/sevi...a-de-armas.htm

I second Italica and Museo !

((Y))

Apart from all the "normal" sights in Sevilla, I will also suggest you go and see the Hospital de la Caridad, it might give you the ultimate Sevilla experience. The 17th century repenting founder Miguel Mañara was - according to himself - "the most evil man that ever lived". All the paintings he commisioned from some of the most famous golden-age arists for the hospital and it's adjoining church dealt with the theme of death and redemption. The hospital, the church, the paintings and Mañara's grave are all in Calle Temprado, 3. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/seville/sights/411842
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...Andalucia.html

And perhaps visit the Arab bath house Aire de Sevilla, a friend of mine went five times in a week... http://www.airedesevilla.com/

We spent 5 days in Seville in October (and didn't manage to see everything).
I agree with everything written above and I want to add the
Casa de Pilatos and especially the Museo Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija. The latter is a private museum, not too big and very quirky. We didn't take the tour for the second floor - the first floor was enough.
The "biggies" as you called them are still amazing, especially the Alcazar.

Thanks to all!

I read somewhere that the Duquesa de Alba's palace is now open for visits, anyone has info about this?

Here it says that Palacio de Dueñas was about to open for the public last fall: http://www.elmundo.es/andalucia/2015...b2a8b457d.html

But here it says that it's still closed: http://www.andalucia.org/es/turismo-...de-las-duenas/

Go here anyway and find out. The Palacio is on the outskirts of the atmospheric Macarena district and almost next door to the oldest tapas bar and restaurant in Spain, El Rinconcllo from 1670: http://www.elrinconcillo.es/en/
http://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletap...l-rinconcillo/

Yes, El Palacio de las Dueñas is closed to the public. Besides, El Rinconcllo is far more interesting, especially in the evenings around 9:00, when it's packed with both locals and tourists. Don't get confused with its location, as the new addition to El Rinconcllo is just around the corner.

It's interesting in that it is probably the only place left in Spain where you will find Hemingways' favorite Spanish brandy, Fundador, the "Brandy de Jerez". There are several bottles on the shelves near the door dating back to the original production.

The apartment we rented is quite close to the Palacio de las Dueñas and the Parasol, so I will definitely hang out in that area.

What ? You are saying that Fundador has disappeared from the bars in Spain ?? I didn't like it, so never noticed, but it was a preeminent brand.

You stay <quite close to the Palacio de las Dueñas and the Parasol>.

Then you are also close to small Casa de la Memoria (in C/Cuna, 6), one of the two-three best places in town for an intro to real deal flamenco. Popular with tourists, but only top of the shelf artists perform here, and much more affordable than the tablaos/flamenco restaurants. http://www.casadelamemoria.es/

Pastora Galvan was voted best female flamenco dancer 2010 by Spanish critics, and she has danced here regularly in recent years: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2SBUcrJgeQ

Some of the artists in Casa de la Memoria this month:
Adela and Rafael Campallo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3ieIRBoDDQ
David Pérez: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1sl5KdBEk4
"La Choni", she was nominated for best dance performance in Spain 2014 (Premio Max): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6d9llZtg8w

Oh yes, Kimhe! Flamenco is in the agenda. At least once ;-)

Bedar, Pernod Ricard (Domecq Bodegas) decided a few years ago that Fundador would be for the export market. They replaced it with Carlos III, which is actually the same as far as I'm concerned. Carlos I is better, but the Duque de Alba is much better, but more expensive.

At the Domecq vineyards just south of Tecate, Mexico's Napa, believe they produce Fundador, would guess for the export market.

The Domecq brandy produced in Mexico is sold as "Presidente Brandy". It's not the same as what's produced in Span.

Just came acoss this, released on Monday:

NEW FUNDADOR OWNER Emperador Inc. chair Andrew Tan (third from left) visits Bodegas Fundador in Jerez, Spain with son Kevin (second from left) and Emperador president Winston Co after announcing to almost 200 Spanish employees that the Filipino firm is buying Spain’s oldest and largest brandy (275 million euros).

Read more: http://business.inquirer.net/203455/...#ixzz40eVR4kNw
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Ah yes, Presidente.

I have nice memories of the Domecqs. At Pamplona 1966 we were sitting near the owner's box when, must have been Alvaro, passed out champagne and canapes to all sitting nearby. He had an immense brown and white bull come into the ring. The crowd had it pardoned after a few turns around. Never saw that before or since.

You must have been sitting in the shade. Sharing food and drink at the bullfights during fiesta is something you will only find in Pamplona. It's tradition!

We've been there when two bulls where pardoned, but it has been a few years since the last time it happened.

No, we always sat in Sol. Was just looking at maps of the ring but couldn't find the palco de ganaderos. Oh well.

The Plaza de Toros de Pamplona doesn't have a Palco de Ganaderos, but there is a Sillón de preferencia section below the President's box. The most expensive seats, where the owner or ranch manager usually sits, are the Barrera de preferencia, the first row in front of the Sillón de preferencia seats.

The sol seats are dominated by the Peñas, who tend share their wine with everyone around them, so you typically end up looking a little purple by the end of the corridas. Only in Pamplona.

Those who want to keep their whites clean and white sit in the andanada, grada and tendidos 1, 2 & 3, in the sombra seats.

Thanks for the info, Robert. We don't expect to go back to Pamplona so can't check for the box where Alvaro Domecq was, but I did read that reformas had been made to that ring. Never wore white there but still sat with the plebs, but not the penas, of course. Perhaps we'll go to the Feria de Julio, Valencia, this year. Nice to cool off at the beach !

Not many dressed in festival colors (white and red) during Franco's time, but that finally changed in the early 80s.

I'd probably spend most of my time

eating :)
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2012/...n-seville.html

visiting house museums like the Casa de Pilatos,

http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2012/...s-sevilla.html

and walking - which is pretty much what I did when I was last in Seville!
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2012/...l-sevilla.html

Sounds like a lovely week. You'll have time to get out of the historic center which is fun too.

Happily.... ��

Ditto wtb...tapas, tapas, tapas...and walking, soaking up the atmosphere. Such a gorgeous place, I don't think you'll run out of places to see, but it's just being there that is so wonderful.

I seem to remember that we bought some Fundador on our first trip to Spain about 30 years ago and finished it in about 2005.

There were tons of people in white and red before 1975. We just weren't uniform people, still aren't.

I don't remember many, but then...