2023 Christmas Season Spain Family Reunion Trip - The Famous Seville

December 25

After comparing prices and times of trains and buses, we chose to take a coach from Granada to Seville, a 3-hour journey. I was a bit worried about not being able to hail a taxi on Christmas morning, but it turned out there were taxis operating. A taxi was parked in the central garden not far from our apartment. However, upon arriving in Seville, we found that taxis and Uber were scarce. Occasionally a car would come, but it couldn't take us with our three large suitcases. In the end, a Tesla taxi barely fit the three of us and three suitcases, taking us from the bus station to the city center's Santa Cruz neighborhood (Barrio de Santa Cruz) in less than 10 minutes for just over 6 euros.

The Tesla had to stop at a narrow alley because the road ahead was too tight for the car to pass. Fortunately, around the corner was the last apartment of our trip, where the landlord was already waiting for us. Seville is located in the southern Andalusia region, separated from North Africa by just a strait. The landlord found it a bit odd that we were seriously and eagerly trying to learn how to use the heating, but what can we say—two of us in the family are always cold!

A five-minute walk from the apartment took us to the Metropol Parasol, known locally as the "Mushroom." It's a tree-shaped structure with a honeycomb design, full of futuristic vibes, creating a strong contrast with the surrounding classical architecture. At sunset, children were playing under the big mushroom, and the warm orange sunset light gently draped a thin veil over the small city—everything was just perfect.

Seville is the birthplace of Flamenco. The Museo del Baile Flamenco is dedicated to promoting Flamenco dance culture. We didn't tour the museum but directly bought tickets for the performance—68 euros total for three. The 5 PM show required arriving at least half an hour early to grab seats. The dancers were all middle-aged or older, wearing not-so-fancy dresses that still exuded charm. The improvised singing and castanets tested their默契 (默契, mutual understanding) and control of rhythm. Every passionate step landed right on our hearts, and every arm movement was a display of strength and beauty. I highly recommend watching Flamenco up close—it was truly spectacular.

Worried that shops would be closed on Christmas (like our New Year's Day), we carried leftover ingredients from the past two days—including drinking water—all the way to this city. In the end, we enjoyed a delicious dinner, but unexpectedly the apartment used an electric water heater. We used up almost all the hot water washing dishes, leaving the three of us with no hot water for showers. We had to wait for the boiler to heat up again, and only managed a cramped, rushed shower.

December 26

The Real Alcázar de Sevilla is extremely popular, and tourists often line up outside for over an hour to buy tickets. Therefore, it's recommended to book online in advance. Before departure, we booked the 10 AM visit on December 26. Three tickets cost $43.50, with an audio guide in Chinese.

On the way to the palace, we surprisingly saw a long queue at a lottery stand. It was the second day of the new year! Spaniards really have a strong passion for lottery.

A building can carry such heavy history of a land, and a people can embrace the commonality of different religions and cultures—this is exactly the gain from travel. The Alcázar of Seville was built in the Middle Ages, incorporating the essence of Seville's historical architecture. Through renovations by successive kings, it became a unique palace mixing various elements. Originally a Moorish fortress, it later blended Islamic, Christian, and Gothic styles, reflecting the architectural style of the Andalusia region.

Similar to the Alhambra from our previous stop, the palace walls feature intricate yet rhythmic decorations, ornate ceilings, and indispensable Arab courtyards with water features. These elements constantly remind us of the "fusion" of different cultures. In the palace gardens, many peacocks roamed, though they didn't display their beautiful feathers for visitors.

Across from the palace is the cathedral. Three tickets cost 31 euros. Entering the Seville Cathedral required security checks—our first time experiencing that at a church. It is a product of both Islamic and Christian religious art. Columbus's tomb was brought back from Cuba to Spain in 1898 and is buried here. Four knight statues representing Castile, León, Navarre, and Aragon carry the coffin, expressing the highest respect for Columbus.

The Giralda Tower is another highlight of the Seville Cathedral. Originally a minaret built during Moorish rule, it stands 98 meters tall. Climbing the somewhat steep stairs to the top offers a panoramic view of Seville. Three tickets cost 31 euros (with a student card discount, includes tower climb). The Giralda, fusing two styles, represents the intersection of Islamic and Christian civilizations. The effort of climbing countless ramps and stairs is worthwhile—the top reveals the full view of Seville and the hazy outlines in the distance.

Lunchtime arrived. We crossed the Isabel II Bridge over the river to the Triana neighborhood on the opposite bank. Everywhere were bars and restaurants, creating a completely different atmosphere from the east bank. This is the birthplace of Flamenco—on the west bank of the bridge, there is a statue of what is believed to be the originator of Flamenco. We randomly entered a corner restaurant and enjoyed a delicious lobster rice. Carrying leftover bread, we strolled along the river, feeding pigeons. The sun felt warm on our bodies. If you like wandering, come to Triana.

We walked a lot that day. After another half hour, we arrived at the Plaza de España in María Luisa Park. We got there just before sunset, when the light was changing. The Plaza de España in front of us was colorful—every casual shot looked like an oil painting. As we moved, we saw the elegant crescent-shaped arcades and the small bridges over water, accompanied by the afterglow of sunset. Among all the Plazas de España in Spain, Seville's is the best. Of course, the ubiquitous vintage horse carriages were also impressive—the clip-clop of hooves gave a sense of traveling back several centuries. The sound of horseshoes and the smell of horse manure were always present.

In the evening, we tried to walk into a Chinese restaurant but failed, so we went to a nearby pizza place. The three of us shared a normal-size pizza—17 euros, and it tasted good. In fact, here the norm is that each person orders a normal-size pizza, while a family-size one is as big as a small round table.

Travel tip: It's recommended to book restaurants in advance in Spain. We failed several walk-in attempts in different cities.

December 27

Seville is in the southernmost part of Spain. Today we would fly to Barcelona in the north. The flight was at 2 PM, and check-out was at 11 AM. Early in the morning, we aimlessly wandered through the ancient city's alleys to soak up the old-world charm. Just before the check-out deadline, we grabbed our luggage and had a coffee at a street-side café, waiting for the afternoon to come. This leisurely comfort was rare.

Travel tip: Vueling Airlines is a low-cost airline based in Barcelona, currently the second-largest airline in Spain. Low-cost airlines strictly regulate carry-on luggage dimensions. We pre-purchased 25 kg of checked luggage per person; otherwise, you would be charged extra at the airport, which is much more expensive. Vueling opens check-in 7 days in advance. Checking in at the airport may lead to no seats due to overbooking, and also incurs additional fees. Our three tickets bought through Ctrip cost RMB 3,378, plus a seat selection fee of 10 euros per person.

Barcelona has two terminals, T1 and T2, connected by a free shuttle bus (10–15 minutes). We were at T1. Earlier, I had researched various routes to the city center. Considering our luggage, taking a taxi was more cost-effective for three people—€32, about 30 minutes.

Other methods include: ① Airport bus (AeroBus A1/A2) from the airport to Plaça de Catalunya (30–35 minutes, €5.90 one-way, cannot use T-Casual 10-trip ticket, every 15 minutes) ② Train R2N from T2 to Passeig de Gràcia (25 minutes, can use T-Casual €11.35, from T2 direct to Passeig de Gràcia station—not the terminal; T1 has no train station, need to take free shuttle to T2; every 30 minutes; tickets available at self-service machines) ③ Metro L9: does not go directly to the city center; requires transfers; goes directly to Camp Nou (get off at Collblanc); cannot use 10-trip ticket; single ticket €5.15.

Most of Barcelona's attractions are concentrated in the Eixample district (also called Ensanche) and around the old town. Staying in Eixample is most recommended, especially around Plaça de Catalunya and Passeig de Gràcia. The area around Sagrada Família, Plaça d'Espanya, and Gràcia neighborhood are also good. It's not recommended to stay in the old town, especially the southern part of La Rambla, where there are many pickpockets and it can be chaotic at night.

The hotel we stayed at these days, Catalonia Gràcia, is a four-star hotel in the Gràcia neighborhood. Convenient transportation, and the front desk guy warmly introduced nearby restaurants and supermarkets. The only issue was poor internet.

In the evening, we chose a recommended Thai restaurant, just a 5-minute walk from the hotel. The restaurant's roll-up door was half closed, and the staff were slowly doing cleaning preparations. We impatiently asked, "Are you open yet?"