I would sooner be a foreigner in Spain than in most countries. How easy it is to make friends in Spain!
-George Orwell, Homage to Catalonia
Ah, saving the best for last.
Seville, or Sevilla, was the last leg of Mango and my road trip and it couldn’t have been a better finale to our magical — but rushed — Spanish tour. There is a lot to do in the capital of Spain’s Andalusia region, best known for the three buildings (Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias) that comprise its UNESCO World Heritage Site inscription. Fortunately, I met up with local Carlos who kindly gave me a tour of the city’s highlights (it doesn’t hurt that Carlos is an amazing photographer, inspiring me to look at things differently and take better photos). Although we didn’t go inside any of the attractions, we had just as much fun walking around Seville at a relaxed pace with our cameras, taking in the bounty of beautiful sights the city afforded. Enjoy my photos of lovely Sevilla!
Plaza de España
How this gorgeous plaza is not part of Seville’s UNESCO listing is beyond me, because experiencing this richly-decorated building and grounds is simply amazing. The plaza was built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929, and I love the prolific use of ceramic; my photos don’t do Plaza de España justice.
La Cartuja
Part monastery, part modern art museum, part ceramics factory, La Cartuja is an interesting place to walk around. (I don’t think I’m getting the name/facility right…)
1992 World Expo Grounds
There are many articles on the web about the Universal Exposition of Seville in 1992, and I really enjoyed seeing the site up close. With the theme “The Age of Discovery” and over a hundred countries represented, the expo grounds today still offer a glimpse into the world’s fascination with space exploration and contemporary architecture in the 1990s. The former fair grounds are on La Isla de Cartuja and unkempt landscaping lends a tired, sad aura to both new and abandoned buildings. All in all, it makes for an interesting experience and some good photos.
Some of the buildings have seen better days
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