Seville oranges
How can you think of Seville and not think of oranges? There are trees everywhere and the spring blossoms fill the air with their beautiful smell.
We only had a day in Seville – far to little – but better than nothing. We started off at the lovely gardens outside the Barrio de Santa Cruz and then wandered into this beautiful section of old Seville.
on the way into Barrio de Santa Cruz
a reference to a time when Spain ruled the waves
lovely gardens
wandering through into Barrio de Santa Cruz
Barrio de Santa Cruz is Seville’s medieval juderia and is a fabulous tangle of narrow streets and beautiful plazas.
their geraniums are a bit ahead of ours
I want to eat at this restaurant
Plaza de la Santa Cruz, which gives the area its name was once the site of a synagogue, which the christians destroyed. It was replaced with a church which was demolished by the French under Napoleon. Now the French consulate dominates the pretty square.
the French consulate in the Plaza Santa Cruz
the beautiful garden in front of the consulate
a gorgeous balcony nearby
a statue of the legendary Don Juan
This reminded me of the movie starring Errol Flynn as Don Juan. In the opening scene, Errol is on a balcony with a pretty young girl and he says “I have loved you all my life” to which she squeaks, “But we only met yesterday”. His response? “My life began yesterday”. He was Don Juan after all. I don’t mind a bit of Errol.
Spanish souvenirs for sale
Plaza de los Venerables is another beautiful square in the heart of the district. It was full of people having lunch at outdoor tables. It all looked very jolly.
I want to stay at this hotel next time
and eat here in Plaza de los Venerables
or eat right here at this table
do you think the food would be good?
looking through another door
this place looked good too
part of a fountain nearby
The streets in this area were deliberately made narrow to allow more shade. It is definitely cooler wandering through these tiny lanes – called kissing streets, because the buildings almost touch each other.
a kissing street
It must be catching – look at these horses in the square.
getting to know each other
isn't that sweet?
And I want to live in this house with the gorgeous top floor balconies.
I saw it first
Next time I am going to take you through the amazing Seville Cathedral and later, even better, the Alcazar, one of THE most beautiful places I have ever been.
We didn’t see the barber.
I’m sorry to tell you Spain never ruled the waves.!
Russ
By: Russell on April 14, 2011
at 6:24 am
Spain might not agree.
By: bagnidilucca on April 14, 2011
at 6:31 am
Looks like a tsunami got the armada Deb which might explain Russell’s comment
By: P on April 16, 2011
at 4:12 am
Yes, it does look as though it has been left high and dry.
By: bagnidilucca on April 16, 2011
at 5:06 am
Russ, you’ll find out that Spain did in fact rule the waves during 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. Even the famous defeat of the Spanish Armada did not make any damage in the Spanish float. The year after, the English armada was defeated by the Spanish near the coasts of Northern Spain and Portugal.
By: Rodrigo de Mendoza on March 18, 2017
at 11:59 am
Magical Deb – I started singing Y Viva Espana – so fabulously Spain
By: dianne Cant on April 14, 2011
at 7:25 am
Seville is just gorgeous – it was our favourite city.
By: bagnidilucca on April 15, 2011
at 7:54 pm
All the pictures of Spain are fabulous, wish i could visit it, maybe someday… i bet you had a wonderful time.
By: Fragolina on April 14, 2011
at 8:02 am
We are in St Tropez right now, on our way back to Italy. Spain was a lot of fun.
By: bagnidilucca on April 15, 2011
at 7:54 pm
Seville looks wonderful, will be adding to my wish list! Great photos as ever, love the oranges.
By: From a Tuscan Villa on April 14, 2011
at 9:00 am
You would love Seville.
By: bagnidilucca on April 15, 2011
at 7:55 pm
The whole place looks like a movie set!
By: Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella on April 14, 2011
at 9:47 am
It does, doesn’t it?
By: bagnidilucca on April 15, 2011
at 7:55 pm
Great pics of a very special city. I do want to eat at that restaurant too.
By: maru on April 14, 2011
at 12:43 pm
I want to try them all.
By: bagnidilucca on April 15, 2011
at 7:56 pm
I definately need to go to Seville someday. Absolutely beautiful!
By: Denise Blackman on April 14, 2011
at 2:42 pm
Wait until you see the alcazar.
By: bagnidilucca on April 15, 2011
at 7:56 pm
CRAZY BEAUTIFUL. I CANT WAIT TO GO. THANKS FOR THE AMAZING PICTURES.
By: george miori on April 14, 2011
at 3:02 pm
No problem George, it was fun.
By: bagnidilucca on April 15, 2011
at 7:56 pm
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. The touches of yellow are spectacular. I want that balcony. I want to stay in that hotel. I want to eat in that outdoor restaurant. I want to walk down that kissing street!
By: The Daily Cure on April 14, 2011
at 3:43 pm
It is the most beautiful place – I want to go back already.
By: bagnidilucca on April 15, 2011
at 7:57 pm
Wow. That kissing street is so narrow. If you were friends with your neighbours you could just swing from balcony to balcony.
By: cityhippyfarmgirl on April 14, 2011
at 10:23 pm
You could probably jump across quite easily.
By: bagnidilucca on April 15, 2011
at 7:57 pm
Isn’t that glorious. I hope you put some Seville oranges up your jumper to bring home. They’ve been impossible to get in Brisbane for the last couple of winters. The horses are very sweet – the one on the left has to be called Errol doesn’t he!
By: Jan on April 14, 2011
at 10:57 pm
I should have asked his name. Can anyone explain why there are still oranges on some of the trees and others are covered in blossoms?
By: bagnidilucca on April 16, 2011
at 4:59 am
Thanks for the trip Deb. It looks fabulous.
By: Liz Golding on April 15, 2011
at 1:28 am
There is lots more of Spain to come.
By: bagnidilucca on April 15, 2011
at 7:58 pm
Oooh … Murillo the hotel at the end was where we stayed!
By: beautifulamnesia on April 15, 2011
at 2:22 am
Lucky you!!!
By: bagnidilucca on April 15, 2011
at 7:58 pm
Lets meet for lunch some time soon in one of those fabulous restaurants. Such a perfect little place. Picture Perfect!
By: Anna Johnston on April 15, 2011
at 10:10 am
That sounds like a great idea.
By: bagnidilucca on April 15, 2011
at 7:58 pm
[…] (click here), Cordoba to see the amazing Mezquita (click here) and we just loved Seville (click here) and the Alcazar in Seville made us want to stay forever (click here) up into the hills towards […]
By: Driving all over Spain « Bagni di Lucca and Beyond on September 12, 2011
at 12:36 pm
[…] see more of this incredible building and look in the Spain category to see Madrid, Ainsa, Toledo, Seville, the windmills in La Mancha, Cadiz, Granada and the Alhambra and […]
By: Looking back over 2011 « Bagni di Lucca and Beyond on December 30, 2011
at 5:22 am
called the “kissing street” because they can lean over the balconies and kiss each other on opposite sides of the “street”
By: Anonymous on January 19, 2012
at 8:01 pm
and the alley style housing was for the locals to be able to run away from invaders who were on horseback (horses can’t turn that fast) and could easily hide. wonderful city though.
By: Anonymous on January 19, 2012
at 8:03 pm
Thank you for your colourful picture of Seville oranges, it is now emblazoning 14 jars of January 2015 marmalade, worked into a label on each jar. Upstairs in the attic is a similar shot, but on a medium format transparency from back in the day, when I was shooting a book on Spain – a predecessor to that was “The Most Beautiful Villages of Tuscany” which I also did for Thames and Hudson, and that one featured Bagni di Lucca, your fantastic village which was one of my favourites!
By: Hugh Palmer on January 11, 2015
at 7:58 pm
It is nice to see that my photo has been put to good use. I hope you come back to Bagni Di Lucca one day for another visit.
By: Debra Kolkka on January 12, 2015
at 3:35 am
Yes I loved Seville to Deb…..and wandered those ‘kissing laneways”! Only I did it in the rain! Great flamenco there too!
Ciao
R
By: Paris Rendez-Vous and Beyond on June 6, 2015
at 9:52 pm
The Alcazar was fabulous and in some ways better than Alhambra – I loved Seville
By: Liz Litzow on October 16, 2016
at 9:00 pm
We did too, stunning city.
By: Debra Kolkka on October 17, 2016
at 8:37 pm