Seville in southern Spain greets us on our first evening with an orgy of heady beats. The city of sun and siesta is in the throes of excitement as a clutch of young drummers clad in orange pantaloons thump drums and pound the sidewalk like thoroughbreds high on Sangria. A fountain splashes joyfully, seeming to echo the youthful vigour of the dancers. We are at Puerta de Jerez and as the dying Sevillian sun slants across the lovely square, the drum beats seem to merge with our racing hearts. This outburst of energy is typical of Seville, we discover over the next five days when we walk the tangled narrow streets of the Andalusian capital, wrapped in the fragrance of orange, lemon and pomegranate trees.
Day 1: At God's door
Seville's melting pot culture is the result of its history marked by twists and turns. The city was part of Muslim Spain, and in the 12th century, it was ruled by the Islamic Almohads who had swept in from Morocco. The city fell to Christian King Fernando III of Castilla in 1248 and is today a melding of two different worlds. One morning, we visited the iconic Seville cathedral, which rises on the site of a grand mosque. The Giralda or the bell tower of the cathedral took 117 years to build and started life as a minaret of the Almohad period. Located at Plaza Virgen de los Reyes, it now commands a 360-degree view of the city's skyline serrated with the grand contours of its burnt-sienna palaces, white churches and a sea of weathered tiles on sloping roofs. The cathedral (said to be the biggest Gothic cathedral in the world) houses the tomb of explorer Christopher Columbus. Outside the cathedral, we see a bride and groom clip-clopping past in a horse carriage while the family, including a gaggle of female relatives in lacy Spanish mantillas, pose for photographs.
Day 2: A walk down a royal past
The Reales Alcazares is a fortified palace complex with leafy gardens studded with orange trees and expansive courtyards with tinkling fountains. The Alcazar has always been the luxe hideaway of Spanish kings. The complex was first rebuilt in the mid 14th century by Pedro I The Cruel on the ruins of a fortified Moorish palace. Pedro I had his brother killed, because he suspected that he was having an affair with his wife. Later, he banished her to a convent and had his lady love installed on the throne alongside him. Luckily, Pedro I believed that Muslim and Christian Sevillianos could co-exist peacefully. The Alcazar is made in beautiful Mudejar style, the handiwork of Muslim craftsmen working under Christian kings, and is adorned with Moorish tiles, elaborate stucco work and exquisite calligraphy in praise of Allah.
Day 3: Facing the gore
We browse the El Arenal quarter along the east bank of the river Guadalquivir where kayakers knife down the waters. Here, Seville guards its robust Spanish spirit and passion for bullfighting in the grand sweep of the bullring called the Real Maestranza. The building's baroque facade is impressive but the interior is more so. Even when a bull fight is not on, one can imagine the thrust and parry of man and beast and the thunderous cries of the 14,000-strong audience who cheer lustily at the sight of the matador's brawn and skill. The bull ring has an on-site museum studded with paintings, posters, flamboyant matador costumes and even stuffed bulls' heads. Within walking distance is the Torre del Oro or Gold Tower, once smothered in gold tiles, where all the wealth of the Americas was brought in galleons filled to the gunwales with gold and silver.
Day 4: Lounge by the bay
Seville's sidewalk cafes and bars always seem to be wreathed in happy laughter as locals stand around upturned oak barrels under a Mediterranean sun. Tapas hopping, moving from bar to bar, downing Spanish-style snacks with beer or some fino sherry, is a way of life in the city. It reaches fever pitch over weekends in the edgy Triana neighbourhood on the west bank of the river and elsewhere. Casa Diego serves succulent snails, topped with a spicy sauce, while the 100-year-old Casa Cuesta serves the much-vaunted chick peas with spinach and hearty venison stews. In the atmospheric neighbourhood of Barrio de Santa Cruz, the classic blue and white tile Bar Europa is a hot spot.
Day 5: Street dancing
Her dark eyes flash and smoulder like the embers of a dying fire. Her raven-black hair gleams and her smooth olive skin is stretched taut over high cheek bones. The flamenco dancer sets the stage ablaze at a flamenco bar in the city. Flamenco, the gypsy dance, is at the heart of the Andalucian culture - which plumbs the depths and crest of human emotions. More dancers strut in, swirl and spin in skin-fitting dresses that showcase their fancy footwork. Meanwhile, the guitarists and singers switch from passionate to dreamy and lovelorn flamenco songs. It seemed the perfect mood to say goodbye to the city.
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