Sevilla, Spain
An insider's look into Spain's 4th largest city (it's a beauty)
Hey friends,
Greetings from Spain!
For the past two weeks, I’ve been mostly unplugged and just living. I’ve had a blast on this emotional rollercoaster of solo travel. From arriving to a foreign country at 2 am to a street full of 200,000 Spaniards, to meeting some incredible Europeans, it's been amazing so far.
After spending 2 weeks away from writing and most of my old habits and rituals, I feel refreshed and have so much to write about.
Today, I wanted to tell you all about the marvelous city of Sevilla, Spain.
The city is beautiful with great small town vibes.
Sevilla feels like a small town, yet it's the 4th largest city in Spain. It's an old, traditional city with polite and well-dressed people. There's many small bakeries, fruit markets, meat stores, and cafes lining the narrow streets of the city. There's people who deliver the mail by foot and there's bikes and buses to travel around the city.
Yet like a larger city, there's also a few shopping malls and chain grocery stories, albeit much smaller than a Costco or King Soopers.
And while the city is huge, it's very hard to find a job, as many of these mom-and-pop stores aren't interested in scaling their businesses but rather making a living to support their lifestyle.
There's a large river that runs North-South through Sevilla, and right next to it is one of the main roads, with 3 lanes on each side and a special lane just for buses and taxis. There's excellent bike lanes paved on the sidewalks, and a beautiful walking path parallel to the river.
Sevilla is blossoming with nature: orange trees, gigantic trees with roots hanging out, and countless outdoor restaurants and parks. The buildings are old and beautiful: many are painted some shade of red, yellow, or white.
The city has some incredible architecture too. I know almost nothing about architecture, but the cathedrals, churches, plazas, and other buildings in the city are breathtaking.
It's hard to find a place to sit down inside.
Here's something interesting about Sevilla and the warmer parts of Europe: it's hard to find indoor cafes. And I absolutely love it.
One day I was sweating my ass off so much and actually struggled to find a place to sit down inside. The restaurants are typically small inside. While there's a typically a few tables to sit inside and a few barstools, the majority of the restaurant is outdoor seating. And at closing time (typically past midnight or 1 am), the bars and restaurants bring the chairs and tables inside.
One local told me that Sevilla is known as the "sartén de España," meaning the frying pan of Spain. It's only Spring, yet the temperatures are well into the mid 80s. It's hot, but another in the summer, Sevilla reaches a minimum of 40 Celcius (110 F).
They speak little English and full-on jibberish Spanish.
It really surprised me that people barely speak English here.
Spanish language is also incredibly hard to understand. Two buddies I met from northern Spain told me that Sevillanos are known for being both the nicest people and the hardest to understand (even for some native Spanish speakers).
They speak fast, and not only do they have the Spanish accent with the letter "c," but they shorten basically every word they say. They don't pronounce the "s." I found out in Cádiz that this Spanish is common in Andalucía, the Southern region of Spain.
There's a few larger roads like you'd see in America, but many of them are narrow streets with slippery stone. Something unique to the dry and hot region of Spain is that ever time a car makes a tight turn, the tires make a funny squeaking noise. You almost always know a car's coming and you need to get on the mini sidewalk right after you hear the squeak.
The people are nice, laid back, and very social.
Sevillanos are friendly and they dress very nice. Many women wear dresses, and men wear pants and nice button up shirts. Interestingly, it's almost impossible to find a girl wearing spandex, and people shorts was rare. Amid 85 degree weather, they dress up, and it's fascinating to see. This was just one of the many things that made me feel like a foreigner.
I talked to many amazing locals in Sevilla: musicians, journalists, baristas, and more (shoutout to Juan, Elisabeta, Estefanía, Este, Pablo, and Eric). People in Sevilla and Andalucía walk slow and are laid back.
People eat late and slow but enjoy each other's company.
Restaurants and business closes from around 3-5 pm so that people can be with their familes and take a ciesta. The restaurants open usually around 6 or 7 pm, and according to one local, most people will eat dinner anywhere from 10 am to 12 pm.
Ordering food was an experience of its own. The waiters don't pay you much special attention, but they also don't rush you to pay. A nice barista told me something fascinating: there's a trust between people here: you pay whenever you want to. Most people will pay after staying at the cafe for an hour (or more), but some will pay right away.
It's common to walk the streets at 12 am and hear the warm sounds of conversation from people of all ages, chatting, eating, and grabbing a drink. One night I was out at a bar (which is still just an outdoor cafe) and was astonished to see two older women just sharing drinks, smoking cigarettes, and having a blast with each other until 2 am.
Overall, Sevilla was an incredible city. Countless bars, cafes, orange trees, beautiful parks, and small town vibes had me loving it from day one. I'm excited to see what more of Spain and Europe holds.
I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into Sevilla, Spain and can visit it for yourself some day.
Ta luego,
Baxter
Yo that party looks insane
Your trip sounds and looks amazing already! I love hearing that people 'dress up' instead of throwing on a pair of leggings. I wish more people did that here.
Enjoy!