Seville

After leaving Madrid, we arrived in Seville by train. Madrid was my favorite place that we visited, but our time in Seville included my favorite day and my favorite experience of the entire trip. 

We arrived in Seville in mid-afternoon and were happy to find a tiny fountain in the courtyard of our hotel.

We were too early to check into our room, so we dropped our bags at the hotel and went for a walk to explore the area. We were excited to see so many references to flamenco dancing like this big sign right outside of our hotel!

Hayden was sometimes lucky enough to trade a stroller ride for a shoulder ride! (These two just melt my heart!)

This adorable heart-themed park was a must as we slowly navigated our way through the narrow and winding streets of Seville.

We eventually made our way to the Metropol Parasol which claims to be the largest wooden structure in the world.  Of course Steve had a real appreciation for the structure!

We made our way back to the hotel along the Guadalquivir river. It was incredibly hot in Seville and we were all desperate for a break. We found this gorgeous oasis along the river and settled in for margaritas (virgin for Hayden, of course!). Because of Spain's heat, most restaurants with outdoor seating have large umbrellas set up that actually spray a fine mist of cool water every 30 seconds or so. Hayden and I were obsessed with the mist and took every possible opportunity to sit right in it as we did at this place! I actually can't believe Steve's patience with us as we changed seats multiple times to find the best mist location!

After our break, we walked to Seville's famous bullfighting ring, The Plaza de toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla. We didn't go in but walked around the exterior. There is only one thing I regret about the trip and it's that we weren't able to experience a bullfight. We definitely wouldn't take Hayden to one so it was out of the question. I honestly am uncertain if I would have enjoyed it even if we were able to go, but it seems like a thing you have to try to experience when in Spain. 

One of my favorite things we brought home from the trip is Hayden's Halloween costume - a flamenco dancer! We purchased the dress and flower for her hair in Madrid but spent a chunk of time in Seville hunting for the perfect child-sized shawl to complete the outfit! I can't wait to see her trick or treating in it this year!

Before heading out to a dinner near our hotel, we went up to the hotel roof (!) to get our laundry started!

The next day, was my favorite day of the entire trip! It was Steve's birthday and we had such an awesome day planned. We started the day by touring The Alcazar, a royal palace originally developed by Moorish Muslim kings. We were lucky to find a ton of tiny fountains within the palace and it's gorgeous gardens. Seville and the rest of the trip around southern Spain definitely had more of the Moorish aesthetic with the intricate tile and plaster decor. 

This has to be one of my all time favorite pictures of my all time favorite people!

After the Alcazar, we hopped onto a kind of ridiculously expensive horse and carriage ride but it was so worth the money! It was a long ride that took us all over the city and it was a really neat experience for us to share on a special day. 

The ride took us through Maria Luisa park to the Plaza de Espana which was built as an example of Spanish architecture for an exposition in 1928. It was stunning!

We grabbed lunch and celebrated Steve's birthday with an ice cream sundae!

After lunch we toured the Seville cathedral, the largest in Spain and the third largest in the world. 

Inside the cathedral is the tomb of Christopher Columbus!

The ceiling was incredibly intricate and they positioned a mirror on the floor so visitors could capture a photo of themselves with the ceiling in the background. 

I've been to quite a lot of cathedrals and basilicas in my life by now and I have to say that this altar was the most stunning I've ever seen. Tons and tons of gold from floor to ceiling. 

Connected to the Cathedral is the Geralda - the bell tower of the cathedral. It was originally built as a minaret (which is a tall structure connected to a mosque) during the Moorish period. The Mosque was destroyed in an earthquake but the tower remained standing and the Spaniards constructed a basilica on the site of the mosque and added a Renaissance style top to the tower.  We climbed all the way up to the top of the tower and enjoyed the views of the city. 

We walked back to our hotel to freshen up for our evening an Hayden took some pics of me and Steve. 

This night was our highly-anticipated flamenco show. I spent a lot of time researching the best flamenco performances in Seville and La Casa de Flamenco was one of the best and that's where we purchased our advance tickets. I cannot express in words how moving I found the performances to be. It was by far and away the best experience of the trip for me. The performers convey incredible emotion and I was feeling so lucky to be able to have Hayden experience this moment  - and this entire trip to Spain. I'm sure I cried through most of the performance.