Seville – Mick Canning

All of these shots are from the Alcazar. The Alcazar – which means palace or fortress of Muslim origin – was built in the eleventh century by the Umayyad dynasty who ruled Seville in the early Middle Ages. Much of the decoration is what is described as Mudejar – a mixture of Islamic and Gothic styles which was prevalent between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries.

The Hall of Ambassadors (Salon de Embajadores),

The dome in the Hall of Ambassadors).

Decoration in the Patio de las Munecas (Courtyard of the Dolls).

Just a glimpse of the extensive and beautiful gardens.

The Patio de las Doncellas (Courtyard of the Maidens).

We loved Seville. In every respect, it is Andalucia at its finest. For this first post I’m going to put up rather a mixture of photos. I will post some more later, in a rather more ordered way. But this is just a flavour. This year’s trip was the first time I’d been to Spain for some while, and I’d forgotten just how much I love it. And we visited a number of places I hadn’t been to before. I had been to Seville, but just an afternoon’s visit not far short of forty years ago, so this was as good as the first time.

The Giralda – the bell tower of Seville Cathedral

The Pedro Roldan building in the Plaza del Pan

Just a taste of the Islamic architecture. Both of these shots are in the Real Alcázar.

Outside in the grounds of the Real Alcázar.

Flamenco. The real thing is very impressive!

Orange trees. Of course.

The grounds of the Casa de Pilates.

The Metropol Parasol (Las Setas de la Encarnación). Possibly the largest wooden building in the world. From a distance it looks rather as though it were built by giant wasps.