Writer and Journalist Mark
Gough is a veteran traveller on the Iberian Peninsula (Spain
to you and me!) with an extensive knowledge of both the culture
and the food of Spain.
Mark's favourite cities are Madrid
and Seville, and here he gives his recommendations for the
sophisticated city of Seville.
Set the scene: get
the music right. I’m listening to some fantastic ancient Spanish Music
as I write this: Alfonso X. “El Sabio” Cantigas de Santa Maria. (It’s A
Naxos CD, so it’s as cheap as chips - £5.)
My Recommended Place to
Stay:
Las Casa de Las Juderias
in the Plaza Santa Maria La Blanca (TEL 00 34 95 441 5150 - about
£60-80 a night). Follow signs for the Historico Centro, then signs
for the Barrio Santa Cruz (Barrio means district). This is a
warren of really tight side streets and you will get lost. There are
signs for the hotel I recommend: if
you drop lucky, you’ll stumble across the tiny entrance to the hotel on
the left hand side of a cobbled road, opposite a little square. Hotel
breakfasts are superb, but if you want to take breakfast out, just walk
out the hotel and turn left, then cross the road. There’s a café just
where the road bends. I think it’s calls the three brothers -Tres
Hermanos , or three sisters, Tres hermanas. It’s full of locals – you
just order and collect at the bar, then take it to a seat.
The
Must-Do Tapas Bars
Go to the Alcazar -
the Royal palace built by the Moors and is now still used by Juan Carlos
and his family (this is my favourite place in the whole of Spain). Lok
around it, then dive out for lunch at La Giralda tapas bar - it’s in a road running
down to the main square and the cathedral from the hotel. Everyone will
know it - the waiters are notoriously brusque and rude but the food is
superb – among the best tapas I’ve ever had. You can sit outside, but
the road is a bit noisy; if you go inside, just go to the bar and shout
your order. After a day or so in Spain I’m sure you’ll get your
confidence to do this!
If you do stay at the hotel I
recommend, there's a nice bar nearby: leave the hotel and head
diagonally opposite you to the right where you'll find Bar
Las Teresas. This is a wonderful old place for a Fino sherry
and a bit of tapas. Then wander toward the cathedral, and head
round to the right, where you’ll find some good tapas bars
specialising in prawns (gambas). There’s a great
atmosphere here. Again you just have to fight through the crowds
to the bar and shout your order.
Seville is dissected by
a river. Over the other side of the river to you is the former gypsy
area, Triana. Find your way to the Triana bridge, walk over to the other
side, and just on there left there are chairs and tables and a fish
restaurant. It’s a lovely place to sit at about about 8 o’clock and wait
for the sun to go down over Sevilla. The light changes by the minute.
Have a beer and some snacks. Try
Anchovies (a la vinegre
– in vinegar and garlic) are superb. They’re not like anchovies over
here – not salty at all. Boquerones fritos (fried) are like whitebait,
and again a lovely snack with a glass of sherry.
By the way - a good tip for breakfast the
Spanish way: Pan con Tomate:
This is bread or toast topped with pulped tomatoes, olive oil and salt.
Nice with
Café con
leche (coffee with milk).
