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Three features make
Seville
stand out not only as a city in Spain but one of the finest
settlements in Europe. They are the smell, the streets and the
tiles. These might seem odd items to bring together, yet in a subtle
way they are the secret of the success of a place that, despite the
undoubted popularity of
Andalusia, is still something of a mystery to that section of
the British population which thinks that straying more than a mile
from the coast on a visit to southern Spain is, well, criminal.
 It
is their loss. The first thing they lose is the smell. Seville
positively reeks of the orange trees that seem to adorn every
thoroughfare, their fruit hanging in easy fashion for those who want
to reach out and pluck and — from mid-April to May — adorned with
staggeringly pretty blossom.
Grapes grow in public places as well, but it is the oranges that
add astonishing flavour to an already vibrant café culture and
climate, which means that even in winter, locals and visitors can
superglue themselves to seats outside to partake of coffee, wine or
the mountain of food that comes under the misleadingly modest title
of tapas.
 And
then there are the streets. Lots of them. Small and intricate and
winding, often confusing but invariably looping back to one of the
comparatively few major roads or squares such as the long Calle
Sierpes, which is the main shopping boulevard, or the vast cathedral
— the third-largest place of Christian worship in Europe after St
Peter’s in Rome and our St Paul’s — which suddenly emerges from a
maze of tiny streets.
In this respect, Seville resembles Venice, a place full of busy
locals and somewhat less hurried travellers, with plenty of English
spoken, a sizeable proportion of it American in tone. The centre of
Seville is very much for walking. The notion of a bus weaving
through this terrain is laughable, and, besides, the city is the
optimal size for exploration on foot.
This produces a paradox. I can think of no other place that
combines so many small streets at its heart with such huge and
impressive buildings at the edge of the conurbation. The oldest of
these is the Altamira Palace. Other landmarks include the
breathtaking Plaza de España, the centre of the Spanish-American
exhibition of 1929; the enormous hangar that was once the tobacco
factory brought to the stage in Carmen; and the Teatro de la
Maestranza erected for Expo ’92.
 Then
there are the tiles. Millions of them — everywhere. Despite
extensive research, I could not discover which King of Spain had
issued an edict banning wallpaper in Seville, but such a
proclamation must have occurred because everything that could
possibly be covered in tile is. And these are not the sort of tiles
that you bung up in a bathroom to keep the cost down, but ones of
breathtaking design and colour. If you are a tileophile (does that
word exist? It does now) then head out to Seville.
But frankly you should make a beeline for the city even if
unmoved by the smell of oranges, unaffected by the intrigue of
narrow streets or perfectly content with Homebase for tiling. If
there is a flicker of romance in the soul, then Seville is the place
to fan it.
The
accommodation ranges from the imposing (and pricey)
Hotel Alfonso XIII to boutique townhouses such as Casa No. 7.
There are, mercifully, few examples of the soulless mega-brand
hotel. Most people who come choose to sniff, walk, nibble at tapas,
walk, wonder why they could not obtain tiles like that for the
downstairs loo, walk, get lost and find themselves again. It is an
enticing combination. The orange trees and those tiles deserve just
a little more company.
 Alfonso
XIII Hotel Seville 
The Alfonso XIII Hotel Seville is located among the arches and
arabesques of the historic city centre of Seville. It is only minutes
from the Reales Alcazares and Plaza de Espana and has exquisitely
appointed function rooms encircling the central courtyard and is ideal
for meetings and parties. The fully equipped business centre offers
translations and secretarial support and also one can enjoy the
delectable regional specialties at the Restaurant San Fernando.
The hotel offers spacious accommodations to both international and
domestic guests in an atmosphere of total relaxation. It is perfect for
entertaining clients and holding special meetings. It also offers
everything that one would expect as well as it provides an exceptional
environment in which one can work or rest. |
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