We check out of the Zentral Apartment Hotel a little before 11 am and ask them to store our backpacks. They are happy to do so, but stress that they would like us to pick them up again before 3 pm. No issues.
We walk to the Museo Bellas Artes and are surprised to find a queue. It appears that they are allowing only allowing a certain number of people in at a time. After a number leave they allow approximately that same number to enter. We wait about 35 minutes until we reach the front of the queue and pay the 1.50€ admission each as international visitors.
Once inside we realize that the queue is due to a special exhibit - Murillo's 4th Century. It includes 55 paintings of Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, the Sevillian Baroque painter. His father was a barber and a surgeon (that says something of the times). The majority of his work is of religious themes, but he also painted the common people of Seville as well as portraits of the wealthy and famous.
We walk to the Museo Bellas Artes and are surprised to find a queue. It appears that they are allowing only allowing a certain number of people in at a time. After a number leave they allow approximately that same number to enter. We wait about 35 minutes until we reach the front of the queue and pay the 1.50€ admission each as international visitors.
Once inside we realize that the queue is due to a special exhibit - Murillo's 4th Century. It includes 55 paintings of Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, the Sevillian Baroque painter. His father was a barber and a surgeon (that says something of the times). The majority of his work is of religious themes, but he also painted the common people of Seville as well as portraits of the wealthy and famous.
After viewing the Murillo exhibit we make our way to the regular galleries which highlight the works of Spanish artists.
Some tapas restaurants have been recommended but we haven't had a chance to get to one. Since this is our last day in Seville we make one on the list, Brunilda Tapas, our lunch spot. As we walk to the restaurant we pass by the Church of St. Mary Magdalena. As William would say, it's a rare moment when Anne doesn't want to see an old church, and this is not a rare moment. We stop into the ornate 17th Century church for 15 minutes.
Some tapas restaurants have been recommended but we haven't had a chance to get to one. Since this is our last day in Seville we make one on the list, Brunilda Tapas, our lunch spot. As we walk to the restaurant we pass by the Church of St. Mary Magdalena. As William would say, it's a rare moment when Anne doesn't want to see an old church, and this is not a rare moment. We stop into the ornate 17th Century church for 15 minutes.
We are standing outside Brunilda's doors when they open at 1 pm and it's a good thing because within 15 minutes every table is filled. We order a beer and wine and enjoy the bread and olives while we contemplate the menu. So much sounds so good! William gives up and tells me it's up to me to order. I select three: 1) Cod fritters with pear aioli 2) Grilled squid with Migas (bread crumbs and scrambled egg) and herring roe, and 3) Beef tenderloin with potatoes and thyme. The waitress (or the kitchen) paces the food nicely so that we can savor each selection. They are wonderful. The waitress offers the dessert menu but we are full and also have another idea in mind.
We stroll back to the Zentral and pick up our backpacks around 2:30 pm. As the bus does not leave until 4:15 pm we have time to kill. The NH Hotel is just a block away and also two blocks from the bus station. We wander over there and sit in their lobby for a short while then go to their cafe for coffee and dessert. The waiter happily gives us the password to their wifi and does not rush us along. So much nicer than sitting in the bus terminal!
The people on the bus trip back are mostly visitors. After a while people start talking. The woman sitting opposite from William is from Canada. She's rented a typical Portuguese vacation apartment in Lagos for 5 1/2 months. We talk about the charm of hanging laundry out the window and using space heaters, and how spoiled people are in Canada and the U.S. who have clothes dryers and central heat. She tells us that her apartment costs 450€ per month plus electricity due to her long stay in the off-season. Her two friends sitting behind us came for a visit and they all decided on the side-trip to Seville.
The couple in front of us is from British Columbia, north of Vancouver either 10 minutes or 10 hours (we're not sure). He speaks with a distinct accent, so we're guessing he was originally from Quebec. They are staying in Albufeira for three weeks and using the busses to explore nearby cities. In front of them is a young woman from New Jersey. She says she came to Spain and Portugal for spring break and just decided to stay longer. She has been here for two months and leaves early tomorrow to fly home because she misses her family. I'm not sure what happened with her studies.
Chatting with our fellow passengers makes the 4 1/2 hour trip feel much shorter. All agree that Seville is a wonderful place to visit and that we wouldn't want to do so in August when the temperatures can reach 45-50C (113-122F). The temperatures we experienced of 26C (80F) during the day and low of 11C (52F) late into the night was perfect.
We stroll back to the Zentral and pick up our backpacks around 2:30 pm. As the bus does not leave until 4:15 pm we have time to kill. The NH Hotel is just a block away and also two blocks from the bus station. We wander over there and sit in their lobby for a short while then go to their cafe for coffee and dessert. The waiter happily gives us the password to their wifi and does not rush us along. So much nicer than sitting in the bus terminal!
The people on the bus trip back are mostly visitors. After a while people start talking. The woman sitting opposite from William is from Canada. She's rented a typical Portuguese vacation apartment in Lagos for 5 1/2 months. We talk about the charm of hanging laundry out the window and using space heaters, and how spoiled people are in Canada and the U.S. who have clothes dryers and central heat. She tells us that her apartment costs 450€ per month plus electricity due to her long stay in the off-season. Her two friends sitting behind us came for a visit and they all decided on the side-trip to Seville.
The couple in front of us is from British Columbia, north of Vancouver either 10 minutes or 10 hours (we're not sure). He speaks with a distinct accent, so we're guessing he was originally from Quebec. They are staying in Albufeira for three weeks and using the busses to explore nearby cities. In front of them is a young woman from New Jersey. She says she came to Spain and Portugal for spring break and just decided to stay longer. She has been here for two months and leaves early tomorrow to fly home because she misses her family. I'm not sure what happened with her studies.
Chatting with our fellow passengers makes the 4 1/2 hour trip feel much shorter. All agree that Seville is a wonderful place to visit and that we wouldn't want to do so in August when the temperatures can reach 45-50C (113-122F). The temperatures we experienced of 26C (80F) during the day and low of 11C (52F) late into the night was perfect.
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