Chasing Champions League in Seville

It was an early morning and we were up and out of our hotel room chasing the morning sun. We embarked on a long climb up a never ending hill in an attempt to reach the famed Alhambra fortress at it’s summit.

We had overestimated the climb and reached the walled fortress in great time, allowing us to explore it’s platforms and sections at our own leisure. Arriving before the opening time, we browsed the grounds while overlooking the city still sleeping below.

Eventually we joined a line that was starting to form and found ourselves speeding through the ornate and decorated interior. Delicate panels of shapes and patterns lined every wall, ceiling, and surface and found ourselves constantly becoming entranced at every passing panel.

Soon we found ourselves back into the cool morning air overlooking a large inner courtyard. The beauty was immeasurable and the architecture was different than anything we had seen before.

We continued through the palace and were overloaded with not only the decorative carvings but the overall scale of everything. Eventually Austin and I found ourselves alone, with Matt no where in sight. Retracing our steps, we discovered him deep in conversation with a young woman. She would later introduce herself as Adeline from Boston and we originally knew we were Americans by our matching outfits (all wearing black jackets, ball caps, and sling bags).

She became an instant friend and we spent much of the rest of the morning with her by our side. It just comes to show you never know who you are going to meet when traveling. We eventually exited the palace and wound our way through the endless lush gardens.

Before long, we found ourselves climbing a large square tower overlooking the city below. The white buildings seemed to go on as far as the eye could see.

This landscape was so foreign to us yet we stood here and just tried to soak in the moment and relish it. Our first day in Spain had begun and we could not have been anymore excited.

We eventually had to say goodbye to the Alhambra and made our way back down the steep hillside back towards civilization. Before grabbing our bags back in our room, we decided to quickly pop into a nearby bakery and grab some nourishment in the form of pastries and juice before indulging back in our room.

Once our small breakfast had concluded, we checked out of our room and made our way through the city back to the train station. After passing through security (and getting waned down), we were soon on the tracks heading to Seville. The journey to Seville took us through very interesting countryside and the green hills and looming cliff sides out my window were a pleasant surprise.

We underestimated the efficiency of the trains in Spain and found ourselves on a journey much longer than expected. Paired with the delays and stops, we used this time to take some much needed rest.

Eventually we found ourselves rolling into Seville and this would be the place we would be calling home for the next two nights. We quickly checked into our hotel and then took a taxi to the famed Plaza de Espana.

The area was beautiful and full of life. Tourists and vendors alike filled the plaza and we tried to enjoy the light hearted vibe that seemed to fill the air.

Wishing to see what else Seville had to offer, we continued onwards and found ourselves in front of a massive stone cathedral. Unfortunately we did not purchase tickets before hand and were unable to locate an entrance (every door was behind a sealed iron gate).

We made our way back to our hotel and lounged on the beds, trying to find someplace we got grab a bite to eat. We were able to locate a tapas bar nearby and set off into the dark streets. Finding our destination, we had a small dinner of tapas (and of course local beer).

We again made our way back to our hotel and managed to rest for a bit to regain some energy. It just so happened that a significant soccer game was occurring that night in Spain (Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid) and I desperately wanted to watch it. We set back off into the night trying to find a local bar that would be showing the game. Our journey led us to the iconic Seville train station and we spent some time admiring the random happenstance of this experience.

We continued on-wards through a maze of dark twisting streets just all the while enjoying the night.

Even though we were having a very hard time finding a spot to watch the game, the atmosphere in the city was light and airy and we were in euphoria just having this whole dark city to ourselves.

Eventually we finally stumbled into a small bar that was dominated with crowds of Argentina national team jerseys. With an Argentinean player on Atlético Madrid, the bar would erupt in cheers or cries whenever that specific player touched the ball. It was a surreal environment; surrounded by Argentinians while in Spain.

Several obnoxious American girls entered and the mood quickly soured. We set back off into the dark desolate streets before finding a small open air cafe style establishment a ways back. We grabbed some more drinks and finished watching the game before making our way back to the hotel.

To see the previous day’s adventure, click here.

To move onwards with us along our journey, click here.