Alia In Paris: Seville

We were just back from Malaysia and needed a mid vacation between the end of summer and the end of the year festivities, and came up with the idea of going to Seville. Best decision ever. A mere 2 hour flight from Paris, Seville provided us with the sun and heat that had already abandoned Paris during that time of the year. Cool in the morning, 30 degree Celcius in the afternoon, it was the perfect weekend getaway.

The Spaniards are lovely people- warm, friendly, and very family oriented. Seville is the perfect city for families with young children. Most of the historical and touristic sites are walkable from one to the other, and unlike Paris, restaurants accept and welcome clients with strollers. Everything is cheaper here (but then again anything is cheaper than Paris). Zara is 30% cheaper, cabs are cheaper, and even our hotel tapas costs only €4-€6 each!

We stayed in a lovely hotel called AlmaSevilla Hotel Palacio de Villapanés. Only a 5 min walk from the city center and no more than 20 mins to reach the furthest attraction, this hotel is a hidden gem. It is the perfect mix of old and new- old because it is a typical Moorish style mansion, and new and chic modern designs dominate the rooms. The courtyard serves as the hotel lobby, where the natural breeze cools you down from the mediterranean heat.


Hotel Lobby

I can't quite describe the ambience in Seville, but I love this city to bits. It is the second place in the world that we both decided that we will come back (second after Santorini). People are well groomed, they seem happier despite the deep economic crisis their country is in, there are well dressed children everywhere, and people actually smile! We felt welcome, and even J was nice to strangers.

We walked a lot, and we ate a lot. We stayed for 3 days and frankly felt that it was enough to cover most of the touristic sites. We would have loved to stay longer only to relax more, since that much walking in 3 days is very tiring. Below are some sites that are a must-see, and the next time we go there we will cover the rest!