Spain, Part Dos

There’s a lot to do and see in Seville and it’s bustling with people. Escaping the crowds we get deliberately lost in the quieter back streets and small ornate squares.

Even in December the heat is noticeable, radiating from the buildings that crowd the narrow lanes. Everywhere there is fantastic architecture, interspersed with historic monuments and ornate fountains. Thankfully there are also little corner cafes and riverside bars to rest in because it’s a lot to take in.

Seville’s crowning glory is its palace. Heavily tiled, it’s a ceramic wonder. Opulence doesn’t begin to describe it. Grandeur isn’t a big enough word for it. The craftsmanship is phenomenal and the scale of it immense. Incredible what can be achieved with a bit of obscene wealth, but focus on the positives, it’s provided a huge amount of employment over the years. Musicians add a backdrop to the tiled frescos and ducks prove they can’t hold a tune.

With our minds blown, we return to the main part of town to see the Christmas lights but there’s a bit of a technical issue and they remain dark. We wait in a cafe and after a plate of pretty average churros someone puts some euros into the electricity meter the lights flicker into life.

While Spain doesn’t really do Christmas in the same way as a lot of western Europe, festive lights are common and some other things are creeping in; there’s a small Christmas market but it’s a very different affair to that which we experienced in Portugal and the emphasis very much on artisan gifts.

While the rest of Spain isn’t making much of a festive fuss, the artisan chocolatiers in Rute have pulled out all the stops. A huge nativity scene is constructed each year from confectionary. Each year is different and this year seems to have a Disney theme. Apparently it’s turned into chocolate milk after the festivities are over. It’s a feast for the eyes but they don’t restrict themselves to nativities; various people have been immortalised in chocolate and put on display. Also, there’s a shop. Not really a surprise, not is the fact that we leave with a bulging bag of chocolatey goodness.

We have a history of visiting places I found out about in ways that didn’t involve the local tourist board. We stop in Ronda because our Amazon Firestick keeps showing us the bridge on the screen saver. It is a remarkable bridge, arches rising high above the steep gorge. We accidently drive over the bridge. There’s a road and we’re under the weight limit so it’s not a problem, it’s just we never meant to, I took the wrong turn on a roundabout and couldn’t find anywhere to turn around.

Hidden behind is another bridge, older and not as grand or famous, or at least, not served up daily on the old monitor that serves as our TV. There’s much more to Ronda than bridges and the Bathhouse is a particular highlight that does a great job of telling the town’s history.