We finally did touristy stuff!

Our spring break week was amazing.

First, we had visitors from Oak Park (the Powers-Taylor family), with kids the same ages as mine. We’d done literally zero tourism in Sevilla and, with them, we did it all!

Highlights:

We went inside the cathedral– it was incredible. The largest Gothic cathedral in the world!

We climbed the Giralda, the tower built in the 1100s, but the photos aren’t great because of the screens over the windows.

We also visited the Real Alcazar, originally built in the 10th century, totally exceeded my expectations, can’t wait to spend time in there solo (aka without kids begging for stuff from the gift shop):

Places we went where photos weren’t allowed: the caves of Araceda (La Gruta de Maravillas) and a killer flamenco dinner show that was totally captivating.

We got ice cream like every five minutes.

Meanwhile, Semana Santa was taking over the streets of Sevilla, both day and night. The tall pointy hats are difficult for Americans as they look just like KKK but have nothing to do with it (they are capirotes, have to do with penance, and point to heaven):

It was beautiful but mostly I was trying to dodge around processions. And it’s not like there are just a few! They are happening all day, every day (and night), throughout the centro and beyond, all week long.

I wish I’d taken a screen shot of the ayuntamiento (city hall) app that shows all the processions happening hour by hour. It looks like it can’t be true, like a massive, slow motion traffic jam, (but it true).

At the end of the week, my kids and I rented a car and drove to Aracena, about an hour and fifteen minutes from Sevilla, where we’d just toured the cave and castle earlier in the week, to stay at a nice hotel, swim in the pool, and go on some incredible hikes where we met (and nearly adopted) donkeys, goats, horses, pigs, chickens, dogs, cats!

The highlight was hiking from Arecena to Linares de la Sierra, stopping for lunch, and hiking back. Proud of my kids for doing 6+ miles with whining only, oddly enough, at the beginning.