I can't imagine how awesome Seville was before the Coronavirus because it's pretty fantastic even during a pandemic. This vibrant city is chock-full of colorful architectural wonders, traditional tapas bars, cozy taverns and top-notch shopping.
One of many flamenco shops selling shoes, fans and dresses
Seville's striking architecture is a fine blend of Baroque, Renaissance, Gothic and Moorish buildings that dazzle your spirits around every twist and turn of its narrow streets. My favorite is the colorful Spanish Baroque with its decorative embellishments that remind me of a wedding cake's lavish ornamental trimmings.
A visit to Spain wouldn't be complete without trying its famous paella. Unfortunately, Clint is the only family member who is a fan. We made the mistake of ordering seafood paella when 3/4 quarters of our family doesn't care for shellfish—oops! I'm glad we tried it, but we will order paella with chicken next time. The sangria helped wash it down (the kids had soda)!
One thing that is surprising me while eating out in Seville is the lack of outdoor dining, especially given the pleasant weather. Almost all dining in Croatia and Italy was outdoors with very few indoor options (even before COVID). The small restaurants and bars here are packed inside. Their COVID restrictions don't add up: Masks and social distancing are mandatory outside and inside, but when you enter a bar or restaurant, all bets are off. You can have every table full of people eating and drinking two feet away from each other with no masks, no plexi and no separation of tables. When you are outside walking around alone on a quiet street, you have to mask up. I just thought it was a little strange. We end up passing on many good restaurants for how crowded they are. It helps that we eat a few hours earlier than the locals. Dinner in Spain usually begins around 9 or 9:30 pm at the earliest!
Another thing we have noticed walking around Seville is the abundance of dress shops. Every other store is a flamenco dress shop, children's formal dress shop or a wedding dress shop with the most beautiful dresses adorning the mannequins in the windows. Kate and I couldn't help but walk in and admire these gorgeous gowns. Besides dress shops galore, there are so many other nice shops. We are constantly trying to resist the temptation of revamping our whole wardrobe!
FUN FACT: Baroque architecture is a highly decorated and theatrical style that appeared in Italy in the early 17th century and gradually spread across Europe—blossoming in Seville. It was initially introduced by the Catholic Church as a way to combat the Reformation and the Protestant church with a new architecture that inspired surprise and awe.
