Another hot day, although less so than yesterday. After breakfast at our usual spot - with great coffee - we headed off to the Alcazar. This is the jewel in Seville's crown and is still used by the Royal Family when they are in Seville. Thankfully not today. The palace was the original site of Muslim kings in the late 10th century. Being a working palace the architecture has continued to evolve in styles, from Mudejar through to neo-classical. We used an audio...

Various weather signs around Sevilla quoted the temperature as either 32, 36 or 40. All of them could not be right but either way, it was hot. It meant walking on the shady side where possible. We had breakfast at a nearby bodega and headed across to the Cathedral. The side we were on was the exit where a local was selling tickets to a flamenco show tonight. He offered a €3 pp discount so we took up the deal. He also gave some tips on what was around the area ...

After breakfast in the Conquistador Hotel's pleasant patio, we checked out and put our luggage into storage. We walked up to the ancient Synagogue which is no longer in use. They limit visitors to 44 at a time, which is fine for the synagogue but crowds the small lane way that provides access. Walking further up to the Puerta de Almodovar (presumably not Pedro) we stopped for tea and watched the passing parade. This comprised local family groups and people out w...

Spain is renowned for its fast and efficient train service, notwithstanding the recent crash in the north of the country. Today we experienced it first hand but not without a minor hiccup in getting to the station by taxi. When I asked for Atocha Renfe (Renfe being the train company) he thought I said Atocha Vente (20 Atocha Street). Thankfully Atocha Street is close to the train station. In an unexpected act, he turned the meter off so we only paid what would ha...

The Museo del Prado is one of the world's leading galleries. While dwarfed by the Louvre, it is still a massive space. It was initially built in 1785 as a museum and has grown ever since. Surprisingly it does not attract as many tourists as Reina Sofia or Thyssen-Bornemisza. This may be because its collection is largely, though not exclusively, of Spanish masters. I didn't find this to be a bad thing. No queue and relatively easy access to the works. The highlig...