*This post is part of a multi-part series on my recent trip to Spain and Morocco. You can read other posts here and here.  Over the next several weeks, I will be highlighting the different cities I visited along with travel tips.  I’m excited to share it all with you! Thanks for following along!*

After spending my first day in Europe in the beautiful city of Malaga, I went to bed excited because I knew when I woke up it was going to be another adventure.  I arose that Sunday minimally unaffected by jet lag and ready to hit Seville, or as it’s called in Spain, Sevilla.

We hopped in the car and began the 1.5 hour drive north. I was elated.  The rolling hills and lush fields on our drive were beautiful. Again, the Spanish countryside woo’ed me.

I heard such great things about Sevilla. Nate fell in love with the city as it was the first place he explored in Spain. The minute we got into Sevilla I knew I was going to love it too.

It was a different feel than the beachy, upscale parts of Malaga. Sevilla is a place filled with history and old world charm.  A true Spanish city.  Magnificent architecture, flamenco dancing, and tapas define this iconic place. I couldn’t wait to dive in.

We began our day walking outside the city’s iconic bullring and Cathedral.  Sevilla’s cathedral definitely trumped Malaga’s in size – it was about the size of a full city block! Nate had previously toured it and Christopher Columbus’ tomb rests inside.

One of my favorite activities in general is eating, but I just love how special sit-down meals are in Europe.  The relaxed atmosphere at the cafes and restaurants was just so nice. You don’t just go there to eat, but to enjoy the company of who you’re with.  People are laughing, talking, and enjoying life, not playing on their phones, which is refreshing.

We sat down for lunch at a little tapas cafe called Carmela. It was then that I realized why tapas are world famous.  Perfect for sharing, Nate & I ordered about 4 different small plates and they all were so good.  I didn’t take pictures of the food (probably because I dove in the second it hit the table), but here’s one of the items we had on the menu from their website.

Then Nate took me to the Plaza de Espana. Definitely one of the places you have to see if you are in Sevilla. It was gorgeous! And so huge.  Actually, huge is an understatement. Let’s go with colossal. Or monumental.

Every single detail in that place was pure money.

When Nate and I find ourselves in a city, we enjoy just walking around with little to no agenda. Instead of planning up the entire day and frantically trying to get from point A to point B, we try to take in the beauty of the journey.  Ending up in random alleyways was one of my most favorite things about the trip.

I love the buildings you find when you just wander.

The Museum of Fine Arts was probably one of my favorites in the city. I definitely have a thing for pink architecture.

The Metropol Parasol is the most modern thing you will see in Sevilla.  I later found out it’s the largest wooden structure in the world!  So cool.

Our last stop of the day was to check out the Royal Palace and Castle, the Alcazar.  Since there are so many pictures, I will do a separate post on this special place. It was phenomenal.  Stay tuned for the next post – it’s a must see!