IanHi all! Well, that’s the end of Day 3, and boy, it’s been a busy one! Lots of walking around the Royal Alcázar of Seville and the cathedral, but totally worth it. 16,500 steps later, and with a very exhausted body, we made it! Except my friend, who was still brimming with energy. How do they do it?!
Breakfast and off to the Royal Alcázar
We started the day with breakfast as usual. I’ll be honest, I’m a little disappointed with the breakfast here, as I’ve had better in Barcelona and Malta. It was OK, but I think I just expected better.
First on today’s agenda was the Royal Alcázar of Seville. We were booked in for 11:00, and boy, are we glad we booked! It was packed, and they’d sold out their allocation for the day. So remember, if you want to visit, make sure you book in advance!
The Alcázar gardens
The gardens were huge! You could really see the royal attention to detail, and I couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to live there.
I’ll hold my hands up: I was so busy filming that I didn’t really listen to the audio guide (oops!), so I read up on it afterwards. Did you know that the Alcázar is one of the oldest royal palaces in Europe that’s still in use today? The Spanish royal family still use it when they visit Seville. It was also a filming location for Game of Thrones, which I think is pretty cool!
Seville Cathedral and the Giralda
Next on our agenda was Seville Cathedral (Catedral de Sevilla), and this cathedral was MASSIVE! You start the tour by going up the Giralda, the cathedral’s bell tower, and boy, that was a trek! It’s 35 ramps to the top. They’re sloped rather than steps, which I suppose makes it a little easier, but it felt like it went on FOREVER! You get to ramp 25 and think, “Are we there yet?!”
But once you get to the top, what a stunning view! I risked my phone slightly to get this picture, but it was worth it, and it didn’t fall from the tower!
It was much easier getting down, which eased my heart slightly! It was very busy too. I didn’t realise just how popular it is!
Again, I read up on it afterwards, and it turns out the cathedral is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world! It was built between 1434 and 1517, on the site of the city’s main mosque. The Giralda was originally the mosque’s minaret, and those ramps were built instead of stairs so that guards could ride up on horseback. That explains the slopes! The cathedral was spectacular, it really took my breath away, and it was well worth the trip.
Souvenirs and pizza
Once we’d finished, we headed around the centre of Seville and picked up some souvenirs. There was so much choice! I had to get a small Seville statue to add to my collection, plus a coaster.
By this point, I was absolutely exhausted, so I grabbed a slice of pizza from a small stall called New York Pizza. It was awesome, and I really enjoyed it!
The walk back
Now came the walk back… and it did not go to plan at all! I was exhausted, and I really need to work on my fitness! You’ll see in the photo my friend took below. I had to stop several times just to get back to the hotel!
After around 16,500 steps, I got back to the hotel and just collapsed in a heap. My friend, on the other hand, is a very energetic person and still managed a further 5-mile walk after dropping me off at the hotel. How do they do it?!
For dinner, we ordered from Uber Eats, as there was a good vegan burger for my friend. It was delivered really quickly, and we were well impressed. Shame the chips were cold, though!
Tomorrow: Day 4, and I turn 40!
And with that, our day is complete! I’m absolutely shattered and should sleep well tonight, although I’m a bit worried I might be coming down with something. The joys of air travel! We’ll see how I feel tomorrow.
Tomorrow… well… tomorrow, I turn 40! I can’t quite believe it, and I can’t quite put it into words. I still feel 25 in my head, but my body has already told me I’m 40! It’s weird! But I plan to make my forties the BEST decade of my life, and I hope you’ll follow along here and on my YouTube channel, The Forward Shift Journal.
The plan for tomorrow is the Seville Aquarium, as I love aquariums, and I want to see Seville’s version, so it should be a fun day! Today wasn’t a bad way to spend my last full day in my 30s. Join me tomorrow to see what we get up to for my 40th!
