IanHi all! Well, it’s a Sunday in Seville and not much to report today! We did have some plans, but we didn’t realise that in Seville most big shops and shopping centres close on a Sunday, which threw the entire plan out! We were going to visit a big shopping centre north-west of the hotel, about a 55-minute walk away. The good news is that we’ll do that on Wednesday instead!
Why “recovery”?
Firstly, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. I said “recovery” in the title, so what exactly am I recovering from? To be totally honest, I’m not sure!
Before I left for Seville, I had a rough cold that seems to be sweeping the UK at the moment, as everyone seems to have it. I caught it about three weeks before the trip and hoped I’d recovered. However, since the flight, I’ve been feeling rough again: really congested and coughing up phlegm. I think I picked something up on the plane, as everyone seemed unwell. I thought I’d get away unscathed… and I was wrong!
Over the past few days it’s got worse, and eventually my friend had to go to the pharmacy yesterday (on my birthday, typical!) to get me some medication. I’m pleased to say it seems to be helping! So that’s why “recovery” is in the title. We still have a few busy days ahead of us, and I want to be better for them!
Sunday in Seville: what’s open?
On top of all that, I lost my voice. Fun! And because we’d misunderstood the Sunday opening times, we had to go on a hunt for an open shop, as I needed more water and my friend needed more supplies for their room. It took us about 30 minutes to find somewhere open because some of the opening hours on Google Maps were incorrect. More fun! Just what I needed while under the weather!
Finally, we found a SuperCor Express about 10 minutes from the hotel, so not too bad. It had everything we needed, so we stocked up and headed back.
Later, I needed some lunch, so we headed to McDonald’s for some comfort food, and boy, I wasn’t disappointed! It was very tasty and just what I needed. But one thing I found weird was that the shopping centre was open, but only for the restaurants. It’s a big place, and everything else was closed!
My friend looked it up, and it turns out that in Andalusia, big shops and shopping centres can only open on certain Sundays and bank holidays set by the regional government. On every other Sunday, they stay closed. Part of the reason is to protect small, local shops, which are allowed to open. Not a bad idea, really!
Top tip if you’re visiting Seville on a Sunday: big shops and shopping centres are usually closed, but restaurants, cafés, small convenience stores and petrol station shops are generally open. Don’t trust Google Maps opening times either. Check the shop’s own website if you can!
Something I noticed that really struck me: a woman was going from table to table inside the McDonald’s, asking people for food and taking leftovers from finished trays. Homelessness is a big problem back home too, of course, but I’ve never seen it play out quite like this in the UK, inside a restaurant, going table to table. It was sad to see, and a real reminder that, however beautiful a place is, not everyone there is having an easy time. Same problem, just a different way of seeing it.
So yes, it was a fairly quiet day, but honestly, I needed it! We’ve churned up over 40,000 steps so far this holiday… no thanks to my friend!
Storm Bruna is on its way
With nothing else planned, we headed back to the hotel and rested for the rest of the day. I do feel a lot better, so fingers crossed a good night’s sleep will sort me right out!
However, our week looks like it’s about to change. Storm Bruna is arriving, and there are weather warnings for heavy rain and thunderstorms in the Seville area, which isn’t great for our boat trip tomorrow, or our Ronda trip later in the week!
Tomorrow: Day 6
Tomorrow, we’re meant to be going on our boat trip, but we’re not sure yet whether the stormy weather will cancel it, so we’ll have to wait and see. It’s a bit frustrating when you come away for the sun, and it effectively turns into the UK overnight! So, wish us luck!
See you tomorrow, all!
