IanWell, hello, people, and good evening! It’s Day 6 of our trip to Seville, and last night was a stormy one, as Storm Bruna hit Spain. It rained, thundered and lit up with lightning all through the night, and we thought it might cancel our boat trip… but luckily, it didn’t! So join us for a Guadalquivir Boat Trip
Storm Bruna arrives
I woke up this morning and saw… rain. We came to Spain for a bit of winter sun, not a preview of our return trip to the UK! Thankfully, it didn’t last long. Once it had died down, we headed out to the shops to replenish our snacks and grab drinks for the rest of the day.
After that, we both headed back to our rooms for a nap, as we were shattered. I’m still recovering from my cold, but it’s much better today, and my voice is slowly coming back! You can catch a few shorts from today on my YouTube channel, The Forward Shift Journal.
Walking to the river
The nap did us both good and got us through the rest of the day. At around 15:30, we set off on our walk to the boat… another 30-minute walk. God help my body!
On the way, we had a nose around a few shops, including a Spar, which felt weird to see in Spain! Then again, there were Spars in Malta too, so I shouldn’t really be surprised. We also stopped at Dia, a Spanish supermarket chain, for some snacks and drinks for the boat.
Our Guadalquivir boat trip
Remember in my Seville in November post, when I joked about the forecast showing thunderstorms while we were supposed to be on a boat? Well, Storm Bruna very nearly made that come true! But the weather held off, and our trip, Los Rincones del Guadalquivir, went ahead.
There was a bit of a wait to board, but it was a small group, which was lovely: just four Americans and us. We all got chatting, and the skipper and our guide were brilliant, pointing out some great spots along the river. Overall, we really enjoyed it!
What we learned on the river
I actually listened to the guide this time (unlike at the Alcázar!), and I learned loads:
- Seville is Spain’s only commercial river port. Even though the city is inland, ships sail up the Guadalquivir from the Atlantic, and cruise ships dock right by the city at the Muelle de las Delicias. I had no idea!
- The first voyage around the world started here. Magellan’s expedition set off from Seville in 1519, and the Victoria was the only ship to make it home, completing the first circumnavigation of the globe in 1522. A full-size replica, the Nao Victoria, is moored by the Torre del Oro, and you can even go aboard.
- The Torre del Oro (Tower of Gold) is a 13th-century watchtower built to guard the river, and it’s one of Seville’s most famous landmarks.
- Triana, on the other side of the river, is the colourful neighbourhood you see in so many photos of Seville. It looks even better from the water!
It was a really nice way to see Seville from a different angle, and I’d definitely recommend it, storm or no storm!
Another 30-minute walk later, we were back at the hotel… another 12,427 steps today! For dinner, we wanted something light, so we ordered toasted sandwiches on Uber Eats from a place called VIP. My friend found something too, and we both really enjoyed it.
A change of plans
Now, on to some changes to our itinerary! Tomorrow was meant to be our tour of Ronda and the White Villages, but we hadn’t realised how much of the day would be spent on the coach. It was around 10 hours in total, with not much time to actually explore. My friend didn’t want to spend most of their birthday on a bus, which is completely understandable!
So, what are we doing instead, I hear you ask? We’re heading to Gibraltar for the day!
My friend originally wanted to go to Gibraltar for their birthday, but there was so much red tape around hire cars, including having to leave the car in Spain and walk across the border. So we’d decided against it. What we didn’t realise was that there are daily coach tours to Gibraltar from Seville, and we managed to grab the last two seats. Phew!
Tomorrow: Day 7, Gibraltar!
It does mean an early start. We need to be at the meeting point in the centre of Seville by 07:50, so it’s going to be a speed run! My alarm’s set for 06:30. I’ll shower, we’ll grab a quick breakfast, and then take the Uber we’ve booked for 07:30.
It’ll feel a bit rushed, but I think it’ll be worth it. It’s a coach ride of a couple of hours each way, with around five hours in Gibraltar to visit the Rock and see the famous monkeys, and we’ll be back in Seville by 18:00. That works out much better for us overall.
Join us tomorrow for my friend’s birthday and our trip to Gibraltar on Day 7. See you then!
