Ahhh… Sevilla. It’s the fourth largest city in Spain and is thought to be the Spanish leader culture, literature and art. The city is a major religious centre in the country and we were in town for one of their two largest festivals: Semana Santa and the Good Friday processions. The other big festival is the Feria de Sevilla (Seville Fair).
Personally, we found the locals in Sevilla rude, sneaky, and eager to rip off tourists at any given opportunity… this is a city tainted by tourism… and maybe even a step further… a city that hates tourists. Even a well known brand like the Marriott double billed us for our room, and then feigned not being able to help when we tried to resolve the issue.
However, if you like being packed into tourist sites like cattle, frequenting Starbucks / McDonald’s, discovering fake “professional” Flamenco shows, spending double your money, being followed by touts, and being yelled at by locals for no apparent reason, then this is a city for you. And, I did talk to one woman who was relieved to be in a city that had “real food” and “real coffee” (read: McDonald’s and Starbucks).
Knowing what I know now, I think I would have skipped this city altogether and spent more time in some of the smaller surrounding towns.
Ever notice how the streets there are made with stones or bricks. I noticed the same thing in the Azores.