Walking the Streets of Sevilla
Article & Images by: Celeste Noche
Sevilla has always been in the back of my mind. When my mother remarried, Sevilla became her new name. It's the name I grew to know as hers and it struck me that there was an entire city fifty-eight thousand miles away that shared it.
I eventually went to Sevilla to visit a dear friend and although I had dreamt of the visit for years, didn't really know what to expect. What a pleasant surprise. Upon first arriving, Cecilia and Ruben led me through the quiet, narrow streets and I saw colorful houses and flower boxes galore. The Moorish influences could be found everywhere-- the windows, the doors, the hand painted tiles at every entryway. Orange trees at every turn. Sevilla often felt like a dreamworld where everything was vivid and bright but where we were the only ones there to enjoy it.
Among my favorite memories are wandering the quiet streets of Santa Cruz late in the evening, walking along the river and finding the local artisans' market, completely forgetting to visit Christopher Columbus' tomb but climbing the top of the Giralda for the most breathtaking views, gelato at the Alameda, finding a street with my grandmother's name, the most inspiring flamenco performance in a residential dance studio, seeing how easily I adapted to eating dinner at 10pm, and last but certainly not least, discovering my new favorite city with the most kind and welcoming of friends.
Although I could only stay for a few days, Cecilia and Ruben introduced me to a city with so much history and color that I often daydream of my next trip back.