AhPek Biker - Old Dog Rides Again: Cycling Europe 2019 Days 10 & 11 : Lisbon To Faro To Seville

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Cycling Europe 2019 Days 10 & 11 : Lisbon To Faro To Seville - Tchau Portugal, Hola Espanha!

Portugal, Spain & France: Days 10 & 11 Tuesday & Wednesday, 5-6th November - Lisbon to Faro to Seville

This is part of a cycling tour of the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal & Spain), covering Lisbon, Faro & Seville:

Day 10 - Lisbon to Faro:

Lisbon (B'Happy Inn)>Estação do Oriente Train Station>Comboios de Portugal Train>Faro Train Station>Faro (The Storey Guest House).

Cycling Distance: N/A Level: N/A

Time : 11:00am to 6:00pm

Time Taken : 7 hrs. (including cycling to & from train stations, waiting for train, train ride from Lisbon to Faro, lunch, & lots of photo opps.)

Day 11 - Faro to Seville:
Faro (The Storey Guest House)>Bus Terminal Rodoviário Faro>ALSA Bus>Puente de Ayamonte (Guadiana International Bridge)>Estación de Autobuses Plaza de Armas (Plaza de Armas Bus Station)>Seville (Galera Donkey).

Cycling Distance: N/A Level: N/A

Time : 8:45am to 6:30pm

Time Taken : 9 hrs 45 mins. (including cycling around Faro and visiting attractions, cycling to and from bus stations, waiting for bus, bus ride from Faro to Seville, breakfast, morning tea and lunch, & lots of photo opps.)

This is page 9 of a 20-page blog, Click Here To Go To Title Page.

< Go to D9 Lisbon 2 | Go to Other Days | Go to D12 Seville 2 >

Route Recommendations :

1. Traffic Directions!

On the Continental Europe, vehicles are left-hand drive, so cycle on the right. And do remember the traffic directions at road crossing. Also note that often cycling lanes run next to pedestrian lanes at town and city areas, at crossings there are separate lanes for pedestrians and bicycles, so stick to the correct lane.

2. Route & Traffic Conditions

At Lisbon, we cycled part way and Uber the rest of the way to the Estação do Oriente Train Station and took take the Comboios de Portugal Train to Faro; the train fare was at €11-00 per pax. From the Faro Train Station we cycled to our homestay.

The next day cycling was from the Faro & Seville homestays to and from the Bus Terminal Rodoviário Faro and the Seville Plaza de Armas Bus Station. The 250 km. journey from Faro to Seville was by the ALSA Bus. We book the bus ticket online at €8-00 per pax carriage for bike at €20-00 each) The bus took us across from Portugal to Spain at the Guadiana International Bridge, crossing the Guadiana River that marks the most of the boundary between the two countries.

3. Weather

5th November

Morning temperatures at Lisbon averaged 16°C, at Faro afternoon and night temperatures averaged 19°C & 16°C respectively.

6th November

Morning temperatures at Faro averaged 16°C, at Seville afternoon and night temperatures averaged 20°C & 16°C respectively.

It is always prudent to check the weather for the next day so as to know what to expect and be prepared for it. Useful weather forecast sites are BBC Weather, AccuWeather, and for more detailed weather, including cloud cover and wind speed, use Weatherspark and Ventusky.

4. Bringing Bikes Onto European Trains, Buses & Trams

Both in Portugal & Spain, full size bikes and folding bikes (there is no necessity to fold them) can bet taken into inter-city trains, metros and trams for free and without bagging. Do note that bikes may not be allowed during peak hours.

Full-sized bikes are allowed onto all Portuguese Comboios de Portugal trains, click here for more info, but only two traditional bikes (i.e. full-sized bikes) are allowed per carraige.

Folded bikes are allowed onto the local buses. For inter-city buses, our bikes were folded, bagged and put into the cargo holds at the bottom of the buses. Bicycle carrage for ALSA buses, do note that only four bagged/wrapped bicycles are allowed per bus and a charge of €5 on short trips or €10 on longer journeys; each passenger is allowed only one bike and to pre-booked for bikes ahead. This policy also includes for folded bikes, so do play safe and pre-book fare for your bikes.

E-hailing Uber is available in Portugal but not in Spain, where we used the local taxis to get to the airport.

5. Places of Interest

Along this route were several places of interests, some of which we visited and others we did not for lack of time (Note: click on GPS coordinates for directional map to respective places):

At Lisbon:

Estação do Oriente Train Station (Gare do Oriente) (GPS: 38.76784, -9.09934).
Centro Comercial Vasco da Gama (Vasco da Gama Commercial Centre/Mall) (GPS: 38.76764, -9.09712).

At Faro:

Cervejaria Aliança (GPS: 37.01613, -7.93457), the oldest cafe in Faro, since 1908.
Faro Marina (GPS: 37.01605, -7.93567).
I ❤️ Faro sign (GPS: 37.01587, -7.93562) at the Faro Marina.
Mermaid statue (Seria) (GPS: 37.01607, -7.93575) at the Faro Marina.
Concha sculpture (GPS: 37.01598, -7.93572) at the Faro Marina.
Feira de Artesanato de Faro, Faro flea market (GPS: 37.01598, -7.93572) at the Faro Marina.
Obelisco A Ferreira D'Almeida (GPS:37.01647, -7.93555), war memorial at the Faro Marina.
Banco de Portugal Building (GPS: 37.01560, -7.93468) with its nice arch doorway.
Igreja do Cormo (GPS: 37.02017, -7.93474), with skeleton chapel,
Capela de Ossos (Chapel of Bones) (GPS: 37.02033, -7.93480) within the Igreja do Cormo rear compound.
Terminal Rodoviário Faro - Próximo - Bus Station (GPS: 37.01728, -7.93779).

At Faro Old Quarters (GPS: 37.01375, -7.93461):

Arco da Vila em Faro (GPS: 37.01466, -7.93485), the entrance arch into the Old Quarters.
Romeo mural at Vila Adentro (GPS: 337.01303, -7.93432).
Paço Episcopal de Faro (Episcopal Palace of Faro) (GPS: 37.01381, -7.93505) this houses the Bishop's Palace.
Município de Faro (Faro City Hall) (GPS: 37.01375, -7.93461)
Museu Municipal de Faro (Faro Municipal Museum) (GPS: 37.01295, -7.93388).
Igreja da Sé Cathedral (Faro Cathedral, Igreja de Santa Maria) (GPS: 37.0133, -7.93493).

At Seville:

Puente de Ayamonte (Guadiana International Bridge) (GPS: 37.23764, -7.41956), the bridge over Guadiana River that marks the most of the boundary between Portugal & Spain.
Torre Sevilla (Seville Tower) (GPS: 37.39133, -6.01025), a modern office tower.
Glorieta Curro Romero (GPS: 37.38525, -5.99851), statue of the famous bullfighter Curro Romero.
Plaza de toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla (Maestranza Seville) (GPS: 37.38599, -5.99840), a bullfighting ring.
El Patio Sevillano Tablao Flamenco (The Patio Sevillano) (GPS: 37.38611, -5.99944), a Flamenco Dance theatre.

6. Meals

5th November
a. Breakfast: self-made at homestay.

b. Lunch: lasagna, hotdog sandwich, croissant, Bacalhau fish rice, pea soup, coffee, wine, & orange juice at Ardina Caffè (GPS: 38.76807, -9.09901) in Oriente Train Station; .
c. Dinner: Seafood Cataplana, Tomato salad, Fried octopus, Pork cheek, Tomato salad, Red sangria & Bohemian dark ale at a total of €115 for 8 pax. at À do Pinto (GPS: 37.01618, -7.93265) in Faro.
d. Supper: Desserts & house-brew beer at Cervejaria Aliança (GPS: 37.01613, -7.93457).

6th November
a. Breakfast: Lunch: croissant and toast with cheese n ham, coffee at McDonald's Faro (GPS:37.01681, -7.93558).

b. Morning Tea: Pastel de nata (Portuguese custard egg tarts) at Padaria Urbana (GPS: 37.01671, -7.93519) in Faro.
c. Lunch: Portuguese grilled squids with potato fries at Cafe O Alminhas (GPS: 37.01930, -7.93346) in Faro.
d. Dinner: Marinated dogfish, Stuffed avacado, Fried Camembert cheese with raspberry sauce, Jamón ibérico, Spinach with chick peas, Red Sangria at Casa Pepehillo (GPS: 37.38681, -5.99877) in Seville.
e. Supper: Ice-cream from Heladeria Los Valencianos (GPS: 37.38679, -5.99960).

7. Accommodations

Day 10:

One night at The Storey Guest House (GPS: 37.01756, -7.93400) in Faro which we had pre-booked through Booking.com, a four double-bed rooms with shared bathrooms at €102 per night (or €12-75 per pax per night). Our bikes were allowed to be brought into the rooms.

Address: Rua José Estevão 3A, Faro, 8000-343, Portugal.

Phone: +351 932 664 838

Day 11:

Two nights at Galera Donkey (GPS: 37.38782, -5.99914) in Seville which we had pre-booked through Booking.com, a three bed rooms for 8 adults at € 211.42 for two nights (or €13-20 per pax per night). Our bikes were allowed to be brought into the apartment.

Address: Calle Galera 20 2A, Casco Antiguo, Seville, 41001, Spain.

8. Communicating with Each Other

When travelling in a group it's important to be able to communicate with each other, especially if one got lost.

We bought pre-paid SIM cards from UK mobile provider Three on-line through Lazada. As some of us stayed for a shorter period, we got two plans with cost ranging from RM30 to RM70 for a 20 days 4G and a 30 days 10G plans respectively. These plans include their "Feel At Home" package which allow the phone's data, call and messaging allowance to be used in sixty countries (mostly European and also Singapore) without any extra charges!

9. Communicating with Locals

In Portugal and Spain, except in rural areas, many locals can speak some basic English and communicating with them shouldn't be a problem. This is especially the case in hotels & restaurants.

When communicating with locals is a problem, this could be partly overcome by using translation apps like Google Translate. Do install this app into your phone and before you leave on your tour, do some basic translation as it will be saved onto a list of recent translations.

Look out for the tourist information booths at airports, railway stations or bus stations, the guides manning the booths speak very good English and do give good tips on where to visit, directions, train and bus schedule.

10. Navigation

Unless he or she is very familiar with the locals routes, the tour leader should carry a GPS units. It will also be good if another member of the team carry another GPS unit should the leader's one go faulty.

Kevin was using a Beeline navigation unit that synchronized with pre-planned routes on his phone app. Sin & me were using the Garmin GPS units and had pre-plotted our daily routes into respective GPX maps usable in these units. We had pre-loaded the Portugal, Spain & France Maps together with GPS coordinates of our destinations. Do ZOOM out to look for turning points further ahead; and ZOOM in at complicated junctions, otherwise one may make a wrong turn (it did happen to us sometimes).

Alternatively, download the MAPS.ME app together with the relevant country maps. This app can be used offline.

At the towns and cities, we used Google Maps to navigate to various places of interests that were not shown on our GPS units. Do note that Google Maps does not work in Cycling Mode in Portugal so use Walking Mode but do be aware that sometimes recommended routes are against traffic. In Spain, Google Maps does work in Cycling Mode.

11. Service Your Bicycles & Carry Tools and Spares

Before leaving on your tour, it will be good to service your bike and bring along some spares like tubes, puncture patches, brake pads and the relevant tools.

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PRELUDE

Yesterday we took a day off from cycling, and travelled by Metro, Buses, and Trams to visit the various attractions of Lisbon. These next two days will see us doing only a bit of cycling as we will take long inter-city trains and buses from Lisbon to Faro, and then the following day from Faro to Seville. After ten days we say Tchau (goodbye) to Portugal and greet Hola! (Hello!) to Spain.
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DAY 10: LISBON TO FARO BY TRAIN

Route: Day 10 - Lisbon to Faro:

Lisbon (B'Happy Inn)>Estação do Oriente Train Station>Comboios de Portugal Train>Faro Train Station>Faro (The Storey Guest House).

Cycling Distance: N/A Level: N/A

(Zoom in to see cycling routes at Lisbon & Faro)

This route has just a little cycling, i.e. to and from the train stations. Travel was by the Comboios de Portugal Train to get from Lisbon to Faro, approximately 250 km. away. At Lisbon we mistakenly took a shorter (8km) hard route going over hilly roads to get to the train station. There is a flatter but longer route (11km) that goes along coastal roads, it starts from Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square) (GPS: 38.70753, -9.13644) and continues along roads running along the other side (seaward side) of the railway tracks, this is shown as "Alternate Flat Route" in the above map.

(Click here for the Google Route Map link)

Today we head for Faro by the Comboios de Portugal Train. Kevin had pre-booked the train tickets on-line, and as there were eight of us, he was concerned about the number of bicycles allowed onto the trains. The Portugal train regulations allow only two traditional bikes per carraige, so to play it save he had separated our train journey into two travel groups, i.e. four persons per group with their bikes. The first group will take the 10:00am train while the second group will take the 2:00pm train.

Sin, Jocelyn, Anne & Fenn was the first group and they rode their bikes to the Saldanha Metro Station to take the Lisbon Metro to the regional Estação do Oriente Train Station, click here to see their story.

Kevin, Mel, Lynne & me took the 2pm afternoon train; thinking that we had ample time after checking out from our apartment at 11am; we decided to cycle to the station. We had used Google Maps in walking mode (there is no cycling mode in Portugal) to lead us on a route to the train station. This WAS A MISTAKE, as it took us on a "direct" route going onto steep roads cutting through the hills of Lisbon, which is not known as the City of Seven Hills for no reason! Half the time we were pushing our bikes on the cobbled pavements (as the neighbourhood streets were rather narrow). Even when it came to the downhill stretches, some were so steep that we felt it safer to come down and push!

Actually it would have been easier for us to take a route that is longer by 3km, and to ride down slope to the Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square), and then ride along the flat coastal roads to the station. So sometimes it's not prudent to just follow Google Maps blindly; take a look at the gradient map section that comes with the plotted route. If it's too steep then look for an alternate route. Do this by plotting a first route to a secondary destination (in this case, the Praça do Comércio) and from there a second route to the final destination.

Anyway our sweaty efforts were not without rewards, along the way we got to see some nice wall murals and street sculpture.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, halfway (probably after struggling through three of Lisbon's seven hills) we decided to take a detour and head for the flatter coastal road. This was not that easy too, as even then it was through undulating slopey roads. After 3 km. of slow cycling, at the Cruz da Pedra Bus Stop bus stop we decided to hail an Uber car to send us the rest of the way to the station. It was just another 5 km. on flatter roads, but we were worried that it would take too long. So here we are still happy and spirits undampened; there's nothing to be shy about jumping onto a taxi or bus, more important is to get to the destination on time!

As we approached the Estação do Oriente Train Station (also known as the Gare do Oriente), I was surprise to find that it was a large station and its pyramidal roof structure reminded me of our KLIA International Airport.

This modernist station includes a Lisbon Metro station, a high-speed commuter and regional train hub, a local, national and international bus station, a shopping centre and a police station. In addition to the many galleries that are part of the station, it is connected to the Centro Comercial Vasco da Gama (Vasco da Gama Commercial Centre/Mall) and the Lisbon Metro through a subterranean access, as well as a first floor connection to the train platforms and a pedestrian walkway.

With time to spare, we had our lunch at Ardina Caffè located within the station; it was a simple meal of lasagna, hot-dog sandwiches, croissants, Bacalhau fish rice, pea soup, coffee, wine, & orange juice.

2:00pm - Our Comboios de Portugal Train left the elevated station and immediately went into tunnels underground to beat the city's traffic. Somewhere further away it exited out, the dark rail lines surrealistically emerge into bright sunny day.

On board the train, our four folded Bromptons easily fitted into the bike storage section of the coach. In fact there was another full size bike strapped to the bike rack there. The eight of us could have travelled in two coaches of the same train; but this is our debut cycling tour in the Iberian Peninsula, so it was a learning experience for us. And now we can impart our knowledge to our readers😉.

A collage of photo in the train, from top right photo:

1. Me together with Laura, a touring cyclists from London. She was the owner of the full-sized bike hanging next to our Bromptons.

2. The cafeteria coach of the train.

3. A regular train traveller. She's pregnant and doing some on-line work while her dog was sitting on a tray next to her chair. Note: the last row of each coach has only one seat, with an empty space next to it for prams, etc. How thoughtful of the Portuguese railway authorities.

4. My can of Sagres Beer in a bright red can. It's a pale lager.

5:35pm: After a 3-1/2 hours train ride we arrived at Faro, quickly disembarked and unfolded our bikes so that they will be easier to push along the station platform. They allow full-sized bikes into the stations, so our unfolded bikes were not a problem at all.

It was beginning to get dark, so we quickly cycled to meet the rest of the gang at our home-stay, The Storey Guest House. Fortunately, it was less than a kilometre away.

Freshened up we took a short walk to the commercial area of the town. Many of these streets, like Rua Dom Francisco Gomes are pedestrian malls finished with beautiful floor tile patterns and have many shops lining them.

Our dinner was at À do Pinto and the highlight of the meal was Seafood Cataplana (top left in the photo above); it's so named because it uses a Cataplana cookware (which is often made from copper, aluminium and sometimes stainless steel) for cooking the dish. Other dishes (clockwise from top right) included shrimp Paella rice, Pork cheek, and Tomato salad. Not shown in the photos were fried octopus, Red Sangria & Bohemian dark ale. Total bill for the eight of us was a reasonable €115.

Later we "discovered" Cervejaria Aliança cafe, founded in 1908, it's the oldest cafe in Faro. The captain there was friendly, but the bar-tender was downright cocky and rude, so we just had some desserts there with their home-brewed ale, and quickly left.

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DAY 11: FARO TO SEVILLE BY BUS & THE CHAPEL OF BONES!

Route: Day 11 - Faro to Seville:

Faro (The Storey Guest House)>Bus Terminal Rodoviário Faro>ALSA Bus>Puente de Ayamonte (Guadiana International Bridge)>Estación de Autobuses Plaza de Armas (Plaza de Armas Bus Station)>Seville (Galera Donkey).

Cycling Distance: N/A Level: N/A

This route has just a little cycling, i.e. to and from the bus stations. Travel was by the ALSA Bus to get from Faro to Seville , approximately 200 km. away. The journey will take us across the Guadiana International Bridge which spans Guadiana River. Crossing the river that forms the major part of the boundary between the two countries, we effectively crossed over from Portugal into Spain.
(Zoom in to see cycling routes at Faro & Seville.)

8:00am - I woke up early to wave goodbye to our four buddies (Jocelyn, Sin, Fenn & Anne). They will be cycling to the ? bus station to take the 8:45am bus to Seville. But no worries, we will be seeing them again in the evening.
We took the bus in two batches as the Alsa bus regulations only allows four bicycles for each bus (This policy also includes for folded bikes), AND there was only one bus in the morning. The other four of us will be taking the 2:15pm bus. Kevin had pre-booked online both the bus tickets and also the fare for our bicycles.

Having arrived in the evening yesterday, we did not have much time to see Faro. With some time to spare we went round Faro, part by walking and part by cycling.

First off was the Faro Marina, pristinely kept clean with yachts moored on the navy blue waters. At the edge of the marina were some sculptures, some of which were odd like this "mermaid" which instead of having a fish tail had a sea-shell for a head!

Cycling around was a breeze, afte one gets use to riding on cobblestones. It was mid-week so most of the streets were rather quiet but on have to watch out for broken glasses thrown by drunks the previous evening.

A quick run through of some of the places at the marina, clockwise starting from bottom right: the I ❤️ Faro; Obelisco A Ferreira D'Almeida (a war memorial); a mural promoting Hendricks Gin; sculpture of a Charonia, a type of spiral Concha seashell; and a red tourist train.

Although it was mid-week, we sere surprised to see stalls being set up for a flea market next to the marina. As more and more stalls were set up, Lynne got more and more excited. She loves shopping, but touring by bicycles means she had to restrict herself to small items like trinkets and souvenirs... perhaps she would be able to find another antique watch like the one she found at the Obidos Flea Market (Feira de Velharias Obidos) days earlier.

9:45am - She had to reluctantly pull herself away from the flea market - we didn't have much time and wanted to visit Faro's Old Quarters. The entrance to the old quarters is at this arch, the Arco da Vila em Faro. Cars do go through this narrow arch, so do be careful when walking there.

We were not the only ones to find this arch attractive; it seems to have attracted cranes to build several nests at the top. On the highest nest, two cranes could be seen cuddling and attending to the nestlings.

It was mid-morning but the streets in the old quarters were quiet, hardly any traffic around and most of the shops were closed. But that's good too, as I selfishly have the vacant streets to take good photos.....

..... like a photo o f this spiral mosaic tile pattern on a sidewalk.
Ahead is the Largo da Sé, a square which is small but leads to the entrances of several important buildings such as the Município de Faro (Faro City Hall), Museu Municipal de Faro (the municipal museum), and the Igreja da Sé Cathedral (Faro Cathedral, Igreja de Santa Maria).

While walking down this lane, we took a pause to admire this wall mural which bears an important picture of an old printing press. It's painted on the side wall of the Paço Episcopal de Faro (Episcopal Palace of Faro) which houses the Bishop's Palace, and his private library which used to include the oldest book printed in Portugal. The book was a Hebrew pentateuch called the Faro Pentatuch written by Samuel Gacon.

The Faro Cathedral building was a bit plain, but it was the bell tower that caught my eye. Unlike many churches that have enclosed belfry bell towers, this one has an open bell tower with several bells. These bells reminded me of those I saw at the Monastery of Our Savior and St Euthymius (Spasso-Ephimovsky Monastery) in Suzdal during a tour of Moscow and the Golden Ring cities; where at timely intervals a person would pull ropes to ring the many church bells (big and small ones) in a melodic sequence to play out a bell pealing symphony.

A bit of fun by Lynne before we left the Largo da Sé; a curtsy invitation to dance from a medieval gentleman.

Outside the old quarter are several attractions, one was the ban? building with its unique arch entrance and colourful apse dome ceiling.

On place that should not be missed in Faro is the Igreja do Cormo, for within it lies a secret! It was built in the 18th and 19th centuries, during the reign of João V.

The aisle leads to to a very golden altar with a colourful vaulted ceiling, it's all so beautiful... and bright - the Igreja do Cormo has some of the best gilded woodwork and the work is attributed to master sculptor Manuel Martins.

Look closely and one will see a host of angels! The altars a full of cherub figures!
But all this beautiful as they are was not what brought me here. Earlier our buddy Anne had hinted that this church holds a secret and it lies beyond the main building. To enter there is no secret handshake, just pay €12 to an attendant at the side of the altar, who will issue a receipt and give directions to go through the back of the church and exit at rear compound.

Withing the rear compound is the Capela de Ossos (Chapel of Bones), it is so called because it's walls and ceiling are lined with 1,200 skulls and bones. These were exhumed in 1816 from the adjacent graveyard and were the bones and skulls of the Carmelite monks who had served at the church.

Even the altars are made from bones!

Go in and one is literally surrounded by bone, all four walls and even the ceiling! I prayed hard that none of the ceiling bones will fall onto our heads!
But even in this macabre surroundings, we did not feel eerie or threatened for these are the bones of holy men.

To one side is a small shrine which looked newer and had less bones.

We left the chapel and went looking for lunch, somehow the sight of so many bones did not spoil our appetite, probably it was because they were those of holy people and the place was on hallowed ground.
Hunting around we managed to find Cafe O Alminhas, where we had these beautifully done grilled cuttlefish, ones that were full of yummy eggs.

1:00 pm - We checked out of the hotel and together with Melinda & Kevin rode of to the Bus Terminal Rodoviário Faro. We were getting used to the cobble stones and could ride more confidently.

It was a short and easy ride. The station was a fairly big ones with a large indoor parking area for the buses. To one side is a waiting area with a cafeteria.
Nearer to 2:00pm, our bus came and were we glad that it looked spanking new. It is equipped with a toilet at the rear of the coach, but entry is not free one would have to slot coins into an opening mechanism to open the door. I always have this curiosity about slotted coins toilets - if one is urgently holding back and in a rush to get in, one better pray that ones jittery hands would be able to find enough coins and slot them in on time.... OTHERWISE it would be an embarrassing stinker.

About 1-1/2 hours later our bus crossed the Guadiana International Bridge. Luckily I had not dozed off, for here as we crossed the Guadiana River, we quietly slipped into Spain.
HOLA Espanyol!

From the bus window I looked out onto the rustic countryside, spotting this castle like structure OR perhaps it's a church or chapel. I looked abandon but the structure although simple, had a grand air to it.

As we turned off the highway and crossed the Guadalquivir River to enter Seville, another grand sight greeted us. This time it was a tall office building, the Torre Sevilla (Seville Tower); what a change it was, from a rustic looking castle to a tall mirror-glazed, modern tower!
Built in 2015, the tower is 180.5 metres tall and has 40 floors. It is the tallest building in Andalusia, and the seventh tallest in Spain.

We disembarked at the Plaza de Armas Bus Station; this international bus station is a double-storey structure with the bus parking at the upper level. Fortunately there were ramps leading down to Calle Torneo where there were dedicated green paved cycling lanes which are found on many of the Seville's main roads.

After checking in and refreshed, it was time to go out and hunt for good food. We didn't really have to do much hunting, Melinda's good nose had already scented out a wonderful place to eat: Casa Pepehillo. It's a ?
Here we had: Tapas (these were good sized one, unlike the small ones found out of the Iberian Peninsula); marinated dogfish; avocado stuffed with chicken and langostino, sweet corn, lettuce and Marie Rose sauce; fried Camembert cheese with raspberry sauce; spinach stewed with chick peas and topped with a toast; wine & Red Sangria .....

.... and the most important dish for the day, Jamón ibérico. Please excuse the blurred photo, my hands were shaking in excitement to meet this king of hams for the first time, it's also the most expensive ham in the world.

As we ate, we there were these bulls looking over us. The food were superb, but these bull head did make us feel a bit odd. These are the heads of bulls that were killed during the bull fights.

Seville have a long tradition of bull fighting, and taking a walk after dinner we saw this Glorieta Curro Romero, it's statue of the famous bullfighter Curro Romero.
. The statue stands in front of the Plaza de toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla (Maestranza Seville), a 12,000-capacity bullring. During the annual Seville Fair in Seville, it is the site of one of the most well-known bullfighting festivals in the world.

Round the corner was another establishment that promotes yet another of Spain's culture - the renown flamenco dance. Here at El Patio Sevillano Tablao Flamenco tickets are sold for flamenco dance shows. Call them at +34-954214120 to find out more or to make reservations.
All this walking around made us a bit parched and we stopped by Heladeria Los Valencianos to have some tasty gelatos!

OLE! OLE¡

(For more photos of the Day 10, Click Here)

(For more photos of the Day 11, Click Here)