Chronicles from Andalusia | My 5 Must Go Places in Seville

Seville stretches along the Guadalquivir, reflecting the inclement light of the sun on the hot Summer days. Only the shadow of the narrow streets and the refreshing sound of the fountains can give us some rest. But a wanderer will be a wanderer, even if there is over 40ºC outside, and with so many interesting places to visit - from the Alcazar to the Giralda, from Triana to Santa Cruz neighborhoods - one learns to live with the burning sun. These are my 5 must go places, but the list could go on and on, and I promise to bring you a more detailed post on the city one of this days.



SEVILLE CATHEDRAL AND LA GIRALDA

The old Jewish district of Seville is a must go place by itself, with its narrow streets, whitewashed walls and picturesque patios, but it also houses some of the city's landmarks that you cant ignore. That's the case of the Cathedral and, of course, La Giralda. The gothic cathedral of Seville stands in the place of a 12th-century mosque (the Giralda tower and the Patio de Los Naranjos are a legacy from the Moorish structure) and it took more than a century to be finished. A visit to the interior of the church is interesting, but nothing beats the view from the top of La Giralda.

REAL ALCAZAR

The rooms, terraces, patios, and gardens of the Alcazar of Seville are nothing short than spectacular and you must schedule a long visit to this palaces. Take your time, walk around, take notice of the layers of the different construction phases (Almohad, Mudejar, Gothic and Renaissance), and if you get tired, sit in the gardens and relax. You can be sure that there will be hundreds of people doing the same, and still, the experience can be so interesting, with amazing details everywhere, that you can not miss it. If you are a GOT fan, you'll find there some familiar spots of Dorne, as some of the locations of Season 5 were filmed at the Alcazar.

PLAZA DE ESPAÑA

Built for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929, the Plaza de España presents an amphitheatrical shape and its tiled panels with scenes of every region in Spain are a major part of its attractiveness. Visiting the square and the close by Maria Luísa gardens are a must go in any visit to Seville. In the hot summer days, you'll prefer to visit it early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

METROPOL PARASOL (LAS SETAS)


This architectural structure, inaugurated in 2011, presents an impressive wooden canopy, standing on giant columns, that casts its shade over Plaza de la Encarnacion. Popularly known as the Mushrooms (Las Setas) it includes a museum and a market with several stores, restaurants, and bars. Of course, the main attraction is the observation platform on the roof that grants its visitors a 360º view of the city.

TRIANA NEIGHBORHOOD


Across the Guadalquivir, you get to Triana neighborhood, that once was the gypsy quarter of Seville. This colorful part of the city, with its striking buildings, flowers, and tiles, is famous for its ceramics and many of Seville's famous tiles came from Triana.

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Food Chronicles | Belvedere Ristorante (Cascais)

Many of you know how much I enjoy good food and to find new restaurants to present you at my Food Chronicles. Recently I've been invited to the Belvedere Ristorante, in Cascais. The Belvedere is one of the restaurants of the stunning Grande Real Villa Itália Hotel & Spa, and its sophisticated atmosphere, great cuisine, led by Chef Paulo Pinto,  and remarkable service contributed to the most agreeable evening.

Muitos dos meus leitores sabem o quanto eu gosto de boa comida e de encontrar novos restaurantes para apresentá-lo nas minhas Food Chronicles. Recentemente fui convidada para conhecer o Belvedere Ristorante, em Cascais. O Belvedere é um dos restaurantes do impressionante Grande Real Villa Itália Hotel & Spa, e sua atmosfera sofisticada, excelente cozinha, liderada pelo Chef Paulo Pinto, e serviço notável contribuiram para uma noite muito agradável.

The restaurant is beautifully appointed, in blue and white (the colors of Portuguese tiles, that you can find decorating the walls), with accents of red, contributing to an atmosphere that, although sophisticated, is light and cozy. That and the cordiality of the professional and attentive staff makes you feel at home from the first moment. The room opens to an outdoor terrace dining area overlooking the sea of Cascais, that due to the rain we couldn't properly enjoy but that I can imagine as the perfect spot for a summer dinner at the Belvedere.

O restaurante está lindamente decorado, em azul e branco (as cores dos azulejos portugueses, que pode encontrar a decorar as paredes), com detalhes em encarnado, contribuindo para uma atmosfera que, embora sofisticada, é leve e acolhedora. Além disso, a simpatia e atenção dos excelentes profissionais que nos atendem, fazem sentir-nos em casa desde o primeiro momento. A sala abre para um terraço onde se pode jantar ao ar livre, com vista para o mar de Cascais. Infelizmente, devido à chuva que caia nessa noite não pudemos desfrutar deste espaço exterior, mas imagino que deve ser o local perfeito para um belíssimo jantar de verão no Belvedere.

We started with cocktails and the ladies couldn't be happier with their Rossini (strawberries and Prosecco is always a good match!).

The couvert, with an assortment of delicious varieties of bread, olive oil with balsamic vinegar and some delicious amuse bouche, satisfied our appetite while going through the varied menu, where a careful selection of some of the most authentic dishes of traditional Italian cuisine is presented. Fortunately, we had the help of Marta, that with a few questions to find out our preferences led us to some great choices both on the starters and on the main dishes (although I suspect that whatever we may have chosen it would be great!).

For starters, we chose bruschetta of pancetta with ricotta and fresh mushrooms and sautéed prawns with chili pepper and garlic olive oil. Both delicious, but I must say that the prawns with its tasty sauce were my favorite.

Começámos com coquetéis e não podiamos ter ficado mais felizes com os nossos Rossini (morangos e Prosecco são sempre uma boa combinação!).

O couvert, com diversas variedades de pão, azeite com vinagre balsâmico e alguns deliciosos amuse bouche, satisfizeram o nosso apetite enquanto analisávamos o menu, onde é apresentada uma seleção cuidada de alguns dos pratos mais autênticos da cozinha tradicional italiana. Felizmente, nós tivemos a ajuda da Marta, que com algumas perguntas, para conhecer as nossas preferências, nos orientou para óptimas escolhas tanto nas entradas quanto nos pratos principais (embora eu suspeite que tudo o que pudessemos escolher seria uma delícia!) .

Para começar, escolhemos bruschetta de pancetta com ricotta e cogumelos frescos, e camarões salteados com malagueta e azeite de alho. Ambos deliciosos, mas devo dizer que os camarões com seu saboroso molho foram os meus favoritos.

The meal continued with some Turbot with gremolata and lemongrass risotto for me and some Saltimbocca with aubergine alla Parmigiana for my friend. Just like happened with the starters, all the ingredients were super fresh, of top quality and cooked to perfection. And as you can see in the photos, the care with the presentation makes all the experience even more luxurious.

It was time for us to indulge in one of the desserts and I must say that it was not easy to choose, but in an Italian restaurant, a Tiramisu is always a safe bet and this one didn't disappoint. Especially because it came with an assortment of fresh berries that combined marvelously with the light cream. A fresh lemon tea to finish a lovely dinner and the certainty that we must return here and recommend it to all our friends.

I want to extend this recommendation to all my readers and to make it even more attractive for you to visit the Belvedere, by giving you all a 25% discount over the total invoice, for reservations until May 31th, 2018. You just have to mention the code BLOG THE WANDERER'S CHRONICLES upon reservation. I'll be looking forward to your comments here!

A refeição continuou com um pregado com gremolata e risoto de erva limão para mim e com Saltimbocca com berinjela à Parmigiana para a minha amiga. Tal como com as entradas, todos os ingredientes eram super frescos, de alta qualidade e preparados com perfeição. E, como podem ver nas fotos, o cuidado com a apresentação torna toda a experiência ainda mais impressionante.

Era hora de nos deliciarmos com uma das sobremesas e devo dizer que não foi fácil escolher, mas num restaurante italiano, um Tiramisu é sempre uma aposta segura e este não decepcionou. Especialmente porque veio com um acompanhamento de frutos vermelhos que combinavam maravilhosamente com o doce. Um chá de limão para terminar um adorável jantar e saímos com a certeza de voltar e de recomendar o Belvedere a todos os nossos amigos.

Quero estender esta recomendação a todos os meus leitores e tornar uma visita ao Belvedere ainda mais irresistível, oferecendo a todos um desconto de 25% sobre o total da factura, para reservas até 31 de Maio de 2018. Basta mencionar o código BLOG THE WANDERER'S CHRONICLES ao efectuar a reserva. Simples, não é? Espero que aproveitem e vou aguardar os vossos comentários aqui!

BELVEDERE RISTORANTE

From Wednesday to Monday (Closes on Tuesday's)

Schedule: 07:00pm to 11:00pm

Reservations Contacts
Phone: (+351) 210 966 000
E-mail: hostess@realvillaitalia.com

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Pic of the Week | Art Nouveau in Lisbon

In Lisbon you may not find the striking originality of the Modernist architecture of Barcelona, or the diversity of the Art Nouveau buildings of Paris, but in some parts of the city, you can find some interesting examples of this period.  Avenidas Novas district, that grows in the beginning of the 20th century is the right place for look for some of these beauties.