LOS ALCORES, SPAIN

We always seem to leave vacation with at least one memorable event.  I thought getting the rental car stuck in a pedestrian-only walkway was it for this trip, but turns out more was to come!  I had grand plans of finding some wineries to visit outside of Seville during the wedding weekend festivities.  After the first two evenings of activities, I decided more wine was a poor choice.  So, what about olive oil?  Oleotourism is big here!  I found The Basilippo Cultural Center of the Olive Tree online, which was located about 30 minutes outside of Seville in the countryside.

even the highways are pretty

We had not planned this excursion in advance, but rather just showed up at the olive grove estate since the website said you could walk the grounds without a guided tour.  Well, we met the grandfather of the family operation upon entering, who spoke no English.  He insisted on giving us a very in-depth tour all in Spanish.  This was a true test of 7 years of Spanish classes…Thankfully he spoke slowly and reworded each point until we understood.  What a patient man!

this tree is a few hundred years old, if I understood what he said..

Despite the language barrier, we learned quite a bit about how olive oil is made.  This estate covers all aspects of production from growing the olives, harvesting, processing, and bottling.  We saw the difference between early and late harvest olives and what type of oils they produce.

geared up to harvest some olives

Basilippo does not use pesticides, so they rely on natural methods of warding off insects, like growing patches of rosemary right below the trees.  The estate also had fruit trees and fresh lavender throughout, which we were encouraged to sample.  If the experience wasn’t authentic enough, we met his family who lives on-site and the grand kids played the piano for us.

sun dial
the poet’s cottage
olive trees for days!

  The family created a museum to show the history of olive oil and a more in-depth description of production.  Our tour guide insisted on us getting a picture with the harvesting baskets and hat.  Next to us is the mechanism used to macerate the olives to obtain liquid.  Again, that’s at least what I THINK he said!

We were able to sample at the end of the tour and it truly was out of this world!  They produce an orange olive oil that has a suggested use over chocolate ice cream. Yum!

olive oil tasting room

If you find yourself in Seville, I highly recommend taking a drive out to Basilippo to learn more about olive oil and sample some of the best oils around!

The Basilippo Cultural Center of the Olive Tree

PHONE:

+34 955 740 695 / +34 678 881 506

LOCATION:

Hacienda Merrha. Ctra. Viso-Tocina (SE-3201), Km 2 41520 El Viso del Alcor (Seville) Spain

HOURS:

weekdays 10:00-14:00 and 16:30-19:30 h. Saturdays 10:00 to 14:00 h (July and August 8:30 to 15:00 h. weekdays)

 

SEVILLA, SPAIN

After flying into Lisbon, stopping through Évora, and checking out Córdoba, we finally made it to our destination, Sevilla!  Insert all the flamenco dancer emojis here..  We ventured to Southern Spain for a wedding, but thoroughly enjoyed the road trip along the way.

WHAT TO SEE:

Plaza de España:

Funny story.  So, Plaza de España is the iconic image of Sevilla, and we missed it.  We spent 4 days here and MISSED IT.  I blindly followed Google maps and thought, huh, this park really isn’t as impressive as everyone said it would be?  We did not realize until after we returned home that we were steps from the correct spot.  How does this happen??  I blame the haze of the wedding fun the night before…So, here are some pictures of the park next to it.  SAD!

Seville Cathedral:

Initially, this was the site of a mosque built in the 12th century.  After Ferdinand III conquered the city, it became a cathedral.  In the 15th century, construction on a new and improved cathedral commenced.  There are still elements from the mosque woven into the current structure.  This blending of Muslim and Christian architecture is known as Mudéjar style.

It is the largest cathedral in the world, and the third largest church in the world.  This place is huge!  Allot at least an hour, probably longer, to see everything.  There are numerous chapels, plenty of artifacts, and Christopher Columbus is buried here.  There was a line to enter that took about 30 minutes.  Go early before the heat sets in and the lines are shorter.  Admission is 9 Euros, audio guide free subject to availability.

Christopher Columbus’s tomb

 

The Royal Alcázar of Seville:

The Royal Alcázar dates back to the middle ages and is the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe.    This was a personal favorite!  I could have spent hours wandering the beautiful gardens, admiring the colorful tiles, and eavesdropping on guided tours to learn more. Game of Thrones has scenes filmed here, too.  Not that I watch it, but it seems like 99% of the world does and can appreciate this tidbit… We went early afternoon and there was a very long line.  It was HOT!  We baked in the sun for quite awhile as the line moved slow.  Admission is 9.50 Euros.  Hours vary by season.

underground water

 Casa de Salinas:

The wedding ceremony took place at Casa de Salinas, a 16th century palatial home that still has portions used as living quarters.  Truly beautiful!  It is open to the public, but hours vary by season, and the entrance fee is 6 Euros.

After the ceremony, we walked on over to the reception.  No one reallllly knew where they were going, so it felt like an extra long jaunt in the summer heat, but the venue was well worth the walk.

Casa de Pilatos:

On to the reception!  This 15th century palace is the current home to the Dukes of Medinaceli and parts of the palace and grounds serve as a museum.    The gardens were stunning!  We followed some wedding guests to the roof of a building for a beautiful view of the grounds and were quickly tracked down by security.  Oops!  At least I got a good pic..Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

rooftop view before we got the boot

I think the 9 year old and I were just as thrilled about the sweets bar

If the party wasn’t elaborate enough, the dance party that followed took the cake.

 

WHERE TO EAT:

Salt and Sugar:

This sliver of a cafe offers coffee, tea, snacks, and the prettiest china, making you feel fancy.

El Perro Viejo:

Modern tapas bar with a great cheese and charcuterie plate, yum!  Milk Away:

Acai bowls!  Smoothies!  All the healthy-ish good stuff that tastes refreshing when it’s hot out.  Also, it is one of the few places open in the morning since everyone seems to be late risers.

El Pinton:

Delicious!  It was in between meals and we needed a snack and a seat after spending the afternoon sweating at the Alcázar.  Fresh gazpacho and salad did the trick to cool down and refresh.

El Gato en Bicicleta:

What a pleasant surprise to stumble by!  Any place with a cat theme is a winner in my book.  This coffee shop/bookstore/art studio hybrid was a perfect afternoon break from walking.

 

WHERE TO SHOP:

Le Blue:

For all your stationary and cute office supply needs, similar to The Paper Source here.

Julietta:

Boutique clothing and accessories store.

WHERE TO STAY:

Our Airbnb couldn’t have been more convenient.  The 2nd floor apartment had a fabulous roofdeck and was centrally located on one of the cobblestone pedestrian-only streets in the heart of the city.  While parking was a bit of a pain, we did find garage parking a few blocks away.  The main attractions were all within walking distance.

TIPS:

Safe water!  Hurray!  Beginning of June was very steamy, so staying hydrated was of utmost importance (combined with balancing all the wine consumption).

Seville is not for the early bird.  Very few places open early in the morning, so expect to start your day later and go well into the night.  Also plan out your siesta since many places close mid afternoon!

Take a moment to get lost in the side streets.  You’ll likely stumble upon some great street art, a little cafe, or a hidden shop.

 One final recap to go: the olive oil adventure.  Stay tuned!