Sailing from Casablanca to the Canary Islands

We arrived to Madrid and caught the high speed train to Sevilla. Our hotel is located in the city center, a short walk from the Cathedral and the Guadalquivir River. We spent one full day in Sevilla to recover from jetlag and give ourselves the necessary cushion in case of flight delays. 

Sevilla is a lively city with tapas on every corner and bustling with people throughout the day and evening. We walked to the city center for a plentiful tapas dinner followed by an evening horse and carriage ride to get introduced to the city.

The next day we headed to the Cathedral, one of the largest in the world. The Cathedral tower, the Giralda, offers stunning views of the city. Unlike most church towers, this one is accessed via a winding ramp. The Cathedral had previously been a mosque and the story goes that the Imam used a donkey to travel to the top of the minaret for the call to prayer each day. Donkey or not, the ramp made the climb so much easier than traditional stairs. 

After our visit we walked down to the Guadalquivir River for a cruise with one of the day boats that travel the water. The tour was offered in 4 languages and the riverside offers many lovely sites including the Torre del Oro (Tower of Gold) and several constructions created for the Sevilla Expo in 1992. 

This evening we took a Tapas and Wine tour that leaned decidedly more toward the wine (and other beverages) that any substantial food. Still, we got a chance to try some of the local specialties including fried dogfish and pork as well as visit a handful of the tiny bars that fill much of the city center.