Dancing amid the smoke and shade

 It is another day of pottering in fine parks and narrow streets.  Across the Jardines del Prado de San Sebastian [4.5 stars, 6,343 reviews] and across the Jardines de Murillo.


Murillo gardens are a whole 1/10th of a star better than the ones across the road.  Three hours ago Leo noted ‘A very nice garden. Colorful, peaceful and you can even see free live flamenco dancing(optional tipping). I liked that it had a lot of benches along the garden. ‘




We are nearby the Real Fabrica de Tabacos de Sevilla.  It is a shame that tobacco smoke stinks and kills as it looks really cool in noir black and white films.  The Royal Fag Factory was built in the 18th century and is second in size only to El Escorial for its type.  Construction started outside the city walls and took 30 years to complete - you can’t hurry a good pipe. Production began in 1758 and by 1800 700 men were making cigars and a 1000 worked on snuff. By 1829 the cigar making crew were entirely female and in the 1880s 6000 worked there - when not appearing in Carmen.  In 1950, when production had moved elsewhere, the University took it over.




Amid the park is the Royal Alcazar of Seville.  We are really peaking here in terms of review.  Look at the website because the pictures are lush.  The combination of shade and water are glorious and work when you have a lot of heat and less so in a damp climate - as imitators have found. https://alcazarsevilla.org/   4.7 stars and 99312 reviews.  An hour ago Sara said ‘In an enchanting place with its majolica tiles, its history and its beautiful garden full of green history and wonderful sensations. ‘  Maurico added eight hours ago ‘Highly recommended, one of the must-sees in Seville, elegant, and above all an expression of a culture as rich as the Arab one. ‘




On we go and to the Museo del Baile Flamenco. I have seen proper flamenco once. At Sadler’s Well.  I was impressed. We are entering an 18th century museum and on a future slow news day we will have to do more.  https://tickets.museodelbaileflamenco.com/  According the Google the museum is woman owned and LGBTQ+ friendly.  Four months ago Aymen wrote ‘The Flamenco Dance Museum is a wonderful place to explore, especially for someone who truly loves flamenco. The museum offers rich visual displays, detailed explanations, and an atmosphere that beautifully reflects the spirit of this art form. The collection helps you understand the history, emotion, and technique behind flamenco, making the visit both enjoyable and inspiring. As a flamenco enthusiast, I really appreciated how immersive and well-designed the experience was. A great stop for anyone interested in authentic flamenco culture. ‘





We will end the day at the Cafeteria Catunambu. It looks like a typical caf that spills aluminum chairs onto the busy street.  https://cafeteria-catunambu.localoria.com/ It is open 7.30am to 9pm Tuesday to Friday, 8am - 9pm Saturday and 7.30am - 2pm Monday.  A week ago Berf wrote, in Turkish, ‘I found the churros a bit too salty, so I didn't like them; they also had very little dough inside. The hot chocolate tasted like chocolate pudding. ‘




So the day ends.














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