Free Wi-Fi hotspots in Seville!

With spring on its way, it is time to find some relaxing places to share your thoughts with the world on Facebook or Twitter. Not behind your stuffy desk, but in the fresh air or in the dynamic atmosphere of a café. So grab your laptop, mobile or anything that’s desired to get you online and discover the hottest free Wi-Fi spots in the soul of Andalucía.

Find your free spot in the several parks of Seville when the temperature is rising! Park Alamillo, Park de la Buhaira and Park de los Principes offer you the best places to lie down in the soft grass and check your social media, favorite series online etcetera.

Prefer sitting on one of the 8(!!) Plazas? Plaza Alfalfa and San Francisco, not to forget Plaza de la Encarnacion and Salvador are all open for Wi-Fi connection without even having time limits!

Next to these places, there are loads of cafes, which offer you free internet with any purchase. Better spend your money on a refreshment including free web access than in a cyber café.
Café de Indias, a chain coffee shop, even has 3 locations throughout the city! However, also the coffee shops Café Ciudad Condal and Cafe Bar Java are Wi-Fi hotspots, with even several nice seats outside. For amazing coffees from all over the world you also have the possibility to go to the well known Starbucks.

Starting to get hungry from all this surfing? Heladeria offers you except for the wanted Wi-Fi also heaps of yummy ice cream flavors and at the KPHÉ Bar you can order tapas, coffee and other drinks from 7pm until very late. Besides these, you can of course also just go to one of the three Mc Donalds to eat an ordinary hamburger! Or go to the Rodilla, a coffee and sandwich shop.

Thanks to the city and its organizations, cafes and bars!

Mercadillos en Sevilla!

Markets are the best way to discover the local specialties of a destination, such as specific dishes, art and unique clothing. When you are visiting Seville, it is definitely worthwhile to bring a visit to the several markets, which are located mostly at the plazas of this charming city.

The street markets in Seville provide the ideal places to purchase some of the freshest food, which is usually priced very reasonable. If you are willing to dive into the lives of the locals from Seville, this is the perfect opportunity! You are able to try traditional specialties, including a big variety in sausages, cheeses and cured ham.

Although the majority of the street markets offer a bit of everything, there are also a few specialist markets.  These are really interesting for the collectors, however also for the curious tourists who just want to take a look and maybe even shop for fun!

Mercadillo de la Alfalfa (Guadalquivir River (Torneo), Sunday mornings)
Market de la Alfalfa is the most atmospheric and maybe even strangest one, where you can find a huge variety of animals. You are able to purchase animals, ranging from tropical birds to the more usual pets such as cats and dogs. Already have a sweet animal at home? Then bring some souvenirs for it, since you can also find accessories, food, cages etceteraJ.

Mercadillo de los Jueves (Calle Feria, Thursday mornings)
This antique market dates back many years. Here you will be able to find everything including old photographs, paintings, used books, postcards, but also a lot of other collectables.

Mercadillo Filatélico (Plaza del Cabildo, Sunday mornings)
This market cannot be missed out by the real collectors! Probably you can end your hunting for the last coin of your collection here, because the Mercadillo Filatélico offers you coins, stamps, postcards, watches and even phone cards.

Mercadillo del Duque la Magdalena (Plaza del Duque / Plaza de la Magdalena, Thursday to Saturday)
This is more a market for the ladies among the tourists It has stands full of jewelry, watches, belts and other accessories. You can also find here perfumes, leather goods etcetera. This is the perfect place to find nice gifts.

Mercadillo de la Alameda (Plaza Alameda de Hércules, Sunday mornings)
Last but definitely not least is Mercadillo de la Alameda, where they have really everything! You will be able to find flowers, dolls, but also fruit, clothes and even some antiques.

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Contest For Best Pick-Up Line!!

Valentine Contest!

Okay so it is almost Valentine’s Day, but what to do if you don’t have a Valentine yet?! Don’t worry! Why not create a winning pick-up line?!
And if you already have a sweetheart, then share with us the line that made you successful, because we are very interested!! Besides, you are able to win the perfect Valentine’s getaway for 2!

How to join?

Post your most funny, creative and unique pick-up line in the ‘WIN the perfect Valentine’s getaway for two with your best pick-up line!’ event thread on the Facebook page of Lifestyle Barcelona!

You can only post 1 pick-up line per person, so make sure it is a winning one, because your line is to be judged by your friends and the public. All you need to do is get as many people as you can to LIKE your pick-up line till the 14^th of February 2011!

The person with the most ‘likes‘ is the lucky winner! Which means you win a Luxury Spa and Massage Experience for 2 in Barcelona! Your price will be valid until February the 15^th next year and can be used any time.

The winner will be announced on the 15th of February at 11am and will be contacted by us.

The Luxury Spa and Massage Experience
Your relaxing full body massage will take place in an area that was a former bath (Bañuelos), which today has been restored to its former glory. Besides, you can enjoy the Arab baths, where you can plunge into the warm water of the tepidarium (36°c), the heat of the caldarium (40°c), or the cold of the frigidarium (16°).

SEVILLA & THE ARABS!

Today I would like to write about Seville’s architecture and its Arabic influence. This city is rich of history and it would be interesting to know more about it to enjoy our Sevillan walks.

Seville is more than 2,000 years old. The passage of the various civilizations has left the city a distinct personality, and a large and well-preserved historical centre. The city also received heavy influences from Arabic culture. The early 8th century marked the arrival of Moorish occupiers and Muslim Spain, an occupation which would last for over 500 years, and significantly change the face and culture of the Seville. We still can see the treasures of the past in the historical center.

The main sights of the Arabic influence are the Giralda, the Alcazar and the Torre del Oro. The Cathedral of Seville was built on the former site of the city’s mosque. The Cathedral reused some columns and elements from the mosque, and, most famously, the Giralda, was converted into a bell tower. The tower’s first two-thirds is a former minaret from the Al-Mohad period of Seville, the upper third Spanish Renaissance architecture. The tower’s interior was built with ramps rather than stairs, to allow the Muezzin to ride on horseback to the top. This is the most visited site in Seville.

The Alcazar facing the cathedral has developed from the city’s old Moorish Palace. Its gardens are a blend of Moorish, Andalusian, and Christian traditions. The Alcazar of Seville is a royal palace, originally a Moorish fort. The Almohades were the first to build a palace on the site of the modern day Alcázar. Subsequent monarchs have added their own additions to the Alcázar. The upper levels of the Alcázar are still used by the royal family as the official Seville residence.

The Torre del Oro was built by the Almohad dynasty (13th century) as point of defense and control on the Guadalquivir river. The top of the Torre del Oro was once covered in gold tiles which reflected in the sunlight, making the tower a visible fixture in Seville.

If after this cultural walk you need some relaxation time in the spirit of this Arabic tour I suggest you go to the Arab bath. The unique ambiance inside displays the Mudejar influence in Sevilla through the tiled walls, clay works, and the dim lighting of the authentic bronze lanterns. Some addresses you should visit:

http://www.catedraldesevilla.es/

http://www.patronato-alcazarsevilla.es/

FLAMENCO – THE SOUL OF SEVILLA!

From the 16^th of September till 9^th of October the city of Seville is hosting the Biennale of Flamenco 2010 – a famous festival in the fields of flamenco dance, guitar and singing. So if you are currently in Seville you should have seen and heard the music and the dancing everywhere. This is also a good occasion for me to share with you some information about flamenco and its rich cultural history.

Flamenco comes from southern Spain’s outcast populations but has influences from Greek, Roman, Indian, Moorish, and Jewish cultures. The flamenco is popularly depicted as being the music of Andalusian gypsies.

Both flamenco music and flamenco dance involve a lot of personal improvisation which takes its form through the spontaneous expression of the performer’s emotions. In the beginning of a flamenco performance the dancer stands motionless absorbing music, the clapping, and the singing until the inspiration hits him/her. The dancer then launches into a flamenco dance with an explosion of emotions in his/her facial expressions. The role of the flamenco dancer is essentially to physically interpret the words – which often express the great lament of the gipsy – with light, graceful arm movements that contrast the reverberating steps as feet drill into the floor with intensity.

So flamenco is a mix between music, drama, emotion and history. If you want to learn more about the Andalusian culture and if you want to understand and experience flamenco dancing I highly advise you to go to the flamenco museum in Seville.

If you are currently in Seville be sure not to miss the closing of the biennale that ends on the 9^th of October with Paco de Lucia’s performance. He is recognized as a virtuoso flamenco guitarist from all over the world, he is a leading proponent of the modern flamenco style. If you want to listen to one of his songs, clink on this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elIzgvQ5VMQ

The cradle of flamenco is certainly in western Andalusia, and there are few better places to listen to flamenco than Seville!

Some addresses you should keep in mind:

-         www.flamencomuseum.com

-         www.pacodelucia.org

-         www.bienal-flamenco.org

World’s largest Gothic Cathedral– The Cathedral of Seville!

Also known as Catedral de Santa Maria de la Sede, this church is the 3^rd largest in the world after the St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican city and the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil. Built on the site of a former mosque that belonged to the Moorish settlers, construction continued for around a century until the year 1506. The dome collapsed twice in the past due to earthquakes that resulted in the destruction of many precious objects that belonged to the church at that time.

The Cathedral is a major success of post-reconquest confidence and wealth. It holds the largest altarpiece in the world with a total area of 11,520 square meters, around 80 chapels and a central nave up to 42 meters – the longest in Spain. Parts of the mosque that the cathedral was built on are still preserved; an entrance court and the Giralda, the city’s famous symbol – a bell tower constructed from a minaret. Another amusing sight within this spectacular place is the tomb of the famous Christopher Columbus held by four huge fable figures representing the kingdoms of León, Castile, Aragón, & Navarra.

Gold is all around the place; the cathedral is lavishly decorated yet exposed with simplicity through its grand monuments placed within a void space. Walls are filled with carved scenes from the life of Christ in wood, veiled with tremendous amounts of gold making it the richest altarpiece in the world!

Sunday admissions are free and normal days don’t cost much especially if you are a student. It is a masterpiece definitely worth visiting with plenty of rich history and notable work of art still preserved within the church.

A perfect way to relax while enjoying the Andalusian coast

Feel like enjoying some time in the sea while having some delicious food and exquisite wine, or simply just relaxing while chatting and having a soft drink? Then this is perfect for you, in thisyou will navigate down the coast on board of a beautiful 23 meter boat. You’ll be charmed by the view and the warm sun as you cruise down the coast. The combination of food, drink, music and the Mediterranean weather really is a a fantastic way to relax…

http://www.lifestylesevilla.com/frontend/productos/ver/producto/corporate-navigation-experience/id/10462