Seville, Spain – Travel with Ken MacAdams Part Three

Link to Part One Seville, Spain

Link to Part Two Seville, Spain

A few blocks away from the Alcazar is the Hospital de la Caridad,  a 17th-century charity hospital which served as a place of final refuge for Sevilla’s poor and homeless.  The hospice and hospital were founded in 1626 by Don Miguel Manara, a one-time playboy who in later life had a change of heart and spent his last years dedicating his life to strict worship and taking care of the poor.

ken macadams photoThis was the “small” chapel at the Hospital de la Caridad.  Statues, period artwork, and Dutch tile scenes graced the courtyards of the hospital.

Inside you’ll find Italian statues (his wealthy family was from Italy) and Dutch tiles from Delft, depicting scenes from the Old and New Testament, a reminder that the Netherlands was under Spanish rule in centuries past.

Walk a few crooked blocks, and you’ll find yourself at the Plaza de Toros, or the bullfighting ring and museum.  Guided tours take you through the empty arena, its museum, and the chapel where the matadors pray before the fight.  Bullfighting still takes place here from May to September.  Novice bullfighters take the ring on Thursday evenings in July.  Serious bullfighters, the professionals, fight on special events and holidays, and these events often sell out in advance.
ken macadams photoA handheld (no tripods allowed) shot of a Flamengo dancer at a sold-out performance along one of the back streets in the Jewish Quarter, adjacent to the Alcazar area.
ken macadams photoA typical street cafe and tapas bar scene.  Note the inlaid tile work on the building on the left.
Flamenco, the dance that embodies the spirit of southern Spain, can be found in numerous locations and barrios nightly.  Some of the establishments offer flamenco lessons, while others house exhibits of flamenco costumes and other artifacts.
A part of any visit to Seville is sampling the cuisine.  Some feel the time spent sitting at an outdoor street cafe, savoring tapas and a bottle of wine, is as important as visiting the great city sights!  Tapas are small portions of seafood, salads, meat-filled pastries, and other delicious bites.  Tapas bars can be found in all areas of the city, and every local has their favorite!
ken macadams photo Twenty-five-second nighttime exposure of the Giralda Bell Tower, a stunning landmark of Sevilla.
Oozing with Old World Charm,  Seville is a destination in Spain not to be missed.  Allow two days to see the main sights, and linger longer if possible!  When you’re finished, head on to Andalucia’s White Hill Towns for your next over-the-top Spanish experience!
Ken has always loved to travel, so when he made a common connection with the fact that either a long day pounding the streets of some foreign city, or shooting the last dance at a wedding,  a good part of his physical ken macadams head shotweariness came from lugging around his big heavy DSLR. That’s when he started looking at alternatives – and ended up selecting Panasonic Lumix Micro Four Thirds gear.
Ken is rarely without a camera, and the next great photo travel experience – whether local or abroad – is always in the back of his mind!  A longtime resident of the Four Corners, and when he’s not out on the road, he enjoys some of the great outdoor opportunities found there – mountain biking, hiking, and Jeeping.

Ken shares his travel photography and stories here on Successful-Photographer as he has in the past. Ken’s camera of choice is Panasonic’s flagship stills camera the Lumix G9 with the Leica DG Vario-ELMARIT Professional Lens, 12-60MM, F2.8-4.0