Lo turístico

My dad visited Sevilla this weekend! We had a great time sightseeing, walking around, and eating at fabulous restaurants. :)  I hadn't had much of a chance before to do all the touristy things so it was fun to visit some of the must-see sites.

One of the first places we went to was the Alcázar, a royal palace right in the historic center of Sevilla. It was originally a Moorish fort, built in the 700s. Both the palace and its gardens are HUGE and very impressive! My favorite part is the azulejos, or glazed ceramic tiles that decorate a lot of the palace, and make up amazingly intricate, geometric patterns.

El Alcázar

Azulejos

We also went to the Museo de Bellas Artes (museum of fine arts) - lots of impressive Renaissance-era, religious pieces! And of course to Plaza de España, the half-circle plaza/palace where I also went to apply for residency. In case you didn't know, a scene in Star Wars Episode II is shot at Plaza de España, where Padme and Anakin are at the palace of Naboo. :)  So both my dad and I enjoy Plaza de España for that reason!

One afternoon we also walked around the university where I'm doing research - before that I hadn't explored much beyond the route between the metro stop and my building. The university is really new (1997) so the campus is pretty nice and modern looking. I don't think any campus will ever look as pretty to me as Carleton though!

And below, from one of our meals out:

Tapas at a bar in an alleyway!