Soulful Sevilla

If you're in the market for a barber, oranges, architecture or drama, one address in Andalusia ticks all the boxes: Seville, the capital of our autonomy. The city, apparently more Andalusian than anything else is said to be the home of both bullfighting and flamenco. It has also inspired high culture as well such  as Rossini's The Barber of Seville and Carmen by Bizet.

There is a lot to see in Seville and I highly recommend not even trying to do it in just one day. Architecturally speaking it must be the most spectacular place I've ever been to and there's wow factor everywhere your feet take you. Romans, Moors and everyone else have left their mark in the city. Most of them weren't captured on the camera though as I had to make do with admiring them from the car window while we were following the instructions of the perky but depressingly hapless woman on the GPS telling us to turn to right. And then right. And the right.

Summer in Seville is hot. I mean, so hot I wouldn't be surprised had it inspired Dante with some of his work, too. Old town has come up with a novel solution to this problem.

Much like its history, the style of Seville is unbelievably rich and there is a lot to feast one's eyes on: from the kind of lacy villas I love in Hanko to ultramodern penthouses the beach boulevard of Tel Aviv boasts.

And seeing this is Spain, there are the churches. Dozens and dozens of them. Adding their own contribution to the architectural mix.

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The view of the Old Town is dominated by the biggest and most famous of them all: The Seville cathedral.

In many ways the city reminds me of Cordoba. The cathedral is very much the heart of the Old Town around which the old Jewish quarter also spreads.

And close by are the narrow streets that acted as the backdrop in the short and fateful life of Carmen.

This being Seville, there's an abundance of everything to do with flamenco. From the dresses to accessories and hand-painted fans. Another good tip for shopping is the local Sevillan ceramics - intricate, colourful and often adorned with gold accents.

Seville is a city with a soul. It has snatched a piece of mine, too. This is a place I want to come back to!