Slow Travel is Back! – Having Fun Cracking Retirement

After an enforced break for Covid, and the many uncertainties it brought for travellers, we are back on our Slow Travel adventures. 2023 will take us to Sevilla in Spain.

Why Sevilla? It is well known as a lovely tourist destination, with many great things to see. There is a lovely old city, a Royal Palace that started life as a fort in the 10th Century. A memorable Cathedral. Not to mention some delightful food experiences! The Tapas will be stunning I am certain, not to mention some great sherry tasting opportunities! Cordoba, another amazing city is just a short train ride away.

We’ve done quite a lot of research, using well known sites as Lonely Planet. We have been a fan of their books for years, long before our concept of Slow Travel was born. From China in 1997, through many trips to New Zealand, India, Peru & Equador, Galapagos etc….(no affiliate connection!)

Born in Ireland, and living in Scotland, I find a hot climate a bit of a challenge, so we have chosen to go late September and October, when the city cools down a bit! As I write this 40c/104f, far too hot for me, I would have to hide in a cool cellar somewhere! By end of September it should be the late 20’s – very pleasant, a nice bit of warmth before winter in Scotland!

As we have done several times before, we have booked an apartment that allows us to have visitors, and enjoy their company, and share new experiences. While we love having visitors, we also enjoy just being on our own, walking everywhere, finding some lovely wee cafes to have some food / coffee. Living in a city, even for 6 weeks, allows you to live like a local. You make your own ‘small habits’, preferred lunch places, grocery stores (This year, there’s one right next door!).

Why Sevilla?

• I’ve spent 5 years learning Spanish, so this is the first time I will have had a chance to use it for real. A steep learning curve I am certain! I am a fan of Duolingo (I am now on level 156, so it has been a pretty serious commitment!). I have also attended classes run by a local Edinburgh company, staffed by native Spanish speakers – El Patio. It has been a really friendly experience, both through face to face and online (they set up the online classes, during Covid, and they have kept both options available) I can thoroughly recommend them.
• Affordable accommodation – I’ll be honest – Sevilla was on the borderline of our price limit. It took a lot of searching to find something that suited our needs. We wanted a terrace, several bedrooms, aircon, lift (a lot of places in teh old city are very tall, with no room for a lift – which meant a lot of stairs, and some of our friends are less able). It would have been far cheaper for us to go back to Athens!
• A direct flight from Edinburgh – we love to arrive, but we both hate airports. Air travel is just a means to an end…. A train journey is different, you can enjoy the world going by!
• Good public transport. The apartment we have selected is quite close to a major bus hub, and a reasonable walk from the station. There is good transport from the airport to the city centre. A month travel pass is normally €35, but this year, they are half-price, so €19.50 including the card – incredibly cheap for unlimited travel.
• Location of the accommodation. We like to stay in area, where local people rather than tourists stay. That way, we get to know the people who run the local bakeries, veg shops etc, and have to communicate with people who only speak a little english. A smile goes a long way! We get to have some interesting experiences – e.g. the day a delivery man arrived with a new bed (not for us!), a meter reader (easy once we worked out what he wanted!), finding ourselves in a demonstration outside our apartment, bus diversions, all sorts of things! Also proximity to the train station and local buses.

Something to look forward to!

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