Saturday 23 April 2016

23 April : Carmona


The first thing that you notice when you drive into Carmona is that all of the other cars have substantial dents and scrapes. This is not surprising because the cobbled streets twist and turn up the hill, getting impossibly narrow in places and making the unfamiliar driver feel quite queasy.


When we arrived at our hotel, an old hill fort, we paused, uncertain if the car would make it through the staggered gatehouse but a man sitting on a nearby bench waved us on impatiently so we gingerly rattled across the cobbles.


Exploring the old town later we discovered a warren of streets with ancient churches, small courtyards and enticing bars.




Carmona is a bit off the beaten track but an interesting place to visit for the day if you are staying in Seville. There is an exceptional Roman necropolis where you can climb down ladders into tombs and marvel at the masonry in the massive walls.


We just wandered around, getting pleasantly lost down alleyways, listening to sounds of church bells and dogs barking.


This is the Spain that we love and it is why we return every year.

8 comments:

  1. Lovely, and I can smell the orange blossom from here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The scent of orange blossom was everywhere. Quite lovely. I think I am right in saying that Queen Victoria had some in her wedding bouquet.

      Delete
  2. This post makes me want to hop on a plane and go there immediately.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You would swoon at the sight of the wild flowers - they are quite extraordinary.

      Delete
  3. I have never been to Spain.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We have some friends who are very well travelled and love art but had never been to Spain. We persuaded them to go and they had a wonderful time and were astonished by the treasures that they discovered.

      Delete

Thank you! I love reading your comments and even though I don't always have time to reply I am really grateful to every one who joins in the conversation.