Seville Diary Pt.3: The Spirit of Sevilla

Written January 31, 2023 via journal. Photos via my phone + disposable camera.

This trip was what inspired me to start Abby’s Mancave. I hope you enjoyed the diary entries, thank you.

Few places in my lifetime have filled me with childlike wonder quite like this place.

The first thing that stuck out to me was the people. The population is diverse. Spaniards, Cubans, Peruvians, Germans, Romanians, Greek, Russians, Jordanians, and more. Yet despite their different countries of origin, they all carried with them the spirit of Sevilla. The eagerness, confidence, and easiness of living and such a place. They all spoke with vigor and acted with directness. Many that I spoke to had traveled to other places, but Sevilla forever lay anchor in their hearts and they never intended to leave. This was their proud home. I wonder if this is because when they eat their tapas, drink their afternoon rioja, or walk down the claustrophobic streets, they know that they live in a special place. I come from a small town in Ohio, I am no fit judge to determine the beauty of a city given how low the bar is for me. Yet, it feels like they do. When I would visit Casa Questa for breakfast, the servers would welcome everyone they knew by shouting their names with enormous smiles. People would stop each other on the streets to embrace, kiss each other’s cheeks, admire how much their children have grown. People here have a familiarity with one another. They are not afraid to extend it to strangers, too.

The pace of the city is similar to the attitude of the people. Siestas, morning coffee, and 15 minute walks are indispensable. It is an understood concept, that good relaxation results in good work. If your “Karen” mom gets upset because of touristy restaurant she’s always wanted to visit is closed for another hour, you’re out of luck. And yet the people around me never fall short with their generosity and understanding. I am a foreign vagabond to them. At this point they’ve all seen my constantly lugging my bag on my shoulder through the streets to my next Airbnb or hostel, certainly overdue for a shower, still trying to comprehend conversational Spanish so I can talk more casually with the locals. Still the servers find me a seat at their tables with a smile, and the people I meet in the street still recommend me the best places to stay and food to eat. Today a waitress I met six days ago told me complimented me and said that my Spanish has improved since I arrived.

The second thing I noticed was the inspiration the city brought me. Admittedly, I didn’t get to see many of the tour attractions here. The view of the river from my apartment and the splendor of the simplest streets in the city were enough to put me in a state of pure bliss. I mean, look at how much I wrote! Everywhere I went, I thought to myself “I hope to remember this forever”. How could I not?

It hurts my heart so much to leave. 

I’m going to miss sitting at the park next to the river, watching the calm water become disrupted with rowers, ships, and the same ducks waiting for onlookers to throw them crumbs. I finished two books reading by that river, I don’t think I’ve finished reading an entire book since college. I’m going to miss Ignacio and his beautiful apartment. I’m going to miss his niece Valeria and the smell of the herbs she used when cleaning his apartment. I’ll miss Fernando and his gorgeous room right in the heart of town. I bought them all flowers and wrote them letters before I left. Valeria, though she only knew me for five days, threw her arms around me and kissed both of my cheeks before I left. Hopefully I can stay there again.

I hope that everybody gets the chance to do this. I know it’s not easy for some people to drop everything and take a few days to go somewhere, but that’s why I hope they get the chance to. Everyone needs to experience this feeling, to find the place that feels like a home away from home. I’ve been to a handful of places, and this was the first one that made me believe that I belonged somewhere aside from my hometown. Sevilla will always be special, and I can’t wait to return.

End of diary entries…

And now some shoutouts!

Thank you to Ignacio and Fernando for extending your homes to me.

Thank you Valeria for being such a sweet-hearted individual. I wish you all the bouquets in the world.

Thank you to the waitress I saw almost everyday at Casa Cuesta. You have a wonderful voice.

Thank you to the taxi driver who brought me to my hostel from the airport at 2:00 a.m. You gave great recommendations for coffee!

Thank you to the Black Swan Hostel. I love this place, 10/10 recommend if you’re traveling in Seville or Southern Spain.

To everyone I spoke to on this trip, thank you so much.

If you get the chance to today, talk to a stranger. You never know, you could change someone’s life forever.