My experience in Seville

What is it like to live in Seville? Would you recommend it? How is it?

Although I'm now an Erasmus student, my university is that of Seville. It's here where I started to study Pharmacy four years ago, and where I've been for 3 of those years.

Among other reasons, I went to Seville to start right from the beginning again in a university where I truly didn't know anyone, somewhere where none of my friends studied. So, onto the adventure.

I have to say that the first impression I had of Seville wasn't a very good one as I arrived in the middle of August to look for a flat. Obviously, the heat couldn't have been more unbearable and the atmosphere was quite lifeless as the majority of people that live here or study here during the summer go to the beach or other places where the heat tends to be a bit more bearable. What else was interesting was that we contacted various agencies to see some apartments and clearly, we walked from one to the other in this heat. And in Seville, when they tell you that something is right next door, believe me that this means it's a minimum of 15 or 20 minutes away on foot.

Of course, I come from a little town that doesn't have anything, even traffic lights, so for me the expression "it's next door" means that it's in the parallel street to where you are. Here no. And although finally I also ended up saying that "let's walk if it's next door". At the beginning, I struggled to get used to living in such a big city.

In the end, the heat combined with my fatigue and desperation to find an apartment made my first impression of Seville a chaos.

However, when I returned in September, things had changed. Every time I left the house, even if it was simply to go for a walk, I fell in love with this place a little more. It's a city that's filled with life. People on the streets, the atmosphere, good vibes, young people, bars filled with people, shops, art... The truth is that I have personally loved going to Seville, and I don't think I would change my choice if I could make it again.

What is the student lifestyle like in Seville?

The truth is that with the good weather they have nearly all year round, there are always plans to go outside, and go for a walk or a drink somewhere. Around the whole of the centre, in the Alameda de Hercules, the area of the Alfalfa or in the bars on street Betis, and by the river in general there are cheaper bars where you'll always find someone, and a great atmosphere. Also what I have seen about people in the south of Spain is that they are very open and it's not often hard to meet a group of friends or people that you have something in common with. Seville is full of students.

How much does it cost to live in Seville?

This depends. Especially on the area you choose to live in, and what kind of apartment you're looking for. In general, the apartments for students tend to be shared flats of 3 or more rooms, and they can cost between €180 and €300, just to rent. Normally, in the university areas such as Reina Mercedes or La Macarena you can find much cheaper flats in places such as Triana or Los Remedios. But, if you want to live in these neighbourhoods there are also flats here. The apartments tend to generally be a bit older, but you can find a good price.

After that, when it comes to going out or moving yourself around the city it's not excessively expensive. In many clubs the entry is free if you go before a certain time. In the bars they usually hand out promotional cards at the value of one drink or one shot, or two for one. And when it comes to moving around the city, there are different methods such as the tram and the bus, which use the same Tussam or metro card. The metro only has one line, and I haven't actually ever used it.

You can buy the cards for the buses and trams in corner shops or kiosks where they sell newspapers, magazines and those types of things. The rechargable card costs €1. 50 and you can put money back on it in the same places, or even through the internet when you run out. I have one for when visitors come and see me and I have to give it to someone or when I lose my annual one (something that happens to me a lot). The annual card for students is for each individual person, and I believe it costs €290 that you pay when you ask for it, and it lasts from September or October until June. If you catch a bus every day like me as I go to university on it, it's worth it as it'll work out cheaper and you'll never have to top up the card.

Did you have trouble finding accommodation in Seville? Do you have any advice?

I have lived in 2 different apartments, I found the first one on my first trip here and I've more or less already told you the story. We had a few days where we were a little bit desperate, but in the end it was fine and we found quite a cheap place with 4 bedrooms that was very close to the river & the fairground area (used during La Feria). The second one I found before I arrived in the summer and I had just finished my first year. I looked for flats on "milanuncios" and I think that it was the second or third one I saw. It wasn't too hard for me to find it, it wasn't expensive and it was in the Triana neighbourhood.

It really depends on the amount of demands you have when it comes to looking for accommodation. But in general, people don't spend too long looking for a place to stay.

As a piece of advice, I can only say what I always say and think, which is do not despair. In the end, you'll find somewhere that you like so you can relax. You will find it!

Ah! I've forgotten something! Even though you might not be very successful in your search, something you should definitely have in your flat in Seville is air conditioning. Listen up. In the months closest to the summer, you're going to really notice it if you don't have one. So, although it's something that you might not notice (at least I didn't), when you look for an apartment, have it in mind.

What is the food like?

What are your favourite dishes?

The food in Seville is pretty good. I really like Seville when it comes to this because although it seems more expensive than other cities, such as Granada, the tapas portions tend to be quite big. Also it's rare to find a place that doesn't have it's own special charm. There's so many places to choose from...

Additionally, the "rebujito" is traditional during the Feria in Seville, which is fried fish. It's a fish fritter, with fish such as anchovies or squid. It's very traditional to eat this on the first day of the Feria or the day they turn the Feria lights on. Also, there's a season for eating cabrillas which are small snails and it's very typical around the time they're in season. As well, there are general Spanish dishes such as the potato tortilla, paella or gazpacho. I really like to eat different things and try new dishes but after being being away for so long (I think I've been in Italy for about 9 months), I really miss the food in Seville. The dishes, the tapas, the variety... In the end, there are a lot of things here that you can't find anywhere else.

What places would you recommend visiting in Seville?

I know it's awful of me but in the 3 years I've spent in Sevillie, until now I have never visited any of the places of interest here.

But there are some that I've visited and I'd recommend going to no matter what, and they are:

The Feria of the Nations: which is a festival that happens for the whole of November in Prado de San Sebastian. They set up loads of stalls and mobile shops where they sell everything from lamps to house decorations, even food products that aren't very common in Spain that come from other countries around the world. You can find shops that sell Arabic objects such as plates, beautiful lamps or shisha pipes, others with different rocks and what they mean for your horoscope, others with original tops and sweatshirts... I love going and having a look around, and I always leave with something! In another part of the same area there are also food stalls with dishes from different countries such as Greece, Germany, Mexico, etc. They are all located next to the stage where they put on different performances such as concerts or theatre for children.

Plaza de España and the Maria Luisa Park: Plaza de España is a beautiful place situated inside Maria Luisa Park (which is one of my favourite parks in Seville for going for a walk or doing some sport). It's a plaza in the shape of a semicircle with an enormous fountain in the middle, and a canal that passes underneath all the bridges that take you from one part of the plaza to another. There are also different alcoves that represent the different Spanish provinces. This building dates back to the expo that was celebrated in 1929. The architect was Aníbal González, designed in a very peculiar style which you will recognise from other buildings around the centre of Seville. He also designed other projects such as pavilions that you can find in the Plaza America. And, nowadays, it also has museums such as the Museum of Popular Art and Traditions, or that of Archaeology. This plaza can also be found inside the Maria Luisa Park and it was constructed at various levels, where there are benches and even fountains and ponds in the centre. Also Maria Luisa park is actually like a gigantic botanical garden where, if you like botany and horticulture, you will be able to differentiate between a huge quantity of plants from every continent. There's not only this, but you can also find some small monuments, fountains or sculptures. Of the aforementioned, one of my favourites is the Bécquer bandstand, a monument that has a huge cypress tree and a marsh around what you'll find in the middle: a statue of the bust of Bécquer, a bronze statue that represents an angel with wounded wings as a symbol of 'wounded love'. And there are also 3 women made of stone, that represent 'love of illusion', 'possessed love' and 'lost love'. In conclusion, this is a must see place to be able to understand what I'm talking about.

The Alcázar and its gardens: it's located very close to the Cathedral of Seville. You can find a lot of information about this place on this website: http://www.alcazarsevilla.org/

And, although I don't know much historically, I have to say that simply seeing the gardens and their Arabic or Mozarabic styles, the majority of the buildings are worth walking around.

The Cathedral of Seville: one of the places I still need to visit. Well, the truth is that I haven't gone inside the Cathedral, but I have simply seen it from the outside and it's worth a look, especially the Giralda which is the tower which holds the oldest mosque that exists in this area. It's magestic.

Triana bridge: it's quite pretty to look at, but it's better during the night rather than the day, as they turn the lights on. In my point of view, it's one of the most special places that Seville has and I love going there during the hot summer evenings with my friends to chat. I even go by myself just to relax.

Is it good to eat out in Seville? What are some of your favourite places to go?

The truth is, it's weird if you're disappointed when you walk into a bar here. Even so, there are some key places that I will mentioned, places that you'll have to go to before leaving Seville.

Cervecería la Grande: there are numerous locals just like this and it's a place that serves the best tapas when it comes to fish or seafood, with plates such as prawns from Huelva, scampi, or seafood salad and honestly, it's not expensive at all. The beer (which is always Cruzcampo) is so good, especially during the swelteringly hot days. A cold beer is the best thing to have.

Los Coloniales: another of the classics. Of the two locals that have my favourite dish, one of them is located in one of the streets that neighbour the Cathedral. The tapas there (meat or fish) is pretty big and they're not expensive, and they're finger licking good. Whenever anyone comes to visit me, I take them to this place and it's always a triumph. However, I'm not the only person that goes there to eat. There are always a lot of people there, so, as a piece of advice, go there to eat a bit earlier than normal or you'll be waiting in a queue for a long time for them to sit you at a table.

Duo tapa, Terraza and Sidonia: these are three modern and pretty local bars and they are all situated in the same street (very close to the Alameda de Hercules) and they share a menu, so there's enough variety in the dishes. Here is where I had the best cheesecake I've ever had in my life. Not only this, but the courgette risotto is one of the best plates on the menu in my opinion. I love this place.

La gorda de las Setas: located in the plaza that's understand the viewpoint from Las Setas, is another of my favourites where you can also eat really well, and it's not expensive at all.

La Sureña: I know that this isn't somewhere that's typical of Seville, as you can find this place basically distributed everywhere throughout Spain. But even so, I got pretty addicted to the lupin beans that comes with a beer that they have there. So much so, that I had to take a jar of them with my to Italy because I couldn't survive without them.

And there are many more things, but if I mention all the ones that I went to once or twice, I would 100% die from writing everything down. I love it.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Seville?

I personally go out more just to have a quiet beer or two in one of the bars such as La Sureña, or Grande that I mentioned earlier, but even so, one of the clubs I like the most is found in the Plaza de Armas and it's called Utopia. This club has three floors divided into 3 different rooms where they play a different style of music in each one. Because of this it's easy to change up the vibe if you're getting bored of the same stuff or simply if you fancy listening to another genre of music. However there are more, that, especially in the summer, are very successful such as Alfonso, which is found in Maria Luisa park. On the other hand there are some that only open during the winter in front of the Prado de San Sebastian which are quite big and are pretty good too. These are Bandalai, or Casino, for example.

Also, apart from these atmospheric clubs, there are also other places to go out partying. For example, Alameda de Hercules or Alfalfa, that I have already mentioned. In these places you can find a huge quantity of bars where you choose between a beer, cocktail or shots for a cheaper price than in the clubs. They have promotions that are pretty good. In the Alameda area, one of my favourites is 100 Cocktelitos and the Alfalfa area I really like Sopa de Ganso.

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Seville in the future?

To the future students of Seville I only have to say, try and enjoy yourself and each of the things that this place offers to the maximum possible limit. Enjoy your time at university, as it's a beautiful time for changes and discoveries that you'll never be able to repeat, or if you do repeat them, it'll never be anything like the first time. But, also enjoy Seville: its air, the river, the narrow street in the Santa Cruz neighbourhood, the buildings, the food, the drinks, the people, and most of all the beautiful environment that lives within the city, not only throughout the year but especially during the special holiday periods in the capital of Andalusia. Some of these special events include the Feria, or Semana Santa (Easter), which are two festivals that people from Seville celebrated very intensely and therefore, it's impossible that you don't catch this contagious passion for these two enormous events.