Nuestro Barrio

Map of Sevilla; we live in the San Vicente area (sunburned flesh color)

For those of you who remember the meaning of “baño” from your high school Spanish classes, you may think we live on “Bathroom Street.” It’s actually “Baths Street.” And when in Spain, don’t ask where the baño is (like I did for 2 weeks) . . . they say “aseos” or “servicios.”

A street sign

Some inquiring minds may want to know more about our little home in Sevilla – specifically what we see out of our windows. Apparently the first photos I posted of our piso led readers to believe that we have no windows and perhaps live in an old Moorish wine cellar. We actually have 4 windows and lots of natural light. This is our view:

Our courtyard: it’s not sexy, but we just leave home if we need to see some excitement

So it’s not a view of the cathedral or the river, but it’s fine. Having interior courtyard views means that we do not live over the street and listen to traffic and tipsy hoodlums all night. Our little street (and I mean little – it’s one-way and I’ve almost had my hand taken off by the side mirror on a car speeding by) gets very busy, but I like it. Some scenes from our street:

A produce store

The cafe bar next door to our building

The plaza closest to our apartment

The streets in Sevilla are mostly tiny and windy. As you wander down the little cobblestoned streets around the city, you might see a stray dog, an old man looking out his window, a mother escorting two children in their school uniforms and a catholic church squeezed in between the other 3 or 4-story buildings that line the street.


Typical street in Sevilla

I especially like to look into the open doors of apartment buildings or homes. I will almost always see a beautifully tiled entryway opening to a beautiful interior courtyard. Typical Spanish architecture. The front of a home may be shuttered up and seemingly impenetrable, but inside is a courtyard, open to the sky, that all the rooms open onto. I’m reminded of the huge homes in the French Quarter of New Orleans that have the same ingenious design.

Example of the ubiquitous tiles you see all over Sevilla