The wonders of Seville: a magical city just waiting to be discovered

Now that travel restrictions are starting to be relaxed after almost two years of uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, visitors to Andalucía (and those who live here) are once again starting to return to discovering some the beautiful areas that this magical region has to offer.

Seville has always been one of the most favoured towns in Andalucía and, prior to the pandemic, it attracts hundreds of thousands of new visitors every year, along with those who have fallen in love with the province and return on a regular basis. However, the capital of Andalucía has so much to offer and no matter how many times one visits, there is always something new to discover.

Unfortunately, until now, there have been few guides in the English language that offer first-hand information and expertise concerning this incredible destination.

Author, journalist and travel writer, Tony Bryant, has enjoyed an almost 30-year association with Seville, and his knowledge of the city and how best to enjoy what it has to offer are revealed in his book Seville: A City of Marvels

Seville. A City of Marvels is essentially a travel guide, although the author delves much deeper into the backcloth of Seville, its people, legends and its customs. The pages are filled with interesting information about the history and culture of the capital of Andalucía, and includes an extensive guide to some of the unknown treasures the city has to offer. The book also features several interesting villages, including Carmona, Écija, Osuna, Morón de la Frontera and Marchena, each of which, the author describes with a burning desire and a sense of humour that sets him apart.

Seville. A City of Marvels is designed for those who travel on a budget, and those that rely on public transport, but it will also appeal to travellers who prefer the luxuries this magical city has to offer. It will help the visitor discover the most popular sights, like the cathedral and the areas of Santa Cruz and Triana, while embellishing their knowledge with lesser known attractions and snippets of interesting information. His understanding of the traditions and cultural customs of the Sevillian people, coupled with his passion for the music and dance, come alive in the pages of this book.

In the author’s own words: “Seville is one of the most spectacular destinations in Europe. When one experiences the zealousness of its fiestas, the passion of its music and dance, the richness of the culture, the enticing gastronomic tradition - along with the Roman and Moorish monuments and relics comingled with its utterly Catholic backcloth - one might begin to understand the mystifying appeal Seville contains.”

Seville. A City of Marvels is available from https://www.amazon.co.uk/Seville-city-marvels-Tony-Bryant/dp/B08F6DJ3FX/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1644948115&sr=1-1

Comments

Do we need another version of Harvest Moon? Elizabeth Zeder and her “weird well of musicians”

Elizabeth Zeder - Karl Smallman I seldom get excited when asked to review the recording of a cover version of a song of which I am particularly fond of the original. I am a staunch believer that original versions cannot be bettered. How can a cover version be better than what the composer originally envisaged for their music? Of course, there are exceptions, but few and far between. What is even more difficult is when the request for a critical ear comes from a friend, acquaintance or someone I respect. As I said, there are, occasionally, exceptions to the rule, one of which landed on my desk recently. Last year, I had the pleasure of interviewing Elizabeth Zeder, an American jazz singer based in Gaucín. Elizabeth has established herself among what is fast becoming a thriving music community in the Serranía de Ronda (Málaga), and so she had no trouble selecting suitable musicians to participate in the recording of her latest offering, a jazzy-pop-style version of Harvest Moon. The

'Flamenco; an Englishman's passion' comes of age

Flamenco; an Englishman’s passion was my first foray into the world of flamenco, a book that I was very privileged to have published by flamenco sapiens , the editorial arm of the Museo del Baile Flamenco in Seville. Since its first publication in the summer of 2006, just a few months after this state-of-the-art museum (the first and only one of its kind in the world) opened its doors, the book has become the one that my career as a writer has been most associated with. I have since completed a trilogy of books concerning the art of flamenco and the people who (in my humble opinion) best perform it – the Andalusian Gypsies, but it the first book - celebrating its 18 th birthday, or coming of age, this year - that is the one that has received the most attention. Some of the literary platforms like Good Reads claimed that the book “ taps into flamenco's history and is a great learning resource for anyone with an interest in flamenco”; while Google Books said, “ This book p

Punk Prayer: an ode to the generation of '76

Having been part of the punk rock movement that shook the UK with the ferocity of a native uprising in the mid to late 1970s, reviewing The Wasps latest CD was something of a trip down memory lane. Having written about the band several times since their reformation in 2020, and interviewing both the original lead singer and song writer, Jesse Lyn-Dean, and his guitarist, Martin Hope, reviewing Punk Prayer was a task I undertook with enthusiasm. The CD is the follow up (although delayed by some 40 years) to The Wasp’s 1976 album, Punkryonics Plus, an album that brought the band considerable success. Described as one of the best bands to emerge from the original British punk explosion, the band launched their latest offering with a mini tour in June 2022, which took in several dates in Spain, Portugal and the UK, including the celebrated Water Rats venue, located in the increasingly vibey music scene of Kings Cross. The first thing that struck me about the new disc was that it

Tony Bryant

Search This Blog