Swing Route through Seville
- Berta, how much longer?
- Not much, just an hour…
While Berta drives, I like to organize the activities we're going to do during our first swing weekend. It's an idea we came up with a couple of months ago over dinner. We said, hey, if we like it so much, why don't we take a little swing tour around Spain once in a while? So here we are, this time in Seville.
We chose Seville because, well, I'd never been there, and Berta had a boyfriend from Seville when she was 17, and she says, "She hasn't seen that Andalusian charm again, and it's time to see it again."
When we arrived at the hotel H10 Silver House We fell in love. Its vintage yet modern decor transported us to that swing world we adore, but without abandoning the comfort of a good 21st-century mattress and quiet air conditioning. We dropped off our bags and hit the streets. There were so many places to visit and so little time to waste.
We rushed out to breakfast at a place I found online called " El viajero sedentario ," a café with books, chess, coffee, and lots of delicious cakes, pastries, and pastries with that retro feel that Berta and I love. It was only 15 minutes from the hotel, so it was a chance to see the city for the first time. It's true that Seville has a special color; Seville is full of many colors, many smells, and many feelings.
When we arrived at the café, we sat down, breathed in, and soaked up the vintage vibe. I had a slice of carrot cake and a red tea, Berta had a hummus toast and a black coffee. They say hummus can make your mouth feel soggy, but Berta didn't seem to mind, chattering on and on about her boyfriend of 15 years from Seville and her vast knowledge of Seville, even though he'd only been here for three days. Anyway, I focused on feeling like I was in a different era, far from work and noise.
Around eleven we set off for the store Own planet (@laviquefashionandocostumes) so we could buy a couple of handmade 40s/50s-style designs to dance swing in. The owner, Vicky, was lovely. She explained that her inspiration is the first half of the 20th century and that although we could buy clothes from the ones she had there, we could also order whatever we wanted. And she not only has clothes but also sells shoes from the brand. Swingz . Vicky told us that at night in some places in the city, they play music and dance until their ankles break. Even more excited, we left the store with two outfits each, and I had a pair of lipstick-red shoes that I planned to wear on every tile in Seville.
Heat. It's very hot in Seville. We left the store and the heat wave woke us up, making us seek shelter as quickly as possible. Beer, cold, ice-cold. Ten minutes away, we knew there was a nice, good restaurant with air conditioning. Wild , like the heat of this city.
We entered the restaurant like two whirlwinds of thirst, hunger, and heat. We sat down, and as soon as we hydrated our bodies, Berta's mind and mouth started working again, and goodbye to tranquility. Don't get me wrong, I love Berta, but I love a good ham croquette or a plate of Iberian sausage even more. After about five beers and their accompanying tapas, we were so full we just wanted to roll back to the hotel, and that's what we did. I don't know who else has slept in those beds before, but they certainly haven't slept more comfortably than we did.
At five in the afternoon we started getting ready to go out and explore the city. We were heading to the university, which is near the center and has a cafe where, we had been told, they usually play jazz music and have the vintage-artistic atmosphere that we like so much and that would go well with our newly acquired outfits.
The cafeteria is called Cicus Café , the first edition of the Seville Swing Festival was held here. It's a cozy, quiet café, perfect for disconnecting from the hustle and bustle of the city, even though it's very close to the center. There was music and a diverse crowd, but they all shared the peace and respect for the place.
It was time to see sights like the Giralda and the city center. I like Seville because there are 13-year-olds playing music, tourists in groups taking pictures of even the chewing gum on the ground, people rushing to work, couples just starting out, and even two swingers. The best part is, no one is out of place and nothing is disruptive.
We had some quick tapas because we were eager to get to the Alameda de Hércules. We'd heard that Paula Padilla (@sisterpaula) and Jazz de Marras were playing today. It was a privilege to be there. Along the way, we ran through some Lindy Hop and Balboa moves, but we really wanted to calm our nerves a bit.
As we got closer, we began to hear the sound of a trumpet mixed with other instruments, Paula's unmistakable voice, and the gathering crowd. We started off timidly, feeling the bounce, but after a couple of songs, we let ourselves be caught up in the swing ritual, and my new shoes began to feel less new with each note that reached them. Berta and I held on and danced among the crowd for at least 45 minutes. Afterward, we took a breather, and two very nice guys invited us to dance. Berta was smiling and happy about this adventure we were experiencing, and I was very happy to feel so alive.
Just when we thought we were leaving, we were invited to a secret club on some nearby streets to continue dancing. Berta and I looked at each other excitedly. We couldn't say no because it seemed to us that ending the night in a secret club on some unknown streets of Seville was a gift we weren't going to refuse.
We danced song after song, met people, exchanged contacts, and went to sleep laughing and whispering, excited because our adventure wasn't over yet. The music in the streets may have been gone, but the swing of things still echoed in our hearts.
We woke up at 9 a.m. with a music hangover and tired but vigorous legs. We had a quick breakfast at a small bar near the hotel and headed to the abandoned hat factory where Samuel Rigal Muñoz (@samuelrigal) was going to give us a two-hour lindy hop class. Samuel is a well-known teacher in Seville because he also directs the city's annual Swing Festival. So we contacted him to see if he could give us a class, and he told us he holds open classes every month, so we didn't hesitate and signed up.
The hat factory has a vibrant, yet old-fashioned atmosphere thanks to its artists and murals—a truly charismatic place. During the class, we had a blast, met people, worked up a sweat, learned new steps, and, most importantly, danced to the rhythm of swing music nonstop. When we finished, we chatted with the class, and they took us to a delicious vegan restaurant. Veganitessen .
At four o'clock, the after-dinner conversation ended, and we sadly said goodbye to our new friends to head back to the hotel to pick up our belongings. Our weekend was almost over. While we were packing up, we talked about our trip. Seville has many places with that swing vibe that moves so many of us, so we're sure to return. Now that our first swing tour has gone so well, we can't wait for the next city in Spain.
We got in the car and began to say goodbye to Seville, but not completely, because we still had one last stop. Atrévete Shop is a vintage sex shop that was the icing on the cake for our weekend. It's like stepping into the sensual side of the vintage world: corsets, boas, lingerie, toys. The decor is beautiful, and with a piano in the shop and suggestive jazz music, you feel like you're in a completely different era. Berta and I went shopping, but I won't tell you what we bought this time.
We left that place almost at night, and through the windows we said goodbye to a magical weekend and a city that had captivated us from its people to its foundations.
See you soon, Seville. We'll keep dancing with your memory in our heels.
Header Photo: @nizarbenhalilou
Text: Bego Amat