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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 23 MARCH 2014 40 Seville The capital of Andalucia, Seville is bound to be the more relaxing and hedonistic part of your stay in Spain. Over here its all play and no work, orange trees line the streets and medieval churches peek out from around the corner. What to do? The Cathedral in Seville is the world's largest gothic building and third biggest cathedral in the world, behind St Peter's in Rome and St Paul's in the UK. Construction be- gan in 1401 on the grounds of the central mosque constructed dur- ing Arab occupation. The Patio de Naranjos and the main section of the Giralda are the only structures remaining from the mosque. Climb to the top of the Giralda tower for the most perfect views of the city. Check out the works of Murillo, Goya, Pedro de Campaña and Luis de Vargas and sculpture including works by Martinez Mon- tañés inside. The tomb of Columbus is said to be located here as well, though the claim has been hotly dis- puted. Located on the Guadalquivir River and dating back to the 13th century, the top of the Torre del Oro was once covered in gold tiles that reflected the sunlight, making the tower a visible fixture in Seville. During the Arab occupation it served as main point of defense and control of the river. The tower was connected to the city walls and a large linked chain ran from the building to the other side of the river to control maritime traffic into the city. The Torre del Oro now houses the local maritime museum. If you can stomach a bullfight, head down to the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza. The season typ- ically begins with the Feira de Abril and runs through to September. If bull-fighting is not your thing the ring, built in the 18th century is still worth a visit and is one of the most visited venues in all of Spain. The museum features statues of famous matadors, posters and other memo- rabilia as well as a gift shop. After all the sightseeing, sit down and order a pitcher if Agua de Se- villa, a toxic blend of four kinds of liquor topped up with champagne, pineapple juice and cream. Though not served at every local bar, most places of Calle Betis and Santa Curz will have a variation of the concoc- tion. After a few pitchers catch a fla- menco show for a fun night out. Where to stay? Live like Sevillian aristocracy at Casa Numero 7, www.casanumero7. com, complete with butler service. The 1847 boutique hotel was built as a private residence and is in walking distance of some of Seville's most fa- mous landmarks; Real Alcázar, Se- ville Cathedral, Casa Pilatos, Torre del Oro and Plaza de España. Small in size, Casa Numero 7 is big on style and grace, recapturing the Old Se- ville and decorated with impeccable taste. The Yellow Room complete with Juliet balcony overlooking the street is a favourite. The Hotel Sacristia de Santa Ana, www.sacristia.com, is a former 18th-century vestry converted into a three-star hotel and is located in the heart of the historical quarter of Seville, La Alameda de Hércules, just a 5 minute walk from the centre. La Alameda de Hércules has been Seville's largest avenue since the 16th century, a fashionable district that blends all the baroque classi- cism of the city with the avant-garde trends of Seville. The Sacristía de Santa Ana hotel offers, in all of its twenty-four splendid rooms and other communal areas, an impecca- ble and integral overall vision of the concept of quality. A cluster of fourteen 18th- and 19th-century houses in the heart of Seville has been ingeniously cobbled together into a 70-room property of the Hotel EMSE Catedral, www. emecatedralhotel.com. Shaded pa- tios, a stunning rooftop pool terrace with a bar and drop-dead gorgeous views of the cathedral, a tranquil spa and no fewer than four restau- rants are the happy byproducts of the transformation. It has all been blended together with a mix of cut- ting-edge design, Andalusian prac- ticality and a few over-scaled Moor- ish architectural elements: most notably the loopy grilles on the in- terior windows, which were adapted from fretwork harem screens. Where to eat? The smart establishment of En- rique Becerra, www.enriquebecerra. com, is housed in two 17th-century houses where you can sample one of 11,000 bottles of Spanish vintages, with a special emphasis on wines from Jerez. To complement, the An- dalusian cuisine includes nothing but the freshest, most traditional ingredients, all made in the local- ity close by. The bread menu is the most varied around with soya bread, intergrale and fruit breads featuring on the menu. Though the region is renowned for seafood dishes, try the game at Egaña Orizo, www.restaurante- oriza.com, one of Seville's most stylish restaurants. A keen hunter, chef/owner Jose Magri Egaña traps and shoots many items on the menu himself in Andalusia. Specialties de- pend on the season but may include ostrich carpaccio, gazpacho with prawns, steak with foie gras in grape sauce, casserole of wild boar with cherries and raisins among others. The wine list includes some hearty Spanish reds that go well with the gamey dishes and rich chocolatey desserts. Seville is the land of tapas and for some of the best tapas in the world, try El Rinconcillo, www.elrinconcil- lo.es. The tiny hole-in-the-wall tav- erna is more than 300 years old and resembles a Spanish galleon with stained glass windows, dusty bot- tles of brandy and waiters scrawling down orders in chalk. Ingredients are all fresh and local. Watch the waiter pull down a leg of pork when you order Jamón Serrano. How to get there? Ryanair flights to Madrid, depart- ing from Malta on 21 March and returning on 1 April were priced at €197.98 inclusive of tax at the time of going to print. Airmalta flights to Madrid depart- ing on 24 March and returning on 30 March were priced at €382.24 inclusive of tax at the time of going to print. A high-speed train offers a pic- turesque journey from Madrid to Seville for approx €64 for a return economy class ticket. Total journey time is 2.5 hours. THE ROCS Group never ceases to impress! Different offers to world- wide destinations at exceptional package prices are a must for ROCS Travel. ROCS Travel will once again showcase their exceptional offers during the annual Amitex Holiday Show from 3 till 6 April 2014. The ROCS traveller luggage promotion and the ROCS Travel World Holi- days Brochure will be both on offer at the Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre in Ta'Qali. Earlier this month, ROCS Travel proudly launched their ROCS Trav- el World Holidays Brochure 2014. This brochure includes an array of tailor-made holiday experiences and provides options to suit almost eve- ry budget, comfort zone and taste. ROCS Travel gives you the chance to put a magnifying glass on the world and allow yourself to be sur- prised by its wonders! Additionally ROCS Travel is ex- tending its very popular campaign of giving away ROCS traveller lug- gage on every booking exceeding the €1000 budget. There are three versions of the ROCS traveller lug- gage namely the frequent flyer, the weekender and long haul version for those needing more space. Travel in style with ROCS Travel and join the long list of ROCS travellers, who have surpassed the 60,000 mark. Colin Aquilina, Head of Finance & Business Development, comment- ed, "The ROCS Group has long been known for going the extra mile. This year we have a number of surprises lined up for the summer season. We continually endeavour to offer our utmost in service, customer care, offers and package prices, which in my humble opinion makes ROCS the obvious choice" "Our ROCS Travel World Holidays Brochure is a unique publication featuring some of the best offers on the island, exclusive properties and attention to detail which you will not find anywhere else. The men- tor behind this publication, ROCS Travel director Rachel Vella sur- passed all expectations by deliver- ing a brochure, product and content choice that matches up to interna- tional standards. Last but not least all Disney travellers choosing ROCS Travel will stand the chance to win a brand new Renault Captur worth €18000!" concluded Colin Aquilina, Head of Finance & Business Devel- opment. ROCS Travel, Floriana or Mel- lieha. You can also call ROCS on 20151515, or check out our website www.rocsholidays.com or email directly on travel@rocsgrp.com *terms and conditions apply. AMITEX All play and no work ROCS Travel launches the World Holidays Brochure 2014 at the annual Amitex Travel Fair The Torre del Oro was once covered in gold tiles that reflected in the sunlight, making the tower a visible fixture in Seville The 18th century bull-fighting ring is one of the most frequented places in the whole of Spain