Seville
This is a really majestic, beautiful and fun city. The large complex Cathedral and magnificent Giralda tower in Plaza Virgen de los Reyes, together with so many other lovely buildings, could take most of your attention. 
These buildings include the Bishop’s Palace in the North of the Plaza
Reales Alcazares walled gardens
and the Royal Palaces, Reales Alcazares, to the South.
But Seville has much more and demands more time. It is not a place to be rushed and only a hint of Seville’s treasures can be shown here.
Plaza de Espana looking towards North Tower
Further South still and nearer to the river, you’ll be flabbergasted by Plaza de Espana, stunning at night as much as by day!
And speaking of the river, a walk along the Guadalquivir is very relaxing with rowers and wildlife as well as other jewels including the Golden Tower and the Bull Ring, Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza.
Rowing under Triana or Isabel II bridge & Capilla Virgen del Carmen
It is hard not to see interesting buildings and the bridges are great in their own right.
Beside Plaza de Espana, Maria Luisa Park is full of trees, ducks, water and offers some quiet and shade but it is very popular and busy.
Metropole & San Pedro church Seville
Finally check out a few of the many quirky churches – many along very narrow streets and the Metropole, a sort of modern art city canopy with awalkway and great views from the honeycomb-like roof.
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Spoonbill preening in Charco de la Boca lake El Rocio
It is a relatively short trip South to Donana National Park with Imperial Eagles, Peregrines, Azure-winged Magpies, Boar, Deer, Lizards and much more are to be seen or even shorter to Charco de la Boca lake at El Rocio where Glossy Ibis, Spoonbills, Egrets, Coot and many other birds thrive.
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Mercado de triana Seville
This is a place that produces great food – enjoy.
Should the unthinkable happen and it rains, explore the interiors of Reales Alcatras and the Cathedral – even if not religious you will come away uplifted! 🙂
Ria Formosa, Algarve
Golden beaches, blue skies, warm weather and good food and wine – sounds like an ideal holiday location.
Add in fantastic bird life and you have a hell of a location! The Ria Formosa lagoon is a designated Natural Park in Portugal’s Algarve, that stretches from Faro to past Tavira in the East. It is a mixture of lagoons, salt pans and islands that attracts hundreds of thousands of birds, especially during migration.
In early Spring, we had the pleasure of a great week in Tavira and the neighbourhood. Tavira itself is lovely and there is a wide variation of sights, habitations and things to do nearby.
Reasonably common are Cormorants of the European race, Sinsensis, which have brilliant white head gear, in breeding plumage.
White Storks take most of the vantage posts, waiting on their sites for their returning mates to join them from Africa or building nests together, accompanied by loud, far carrying ‘clacking’ as they greet each other with their beaks.
The birds can be seen and heard in most of the towns and on old factory chimneys elsewhere.
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In the salt Pans themselves a wide range of waders and larger birds can be found. These include Curlew Sandpipers, Greater Flamingos, Kentish Plover and the speciality species, the Spoonbill.
This unusual bird with a long, strong beak equipped with a spoon-like tip, is hard to miss.
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Common in the pans are Whimbrel, Redshanks, Greenshanks, Little Egrets and Black-winged Stilts.
Also to be found are Golden Plover, extravagant Hoopoes and skulking Water Rails.
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More remote areas such as on the islands, can throw up Stone Curlews.
Surrounded by oppulent golf clubs, lakes and ponds host many birds that are often easily seen reasonably close. This includes the beautiful Bluethroat, large birds such as Flamingos, Spoonbills and Glossy Ibis as well as ducks such as Gadwall and Red-crested Pochard.
Crested Larks are quite common.
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Of course there are also plenty of Gulls – particularly Yellow-legged and Lesser Black-backed as well as terns, particularly Sandwich Terns.
Shrub birds such as Serin, Zitting Cisticola and Waxbills can be seen near the towns while further inland you can see a good range of raptors. We saw Kestrels, Lesser Kestrels, Marsh Harriers and Bonnelli’s Eagles.
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A beautiful place and a nature paradise.
