You are going to read an article on Seville, in Southern Spain. Before you do, look at the map and circle the correct information in the sentences below.
1. Seville is located in northern/southern/eastern/western Spain.
2. Seville is situated 120 kilometres north/south/east/west of Cadiz.
3. Seville is located to the north/south/east/west of Huelva.
4. Seville is situated on the coast/inland.
5. Seville lies to the north/south/east/west of Granada.
6. Seville lies close to the border with France/Italy/Portugal.
7. Seville is situated 85 miles northeast/southwest/northwest/southeast of Marbella.
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Activity Two
Right click on the link and have a look at some photos of Seville. Once you have done that, think about the questions below.
Questions
1. What do you know about Seville?
2. Looking at the photos, what you think Seville is like? Think about the climate, scenery, culture, locals, etc.
2. Would you like to visit Seville? Why?
3. What do you think the writer will talk about in her article?
2. Looking at the photos, what you think Seville is like? Think about the climate, scenery, culture, locals, etc.
2. Would you like to visit Seville? Why?
3. What do you think the writer will talk about in her article?
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Helen Ochyra, Travel Writer
Helen Ochyra is a London-based freelance journalist. Her articles have appeared in many quality publications including the Guardian newspaper, Observer and the travel bible that is the Rough Guide, to name but a few.
Helen has very kindly given me permission to reproduce and use her articles for teaching purposes. I hope that you will take the opportunity to click on the link to her website and read more of her informative and interesting articles.
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Activity Three - Reading
Read Helen's article on Seville in southern Spain. Once you have done that, go on to the activities relating to it. Enjoy!
An Insider's Guide to Seville
by Helen Ochyra
Sultry, sweaty and oh-so-Spanish, Seville is one hot destination. This is a city that swelters year-round, never needing to tuck itself away in jumpers and indoors, instead preferring to let it all hang out in polka-dot dresses, on the streets and in the bars.
The spiritual home of tapas, flamenco and bullfighting, Seville conjures up images of passion, intensity and the exotic. No surprises then that it has been the setting for numerous thrillers, from Robert Wilson’s disturbingly grotesque “The Blind Man of Seville” to Dan Brown’s popular, fast-paced “The Digital Fortress”.
But this vibrant city’s fiery character is far from fictitious; and it doesn't take long to uncover its soul, providing, of course, you know where to look.
Flamenco
Perhaps the most uninhibited expression of the city’s character is found in flamenco, that emotional, fervid dance of twirling skirts and stamping feet. Flamenco music is everywhere here, from the amateur but impassioned buskers on the streets to the radio in your taxi, and the city is the proud home of the Museo del Baile Flamenco, an engaging museum which goes a long way to explaining this haunting dance’s roots and context. But, admirable though this may be, the dance’s real heart cannot be expressed in exhibits and performances for the tourists; it can only be found in the hot, sticky clubs and bars where bone fide Sevillanos strut their stuff to live, raw guitar music.
Such places do not run to a schedule, so forget making plans and wander instead along the streets of La Triana, the city’s old gypsy quarter across the river. Along Calle Betis the clubs and bars spill out onto the riverbank creating a ceaseless party atmosphere that doesn’t run out of steam until dawn. Here you’ll find plain but popular Lo Nuestro where nightly live sevillanos and rumba performances and a laid-back party-loving crowd make a sure fire hit with flamenco first timers.
Tucked away one street back on Calle Pagés del Corro is the vino-fuelled and slightly unhinged Casa Anselma where the eponymous owner herself kicks things off in haunting, deeply sensual song before local dancers take to the floor. This is the sort of place you plan to have one drink and end up leaving at dawn, feet aching, veins pumped with wine.
For drinking without the dancing, a heady variety of packed-out bars can be found around Plaza Alfalfa and Alameda de Hércules where on weekends the crowds literally stop traffic. There’s live music of every variety from Latina to electronica at Fun Club, while at La Antigua Bodeguita you can down cold beers with a relaxed crowd outside on the plaza.
Football and Bullfighting
But it’s not all about the nightlife here; sport is big business in Seville and if you time your visit to include a weekend there’s a good chance that a top football club will be in town for either La Liga or the Champions League. First division club Sevilla play at Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán with matches most often taking place on Sundays. Tickets for La Liga matches are usually still available on the day from the stadium’s taquillas (ticket windows). The city’s other club, Real Betis, were relegated last season to division two but still promise a good game at their stadium, Manuel Ruiz de Lopera, where a loyal following makes for a fantastic atmosphere.
A very different sort of sporting event, bullfighting, makes for a more traditionally Spanish afternoon out. Seville’s Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza on Paseo de Colón, is known as the cathedral of bullfighting and is generally regarded as the most beautiful and important bullring in the world. Fights last for a couple of hours and involve the killing of six bulls in a true spectacle of the grotesque.
The cast of three matadors, two picadors mounted on horseback and three banderilleros wielding sticks taunt and tease the bull to confuse and weaken it before the matador strikes the final blow with his sword through the animal’s heart. The kill is not always clean and vast quantities of blood often cake the sand so when buying your ticket think seriously about how close you can stand to be; the first three rows, the filas, are not for the squeamish, while seats in the shade will normally offer a closer view of the action than those in the sun.
The Spirit of Seville
A trip to Seville needn’t be action-packed from dawn until dusk, the city has another, more languid, side, characterised by quiet, shaded squares drooped with orange trees. The old Jewish quarter, Barrio Santa Cruz, is a maze of streets where you’ll find atmospheric bars in every corner and courtyard.
Next to the Murillo gardens is La Cava del Europa where the menu matches the seasons and has an international flavour, while nearby La Fresquita serves up José’s spicy snails to a largely local clientele. But perhaps the best place to sample traditional tapas is Casa Placido, a tourist-scaring joint where jamones hang from the ceiling above a sloping wooden bar and the walls are covered in ancient Feria de Abril festival posters.
Outside dishes such as albondigas (meatballs) and patatas bravas (brave potatoes – so named for their fiery flavour) are served at simple wooden tables past which the whole world saunters; it’s the perfect place to soak up Seville, and raise a glass to the spirit of this intoxicating city.
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A). True, False or Not Given
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B). Synonyms Matching
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Activity Four - Writing
A). True, False or Not Given
Read the statements and choose true, false or not given for each.
1. Seville enjoys sunny weather throughout the year.
2. The locals dress conservatively.
3. Flamenco originates from Seville.
4. The Museo del Baile Flamenco offers flamenco dance classes to tourists daily.
5. Seville’s nightlife is full-on, especially on Saturdays and Sundays.
6. Plaza Alfalfa offers a laid-back atmosphere.
7. Calle Betis is a ten-minute walk from the river.
8. Casa Anselma is named after its owner.
9. La Antigua Bodeguita serves food from early afternoon onwards.
10. Real Betis has more supporters than first division Seville.
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B). Synonyms Matching
Match the underlined words and phrases in the article with their synonyms below:
1. hidden =
2. drunk =
3. lose energy =
4. relaxed =
5. creates/forms =
6. humid =
7. lively =
8. never-ending =
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Activity Four - Writing
Read the competition notice and write an article of between 220 and 250 words in response.
Once you have completed this activity, email your article to me.
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ANSWERS SECTION
Activity One
1. Seville is located in southern Spain.
2. Seville is situated 120 kilometres north of Cadiz.
3. Seville is located to the east of Huelva.
4. Seville is situated inland.
5. Seville lies to the west of Granada.
6. Seville lies close to the border with Portugal.
7. Seville is situated 85 miles northwest of Marbella.
Activity Three
A). True, False, Not Given
Answers:
1. True
2. False
3. Not given
4. Not given
5. True
6. False
7. False
8. True
9. Not given
10. Not given
B). Synonyms Matching
Answers:
1. tucked away
2. vino-fuelled
3. run out of steam
4. laid-back
5. conjures up
6. sultry
7. vibrant
8. ceaseless
Writer’s own website: http://www.helenochyra.com/index.htm
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