More than oranges to make a city

Ah, before I forget, the city of Seville is known as the city of oranges.  There are millions of orange trees growing throughout the city.  I'm told that the fruit from the trees is particularly bitter, but it is perfect for marmalade, so the oranges are actually exported to Britain where they are transformed and then re-sold to Spain and other parts of the world.

Pictured here is an up-close of one of the orange trees.  The oranges which are still maturing actually appear more similar to limes, but eventually, allowed to ripen in the warm Spanish sun, they will change their colour, even though they will still retain a slightly bitter taste, thus making these varieties more suitable for preserves rather than juices.

The warm sun also makes Seville a perfect location for gardens, some of which have been developed over time and still welcome visitors.  As luck (and a bit of planning) would have it, we were among the visitors who were privileged enough to see one of the gardens located within the walls of the old fortified city:

Nestled in the gardens are areas for an afternoon tea break, or for a leisurely lunch, and of course an opportunity for the odd souvenir or two.

Spain is famous for pottery and for decorative ceramics, so it was no surprise that we should find richly decorated seating areas which invited us (casual visitors that we were) to enjoy a moment of respite while feasting the eyes on some beautiful artwork.

Even the sign beckoning us to the nearest pint was decorated with the customary ceramics.

Even the borders defining the flower beds were dotted with ceramics.  Examples of art and horticulture - a feast for the eyes and for the senses. 

As it turns out, these gardens are located in squares within the homes of the wealthy who would spend the winter months in the upper floors of their homes (see the buildings around the gardens), and then move downstairs to the lower levels to avoid the heat of the summer.  The gardens allowed them a bit of peace and tranquility even in the midst of the busiest and most crowded of cities.