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How The Orange Grove by Rosanna Ley inspired us to visit Seville
15th June 2022
How The Orange Grove by Rosanna Ley inspired us to visit Seville.
Seville is always associated with oranges. Imagine, then, reading a novel that evokes the smell of the orange blossom within a good story. I was tantalised by the evocative sense of place in The Orange Grove and determined to visit this city that I had heard so much about. Córdoba was already on my ‘must see list’ because of a novel I had read, where setting was evocatively rendered (read all about it here), and it was no great distance to drop in on Seville from Córdoba.
All the way from Granada to Córdoba and on to Seville, there was a sensory overload of blossom and neroli fragrances, a few old oranges hang around in the trees, but it is the new blossom that wafts pungently through the gentle breeze. It really is an experience and takes place in the later part of Spring. We were there in May.
In Rosanna’s novel, Holly travels with her mother to Seville because she is looking for orange based goods to stock in her shop “Bitter Orange” in West Dorset. There is of course a potent backstory that is fundamental, Mum has just one or two secrets tucked away! I loved the notion of all those products created with oranges at their heart. So it was an absolute delight to discover Orange Tree Sevilla which stocks, well, everything you can imagine to do with oranges! It is down one of the narrow back streets in the Santa Cruz area of the city and I just happened upon it, and immediately thought of the novel. Goodness, what an array of displays, innumerable goods that would catch the eye of any shopper: jewellery (yes with an orange theme), comestibles, alcohol, oils, cosmetics. Frankly, the stock felt infinitesimal. I am sure this is the kind of place that Holly would have visited to source goods for her shop!
The pleasure of conjuring up a novel in your mind is tantamount to exploring a place with characters that you have met. How often do people in books feel real as you read the novel? So often they stay with you and pop out – as demonstrated – at opportune moments, enriching the experience of travel.
Mercado de Feria
We stayed north-west of the city in Macarena, an area which had a real village feel to it, with local grocers, a small supermarket and cafes galore. One of the highlights was having lunch in a market In neighbouring Casco Antiguo, part of which served both as an on-going market and also offered a selection of tempting eateries at Mercado de Feria in Plaza Caldéron de la Barca, especially Jaleo Guadalquibeer & Tapas. ConTenedor is a favourite eatery too.
So where are we going to go next on our literary travels? Keep your eyes peeled! And to tell us about yours!!!
Tina for the TripFiction Team
If you are in the mood to read more books that conjure up this beautiful city, then do trawl through our curated books set in the city here
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Whilst I do love the scent of orange blossom, unfortunately my hay fever does not, although I probably wouldn’t let that deter me too much!
I also like the sound of a totally orange themed gift shop. I would have been sure to come away with marmalade if nothing else. A very self-centred indulgence all for me, as hubbie can’t stand the stuff! It has to be the variety full of ‘bits’ though, none of the smooth stuff thank you!
One of the great things about our early trips to Florida in the 2000s, were the abundance of orange groves which bordered every road and highway. However, by the time we made our last visit in 2012, a huge percentage of them had disappeared, as farmers either repurposed the land, or sold out altogether – such a shame!
Sounds as though you had a great ‘road trip’ and as this book is set in Dorset, it has to be one for my ‘wish list’, as the Dorset border is no more than 5 miles from my front door and we spend a lot of time in the lovely villages and of course walking the Jurassic Coastline 🙂