Seville in the rain

Here is my personal impression of Sevilla, capital of Andalucia, Spain, tainted by unusually bad weather and influenced by the company of a two-year-old, at times in a carriage. In general I would say that Seville is overrated. The historic center is comparatively quiet, full of nice buildings and (uncomfortably) narrow streets. Many of the broader ones are lined with orange trees that were full of over-ripe fruit.
Really worth seeing are the "Real Alcazar", an old palace with spectacular Moorish architecture and sprawling gardens full of magnolias, palm and orange trees [www.patronato-alcazarsevilla.es], and the cathedral, the third biggest in the world, with "La Giralda", a former minaret by its side.
We really liked our hotel, "Petit Palace Canalejas", a centrally located two-star hotel belonging to the "High Tech" chain: all the rooms have broadband internet access, a laptop computer, a static bicycle, and there is a buffet breakfast, not too common in Spanish hotels of this category [www.hthoteles.com].
As to museums, my fellow travellers did not let me see any. From reading a tourist guide one gets the impression that Sevilla is a great place for sitting around in cafés or bars, drinking, and watching people. With 15°C and grey skies or rain, that was not really an option for great spans of time. And two-year olds do not like it, either.
Families with small children might better abstain as we found only four playgrounds in as many days - and not in strategic locations. Another problem with children is "street hygiene" as the young ones like to pick up things from the ground and touch walls - and the streets of Sevilla are very smelly...
As we went during off-season, the number of tourists was still bearable. I would not like to see the crowds during Easter week and for the "Feria de Abril" - and would not like to pay hotel rates, restaurants, etc. during these times.
Ryanair flies to Sevilla from various European locations so you might want to have a go on your own - if you can bear the bad conscience for the "carbon footprint" you leave behind. There are high-speed trains from Madrid and Barcelona, too.