One of the most wonderful things about travelling is the opportunity it gives you to admire architecture. I particularly love visiting parts of the world where I can see older buildings. In Australia we don’t have the castles and palaces that populate Europe – relics of a time when buildings were made to last, and beauty was more evident because artisans were cheap and plentiful.

Some time ago I was in Sevilla for a week. That beautiful Spanish city has many stunning buildings, but surely one of the most romantic has to be the Real Alcázar (also known as the Palacio Real). It is a massive compound that has developed over centuries, beginning in 1161 during the Moorish dynasty, expanded in 1364 in the Mudéjar style, after the Christian reconquest of Spain, and added to by many monarchs since. It is the oldest palace in the world that is still actively used by a Royal family.

There is something enchanting about the spacious rooms, exquisitely decorative even without the historically illuminating tapestries. The palace gardens are magnificent, and when you walk down into the underground baths and cisterns you feel as though you have to hold your breath. If it wasn’t for all the tourists in their shorts and thongs, you could swear that you had stepped back in time.

I’m not saying that everyone should visit an ancient castle in mediaeval dress, but I always like to feel in tune with my surroundings. Now, looking back, I’m so glad I wore a romantic, white frock when I visited the Palacio Real. As well as being the coolest and most comfortable option for a very hot summer’s day, it looks nice in the photographs. Surely, in our age of frenzied selfie-taking, that should be a consideration of paramount importance?