Feria de Abril - the April Fair of Seville
This annual event is a big deal throughout Andalucia. During my stay Spanish students, couples, and families just kept swamping the city for the week; no one seemed to be leaving. And on the first day of the Feria the fairground takes in about 200,000 people, arriving on foot and by horse. Very few cars (they would be immobilized by the crowds anyway.) The whole city is given over to this migration. The fair itself is a collection of casetas - party tents organized by families, by clubs, schools, businesses, and by affinity groupls of all kinds. The casetas are not public - one must be invited. But it's the most friendly gathering I've every experienced. Note my 'invitation' into one caseta at the end of the video.
Walking in Seville at 11pm.
I tried to take on the Spanish schedule of a big early afternoon meal, with a lighter meal of a tapa or two in the evening. I learned to like vermut as a drink with my tapas. Staying up until 1am or so each night, by 11pm the photos of the day were all in place, culled, and emailed to friends, so I usually went for an evening stroll before bed. I did this in Cordoba, Granada, and Sevilla. Streets were always lively. Here is an unedited video of one night's walk, in Seville. I start in the hotel's dining room, move into the lobby, and through the front sliding glass doors onto the streets. The walk continues towards the Cathedral of Sevilla, note the crescent moon in sight. And in the plaza in front of the cathedral there's a show ending. This is a great way to end the day.
Plaza de Espana - Seville.
I visited this location twice during my stay. There's no mention of it in either the Lonely Planet nor Rick Steves books. But I found it to be the "most Spanish" site in all of Andalucia. I didn't capture why that is in this video, but along the lower level of the arc are booths, alcoves. Each one is tiled with ceramics and depicts a specific region of Spain. I saw a steady stream of Spanish familes who were obviously on vacation (here for Feria) stride over to 'their' region's alcove and sit for a while and appreciate the monument to their home area. Truly a place for 'Spaniards' with less of a thought for it to be for 'others'.
Iglesia El Salvador, Church of the Divine Savior - Seville.
After visiting the Cathedral of Sevilla, which overwhelmed with size and grandeur, I strolled north. In this church there were fewer people, and while smaller than the Cathedral of Sevilla I would make a flippant bet that there's just as much gold in it. This video, of poor production quality, tries to show how the altar is highly three-dimensional whereas I'm used to experiencing most altars as appearing two-dimensional.
Alhambra, Granada - 2nd of 2. This is the better video to get a feel for the Alhambra from.
Alhambra, Granada - 1st of 2. The second video, above, is the better one to get a feel of the Alhambra.
On a late afternoon walk around Granada, came upon this excellent surprise. Flamenco dancers, "working on their sultry." Seems like a practice session for a production of some sort.
Basilica San Juan de Dios (Saint John of God), Granada Spain. The main alter. Pardon the flicker, caused by 50Hz and 60Hz systems duking it out.
Basilica San Juan de Dios, Granada. Four side-chapels. Flicker again, from rendering lighting at 50 Hz on a camera set to 60Hz.
Inside the Mezquita of Cordoba. Pardon the flicker, caused by a mismatch between my 60hz American settings and the European 50hz electricity standard.
Samana Santa procession in Cordoba, Easter Sunday. Costumed 'Penitents' preceded The Virgen de la Alegria, sitting on top of an altar, which was carried out of the Church of Santa Marina and stepped through town for about a mile, by members of "The Royal and Illustrious Brotherhood of Our Risen Lord, Holy Mary Queen of Our Joy and Our Lady of Light and Mother of Youth".