Hello again!
I have just had so many to post about, 3 posts in one week is a record!! I figured it would be best to get these posts up before I go to Ireland. That way when I get back from Ireland I am all caught up!
This week it is the April fair in Sevilla. I went the last two nights and lets just say it is INTENSE!! Seriously the coolest thing I have ever seen. Everyone is so dressed up, they have their big flamenco dresses on with huge flowers in their hair. The men are all dressed up nicely in suits and ties, lookin' sharp. This is just a fun time to be here in Sevilla. The fair takes place at the end of my street so it has been crazy in my neighborhood. So many people around, street performers, live music, vendors, etc.
Every year the fair starts on Monday night at midnight. At midnight the "portado" (The entrance way) is lit up. Of course I went to see it! Here is a video of the opening night of feria...
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| Raquel and I waiting for it to light up! |
La Feria does not bring along with it the navigational difficulties through the center streets that Semana Santa brought. It will, however, bring crowds, booked-to-the-brim hotels and hostels, a significant and sometimes city-wide hike in prices for just about everything, and plenty of excitement and fun to be had!
This crazy tradition began in the 1840s as a livestock fair and continued to grow in it’s festive nature with the presence of casetas, private tents where most of the dancing, drinking, and festivities take place. These require a previous invitation to enter, but if you don’t happen to receive one you can pass by them on the street and look at how much fun they are having! Casetas are a sign of wealth in many cases, and each has a kitchen, bar, and sound system or live entertainment keeping the food, drink, and conversation flowing all night long. For those on the outside of a private caseta, there are about sevencasetas municipales which are open to the public. There are also plenty of other ways to enjoy the festival. The Calle de Infierno, houses games and rides similar to ones that can be found at a fair in the States. Beautiful people dress in traditional clothing atop beautiful horse and dance sevillanas, a style of traditional dance similar to Flamenco (although it is important to make the distinction as sevillanas has a different rhythm and style of singing). |
| My friends all dolled up :) |
The food of La Feria is often more pricey than you normally find in the city without the security that the quality matches the price. You can expect typical tapas style food, pescaito frito, queso, jamón ibérico, calamaresand many many other kinds of seafood. For the typical drink try a jug of rebujito, the manzanilla ( |
| Feria at night! |
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| Feria during the day! |
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| Enjoying the Caseta! |
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| This was the cutest little boy in his outfit! |
Hit up La Feria by day or night — each have their own vibe and will offer you a different and equally fun experience. Daytime is great for watching the parading horses and enjoying a laid-back atmosphere ideal for taking pictures. Nighttime is the time for dancing and drinking in the beautifully-lit streets of this mini-city in Los Remedios created for this one week out of the year when all ages can be found all hours of day or night celebrating and having fun in true Spanish fashion.
Check out this video I took at the Caseta I was in! It was so neat watching them do their "Sevillianas" dance. I took lessons to learn this dance but I still have a lot to learn! All of the women know how to do it so well!
All in all, I LOVE feria. It is so neat. I cannot wait to go back tomorrow night! I will take more pictures and will update this blog with the new pictures I take!
Hasta Pronto!
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