i went down to Sevilla last friday, primarily because my family were coming for a holiday, but also because i wanted to check out the infamous Feria, Sevilla's biggest event of the year. To be honest i wasn't expecting much from the weekend... as in i didn't know what to expect so didn't get my hopes up. But i ended up having a really great time!! It made me realise how much i miss unpredictable late nights, love fairground rides, and know some pretty special people in the city of oranges.
Feria is... both a MASSIVE funfair and over a thousand parties going on at once. Just south of Los Remedios, on land specially set aside for this week in April, about 1400 small marquees are set up, side-to-side, lining streets decorated with lights and filled seemingly all the inhabitants of Sevilla and more! The contrast of dodgems, blaring music from every ride, teenagers dressed in mini skirts with horses and carts, Sevillana music and ladies looking beautiful in the traditional dresses was quite surreal, and the whole affair was a lot bigger than i'd expected.
The "casetas", as the marquees are named, are generally owned by families or societies who pay throughout the year for the privilege. They are decorated exquisitely inside and only friends are allowed in. On friday night i somehow managed to enter at least three! Not by any aquaintance of mine, but through the friend of the ex flatmate of a friend... yep one of those! But anyways there i found myself, attempting to dance the traditional dance of Sevillanas (NOT a type of flamenco!) and drinking manzanilla wine. still not worked out what manzanilla is! After eventually gettin over my self-consciousness at being a blatent foreigner and having no clue how to dance, i really enjoyed myself and we were out until 6am!
Good times, good times!
Feria is... both a MASSIVE funfair and over a thousand parties going on at once. Just south of Los Remedios, on land specially set aside for this week in April, about 1400 small marquees are set up, side-to-side, lining streets decorated with lights and filled seemingly all the inhabitants of Sevilla and more! The contrast of dodgems, blaring music from every ride, teenagers dressed in mini skirts with horses and carts, Sevillana music and ladies looking beautiful in the traditional dresses was quite surreal, and the whole affair was a lot bigger than i'd expected.
The "casetas", as the marquees are named, are generally owned by families or societies who pay throughout the year for the privilege. They are decorated exquisitely inside and only friends are allowed in. On friday night i somehow managed to enter at least three! Not by any aquaintance of mine, but through the friend of the ex flatmate of a friend... yep one of those! But anyways there i found myself, attempting to dance the traditional dance of Sevillanas (NOT a type of flamenco!) and drinking manzanilla wine. still not worked out what manzanilla is! After eventually gettin over my self-consciousness at being a blatent foreigner and having no clue how to dance, i really enjoyed myself and we were out until 6am!
Over the weekend I ended up going 3 more times! once during the day on saturday when we were nearly run over by all the horses and carts; again on saturday night with lots of friends (when i unexpectedly got to wear one of those beautiful (very flattering!) dresses) and again on sunday for the grand finale of amazing fireworks.
Good times, good times!
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