Dies felices 'happy days': January 2010

If ever I wished for the gift of an accomplished writer it's now - to be able to draw the reader into our experiences and memories of those 6 weeks in Sevilla. With simply no time for updating blogs whilst in Sevilla I sit here with my recollections whilst looking out over thick snow and sub zero temperatures in chilly England!! I can only hope my I attempt to write this now plus a few pics will at least give you a taste of the joys of this wonderful city that has, I believe, forever captured a special place in our hearts.

Our little apartment, part of the ground floor of a town house nestled in one of the tiny back streets in the Macarena district, did in fact serve us very well once we came to terms with it's limitations and in the short space of 6 weeks it felt like leaving home when we left.

As a driver of many years now I still find myself avoiding at all costs having to park alongside the kerb unless I've at least 3 car lengths to play with - I'd have had no trouble in Sevilla! I honestly don't think we ever saw a car without dents, scratches, and bits hanging off! Road side parking space is at a premium because the price of garages is so high. We watched incredulously as a driver bumped his way back and forth until he had squeezed his car into the space between two cars. On another occasion we watched the red car (see below) pull up in front of the white van line and reverse into it - which shunted all the other cars into each other - it was like watching a comedy film - except this was actually happening in front of our eyes!! (Note the little white car behind the van - rather looks he'll have to unhook himself from the van's back foot plate before he goes anywhere!)

We discovered later that most drivers leave the car in neutral with the brake off which allows them to nudge each other out the way when they want to get in and out!! No wonder they say either rent a car or make sure you've got secure parking when you visit Sevilla!!! I'll never worry about road side parking again - even I could do a better job than this!

Macarena is decidedly working class and proletariat - giving it a very authentic feeling - light years away from the tourist economy of the other districts - and home to the Virgin la Macarena de Esperanza with a church dedicated to her. A most beautiful church and where, one Sunday morning, we lingered with those standing at the back and drifting in and out for part of the service behind those sitting through the full service. Growing up very much a non-conformist and much later in life becoming a Christian and member of a Free Church, I have to admit to always being very dismissive of all the trappings and hierarchy of the Church of England. Though of course Spain is predominantly Catholic, the experience of visiting these churches, witnessing their fiestas and being absorbed into their way of life, truly is making me give very serious thought to what I am beginning to believe are very mis-placed judgements on my part.

Behind us was the famous Calle Feria (Feria Street) with the cavernous indoor daily market offering a huge selection of fresh fish, fruit and veg, flowers, cured meats, cheeses and so much more - in fact everything you could ever want for the food table - and where most of ours came from - and added those extra pounds so difficult to shift later on!! The famous Thursday market 'El Jueves' - the oldest market in Sevilla - is very popular with antique fans and where one can find anything from religious art to the most unusual door knobs and electronic goods - it was absolutely fascinating ferreting around this one!

Emerging from the rabbit warren of the streets in Macarena brought us out into the Alameda de Hercules - a long, wide tree-lined boulevard full of busy bars and cafes, areas of water jets creating a cooling mist, buskers and lively clubs at night.

There were all sorts of activities going on this area particularly during the weekends like the huge communal paellas

and children's entertainment and activities - even the Spanish version of Punch and Judy!
It was also a place where young people in particular were free to demonstrate their causes (always very peacefully). The toughest to witness was the one held to raise the awareness of the appalling level of domestic violence in Spain and the harsh impact of the symbol they used to get their message across - a huge pile of plumped up black bin liners, each one labelled with the name, date of birth and city of residence representing someone who had died as a result of domestic violence - it was hard-hitting and desperately sad to see.
On a much lighter note there were music events and one particular evening an amazing rock band playing in support of Amnesty International.
Following the Madruga fiesta early in December (see below) stalls selling wares and gifts from a number of Latin American countries were set up and remained at least until we left - I guess they were there until Christmas.

The Alameda, marked at each end with two Romanesque statues,

links the Macarena district to the streets that then lead to the huge shopping centre - with its simple yet very effective Christmas illuminations

and myriad of wonderful shoe shops that bring shoppers from all around Europe - and into the heart of the historic city centre where we spent so much of our time - day and night!

With the approach of Christmas it was a magical place to be this time of year - not a drop of tinsel in sight but all the hundreds of orange trees lining the streets and in the plazas alongside the towering palm trees were covered in tiny little twinkling lights at night and the tempting smell of roasting chestnuts wafting by just too much to resist and we weren't disappointed!

The seemingly never-ending rows of cabin stalls selling every item conceivable for folks to build not just nativity scenes but entire towns with surrounding countryside were always busy with shoppers making their selections. The nativity scene (Belen) has special significance in Spain where organisations and families create elaborate re-creations of the scene of Jesus' birth. These Belens are erected in churches, city buildings, stores and more modest ones in houses - and attract hundreds of people waiting patiently for their turn to visit and admire these amazing creations - not a Father Christmas in sight - except the occasional little one clutching onto a balcony here and there but no visits to Father Christmas - only the Belens. With so much to enjoy and even more buskers and street entertainers than usual everywhere, day and night, was buzzing with the excited chatter of everyone out enjoying themselves and sitting both inside and outside the hundreds of cafes, bars and restaurants where chairs and tables continue to spill out onto the pavements and plazas all through the winter - only during siesta time did the city fall into quiet for a short while.

We were privileged to be there for the fiesta to celebrate the Virgin Mary - 'The Madruga' - streets thronging with onlookers and joining in the candlelit procession as it wound its way slowing through the streets to the church beside the cathedral accompanied by the traditional brass band.

The four week intensive language course was much more of a challenge than even I'd anticipated! I became more and more despondent and frustrated as my listening/spoken Spanish lagged further behind my written/reading ability. However I managed to convert the final three days of the last week into 1:1 conversation only lessons which proved to be an excellent move and brought my morale back to where it had been before plummeting to the depths!! The icing on the top of the cake was when the taxi driver who took us from Malaga rail station to the airport on our journey home paid me a very welcome compliment on my Spanish having conversed with him throughout the journey! As hoped, I did make some very good friends and am keeping in touch with an Italian who lives in Rome and an American who comes from New Orleans who've both offered genuine invitations to visit whenever we wish.

The language school also arranged a couple of cultural events each week, one of which was a taster of Flamenco dancing - to which Michael was also very welcome which is how we came to be taking Flamenco dance lessons from one of the top dance teachers in the Sevilla Conservatoire! We so enjoyed the taster lesson we asked Carmen if she would consider giving us a few 1:1 lessons - and she agreed! I think she rather enjoyed the challenge of taking on two 'pensionistas'! She invited us to go along to the Dance Conservatoire and sit in on one one of her dance classes - it was splendid and a rare privilege watching her in action and the dancers who after the end of the current term will progress to university to study the theory before becoming professional dancers. Then it was our turn - a slight difference in tempo and style but Carmen was super fun and so very patient and encouraging. We managed to fit in 5 lessons which has given us the basic steps and movements to allow us to break into a little improvised Flamenco of our own whenever we have the opportunity in the various little friendly bars where Flamenco music is played and where folks dance as the fancy takes them. We never managed to locate such a bar before our departure but that's for the next visit - and after lots more practise!

Dance Conservatoire & Michael very much enjoying his dance lesson!!

Without school to attend during the final two weeks (apart from our customary three times a week sessions in the gym and dance lessons) we were free to do just what we wished - and we filled these days from the moment we got up in the morning to retiring very late at night - not even time for siestas!! Visiting the historic monuments, art galleries, an exhibition on photography through the years, enjoying wandering around the areas beyond the city centre and across the river, relaxing in the Marie Louisa park still abundant with the vibrant colours of bougainvilla against the autumnal colours of the trees

and of course many opportunities for al fresco dining and drinking plus picnic lunches.

What more can I say? It was a sad day that we packed up and closed the door on our little apartment - thank you Coral and Fernando. We hold and treasure some wonderful moments and memories of our stay, made all the more special because of the time of year.

There's never one when you want one - now they're parked as far as the eye can see ...........
- this was a day long strike by all Sevilla's taxi drivers