fiestas | Azahar Sevilla

Sevilla Feria 2014

May 9, 2014 azahar1 Comment

feria sevilla 2014 (1) Looks like this is as close as I’m going to get to Feria this year. Slow-healing feet and ankles from my spectacular fall during Semana Santa has kept me less than mobile, including not being able to do all of my Sevilla Tapas Tours. But I did take out a tour last night and on the way home spotted the usual parked horses in the centre of town. It’s kind of a tradition that people trot over from the fair grounds and have tapas and drinks at Las Columnas in Barrio Santa Cruz – I used to live across the street and saw this every year. I also saw a group parked outside a bar in Cuesta del Rosario. Really it’s a long way to go just to show off, when you think about it…

feria sevilla 2014 (2) cold beer on a hot night… with horses

feria sevilla 2014 (3) parking Sevillano style

feria sevilla 2014 (4)

iPhone photos from my Instagram account

Signs of Spring

April 18, 2014July 14, 2014 azaharLeave a comment

Or more specifically, signs of Easter Week in Sevilla. For the first time this year I noticed these new signs up and thought – Aha! City Hall must’ve been sued over falling down accidents (this was just before my own non-wax related falling down incident). But in fact the accumulation of wax on the streets from thousands of penitent’s candles is no laughing matter. Just today (on the way home from getting my ankles x-rayed at the hospital) I saw TWO ambulances next to wiped-out motorbikes and as we got close to one intersection a policeman slowed down a guy on a motorcycle and told him to be very careful as that bit of road was very very slippery. Curious that there are no signs with motos on them.

Christmas Mapping 2013

January 6, 2014 azahar2 Comments

[youtube=”http://youtu.be/iNu7V-8phrk”]
I saw the mapping a couple of weeks ago but arrived too late to get a good vantage point for a video. Made it back for the final showing last night and went up to the new BOSTON cocktail bar to watch it again and make this. Happily did not drop iPhone off the balcony.

How do you think it compares to last year’s mapping? I kind of missed the “snow”.

Monuments (Inmaculada-Constitución Puente)

December 4, 2013July 15, 2014 azaharLeave a comment

In case you were wondering which monuments will and won’t be open – and when – during the upcoming long four-day long weekend, here ya go. Thanks to Turismo de Sevilla @sevillaciudad for the info.

[click on image to enlarge]

Christmas Lights 2013!

December 3, 2013July 20, 2014 azahar3 Comments

[click on image to enlarge]

Up until recently the Christmas lights in Sevilla were turned on the night of the Inmaculada (December 8th) and turned off again for the season on the day of Los Reyes Magos (January 6th). I think it was about three years ago that the city council moved the date up to the last day of November because, at that time, there was a massive convention going on in town and apparently they wanted to create a festive atmosphere for the visitors. Since then the end of November has become the new “official” start of the Christmas season, moving it up about ten days, and each year more and more streets are being lit up.

I personally love the lights (well, except for the gaudy pink & purple display along Constitución) but I’m also glad to have a relatively short Christmas season here compared to the US, Canada and the UK. Makes it feel more special.