Some images from opening night at the Velá de Santa Ana last Friday. We also went to the photo exhibit in the Castillo de San Jorge – DesVELAndo Triana – which was excellent. Am hoping to get down to see the “cucaña” this week, something I’ve never seen (hard to believe after 19 years!). So stay tuned for some fun photos of that…
Triana’s biggest annual street party – the Velá de Santiago y Santa Ana – starts next week on Friday July 20th with dozens of activities and concerts planned.
Dating from the thirteenth century, the Velá is celebrated every year in late July and Sevillianos flock to the “other side” of the river to enjoy this traditional week-long summer festival.
Plaza Altozano and the surrounding streets are at the center of the fiesta, particularly Betis street, where there are food and craft booths and a small fun fair for children. It’s a great place to stroll, have a beer or a glass of fino with some “pescaito frito” and sample the traditional green hazelnuts.
Also check out the “Desvelando Triana” (Revealing Triana) photography exhibit at the Castillo de San Jorge to learn more about the history of Triana and the Velá, on until August 26th 10 am – 2 pm (until July 26th you can also visit the exhibit 7 pm – 11 pm).
I’d been trying to do a day trip to Cordóba all during May, as that’s the month when everything seems to be happening there, and although I missed the Cruz de Mayo and the Festival of the Patios, I finally made it on the last Friday of the month, in time for the Cordóba Feria, which was also my 20th anniversary of living in Spain, so that turned out to be a good choice. And the weather was perfect.
First stop was for late breakfast/elevenses, at a little café alongside the Plaza de Colón, with some rather yummy tostadas topped with olive oil, fresh tomato and tiny taquitos of jamón. Thus fortified, it was off past the Torre de la Malmuerta (tower of the bad death) to our first stop, and one of the main reasons for coming to Cordóba, the newly opened Palacio de Viana, the Palace of the Patios. As you can see from the photos below, this wonderful 500-year-old building has no fewer than eleven interconnecting patios, as well as a garden, each with its own individual design and character. Really worth a visit. Also nice that it’s a bit outside the main tourist area around the Mezquita, and wo walking back to the centre through the winding streets of the old town we saw a part of the city that we hadn’t seen before.
Palacio de Viana
Along the way we stopped off in the Plaza de la Corredera for a pre-lunch cold beer. This is a magnificent Castilian-style Plaza Mayor, apparently the only one of its kind in Andalucía, mostly built in the late 17th century, although the buildings on the south side of the square where the market (a former prison) is are even older. The name comes from the fact that it was once used for bullfighting, and it is also thought to be the site of the Roman amphitheatre. Then it was off to find some lunch…
Continue reading “Patios and Feria in Córdoba”
[youtube=”http://youtu.be/PATKgtofgxs”]
[watch full screen if possible]
Some pics from my first visit to the Feria de Córdoba. Another fair, like the one in Jerez, that is totally different to the Feria de Sevilla and which, in my opinion, is much better. The casetas are larger (with air con) and are open to the public. Depending on what you fancy you can opt for traditional flamenco music (sevillanas), flamenco rock, salsa, disco… the casetas ranged from fairly rough & ready tents to solid structures decorated like country homes with servers dressed in maid’s outfits. You can get some great looking food, watch the crowds or join in, or stroll the streets and enjoy the parade of horses and carriages in the afternoon.
It really felt like being at a country fair – I even went on the ferris wheel! Too bad we were just there for a couple of hours in the afternoon. I found myself wishing that I could stay to see the fairground lit up at night but duty called and we had tickets booked on the 19.30 train (which we almost missed, arriving at the station with about two minutes to spare).
Note: at 2.44 is the horse of the day – a gorgeous beast, my photo doesn’t do him justice.
Travel tip: the Sevilla – Córdoba Avant (19.10€ one way) is much better value than the Ave (33.20€) and takes the same amount of time (45 minutes). And if you return on the same day you get a 20% discount.
Yes I know, it’s traitorous, disloyal, blah-blah-blah to say this, but the Feria del Caballo in Jerez beats the heckity out of the more famous and much larger Feria de Abril in Sevilla. It just does.
First of all because most of the casetas are open to the public. You know, like a fair ought to be. And instead of being in a massive parking lot like here it’s inside a pretty park with palm trees and flowers. Then there are the horses! Without a doubt the most spectacular in all of Spain.
I’m hoping to spend an afternoon there this week. If you’re interested in going there’s an easy train connection from either San Bernardo or Santa Justa stations, just over an hour for about 20 euros return. Though if you want to see the fairground lit up at night you’ll have to stay over as the last train leaves at 20.48 and accommodation may be scarce. But it’s a great day trip!