Category: sevilla

Rained out…

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[click on image to enlarge]

Things have been very quiet around here Semana Santa-wise. After months of scarcely any rainfall it’s pretty much been coming down non-stop since Palm Sunday. Tomorrow it looks like it may lift for about 24 hours before starting up again on Friday.

Above are some pics I took on Monday evening. It was quite sad to see everything deserted and the odd nazareno – like that young boy – making his disconsolate way home after his procession was cancelled.

On the right are a couple of rogue nazarenos I saw yesterday, making their way over to their church. But about an hour later the skies really opened up. Me? I was all cosy at home in PJs watching a film on DVD with my flatmate and the cats, as I will be again this evening. But tomorrow I have a tapas tour – I don’t know what I was thinking! Oh right, about paying the rent 😉 … but in fact I do love a challenge and so it should be an interesting night.

It’s actually been a few years since I’ve gone out following the processions and looking for the best vantage points. But I do love Semana Santa and the general upheaval and chaos. I don’t even mind the inconvenience of shops being closed or not being able to get out and about because of the crowds. I guess a part of me enjoys how this crazy week really shakes things up. And in spite of loving my “new” home I still miss hearing La Madrugá played below my bedroom balcony on Martes Santo… so glad now I got up to film that video as it was my last time.

Oh, and this is also the first time in my 19 years here that the orange blossom (azahar) has coincided with Semana Santa. It also seems to be lasting a bit longer this year. Heaven.

100 Semana Santa Photos…

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…that you should see. That’s what the poster says.

And I’ve been walking by it almost daily, telling myself that I really ought to go in and have a look, because I love both old photos and Semana Santa. As usual I left it until almost too late (the exhibit closes on April 8th, Easter Sunday) and so popped in this morning after doing a few errands.

[note: exhibit has been extended to 29th April]

And the poster is right – you really should see these photos.

The oldest, taken on calle Feria, was c.1885 and they go up to almost present day. For me it’s entrancing to look at the people and familiar streets – some places haven’t changed that much – and imagine myself walking there now.

I also liked the “photo boxes” lit from within that were placed around the room on the floor. You can see them in the collage here along with a list of the photographers. The reflection of the blue lights played havoc with my photos, but they are really just to entice you over and see them for yourself.

The exhibit is being held inside the Antequarium, beneath the Metropol Parasols (aka The Mushrooms) in Plaza Encarnación, so it was also a good opportunity to visit the Antequarium again, which I hadn’t seen since it first opened a year ago. At that time it was still unfinished and now it’s looking much more impressive.

Semana Santa en Sevilla
100 Fotografías Que Deberías Conocer
23rd February – 8th April 29th April 2012
10.00 – 19.30 Tuesday – Saturday /10.00 – 13.30 Sundays and holidays

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Día Mundial del Agua

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Today is World Water Day and Emasesa’s Autobus del Agua will be parked in front of Metropol Parasol in Plaza Encarnación until 8 pm this evening. Normally the bus visits schools and educates children about the importance of saving water and simple day-to-day ways this can be done.  Other activities this week include special public openings on Friday and Saturday of the Estación de Ecología Acuática in the Cartuja, where you can visit the aquarium and see the water life native to the Guadalquivir River. And Saturday and Sunday the Jardín Botánico El Arboreto de El Carambolo, which was created by Emasesa in 1986, will also be open to the public. I didn’t know before today that either of these places existed and the aquarium is usually only accessible if you take part in a guided group tour, so this is a good opportunity to stop by and see it, and would make for a great outing with kids.

Estación de Ecología Acuática
Leonardo Da Vinci, 10 (Cartuja)
Friday 17.00 – 20.00
Saturday 11.00 – 14.00

Jardín Botánico El Arboreto de El Carambolo
Ctra A-472, frente a Coco de la Piñera (Camas)
Saturday and Sunday 10.00 – 14.30

www.aguasdesevilla.com

Dextremadura

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Dextremadura is a new gourmet food shop featuring artesanal products from Extremadura.  The La Chinata brand figures prominently on the shelves, including their line of beauty products made from extra virgin olive oil, as well as beautifully packaged food products, all at very reasonable prices. There’s also decent selection of wines and owner Felipe Romero will soon be organising free wine tasting events, so drop by and get put on the mailing list.

Dextremadura
Zaragoza, 7
Tel 955 516 942
10.30 – 14.30 / 17.30 – 21.00 Monday – Saturday

Semana Santa Practice

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Bet you don’t see this where you live! And as many times as I’ve seen it, including the guys above a couple of nights ago, I am always stopped in my tracks and, well, a little bit in awe. They are costaleros practicing for Semana Santa, when they will carry the statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary on the backs of their necks throughout the processions. Here they are practicing with weights instead of statues while they perfect their moves because, as you can imagine, it’s quite difficult to manouevre these things, and taking corners is especially tricky. During the processions you never see the costaleros (other than those taking breaks and having beers at nearby bars) and I find it fascinating to see them at work like this.

Semana Santa 2012
1 – 8 April