Dear Marmite
I am in Seville with Vandana and what a grand place it is! Magnificant buildings, winding alleyways, attractions we only wish we could have got tickets for, and nightly Easter parades. It didn't seem grand at first. We had an airbnb disaster in the equivalent of a council, flat way out in the sticks, where the shower didn't work. There was no wifi. The beds were camp beds... I could go on. It gave us a very poor wrong impression of the place.
We moved and are now right in the centre in a little hostel and this is not without its problems. The nightly parades mean that we have limited access to the hotel and we need a special pass to walk across the parade route. Last night was the last of the parades and there were 18 brotherhoods with accompnying Jesus' on incredibly heavy, ornate floats and bands. We thought we had seen quite a few of them on our wander around the alleys and then we were trapped 20 meters away from the hotel entrance for about two hours.
Previous nights when there were gaps in the processions, we were allowed to cross the path and go to the hotel. Saturday night was different. The police became over officious as the crowd got angrier and man-handled us to stop us getting through - not good policing. One man couldn't get to collect his baggage from our hotel and missed his flight. A fight broke out while all human life was crushed into our small alley watching the floats pass by very slowly.
By the way, these floats are lifted and moved by about 20 strong men and they sway along the alleys in rhythm with the music. It is very impressive how ornate these floats are. So much effort and time- and all for Easter.
Masses of people in the parade wore the pointed purple hoods and from a distance they looked funny floating past above the heads of the crowd in front of us. These pointed hats date back to the Inquisition and signify sinners. What a lot of them there were! I have to say that Spain has also been blessed with an excess mediocre muscians. The brass dirges following the floats went on til midnight EVERY night! Apparently have been lucky enough to catch something that happens once every 25 years... I probably won't be around for the next one!
There is however, one Jesus I was very grateful to. I bought a plug with a USB port from Media Markt in Barcelona and it was the wrong USB. It was a USBc port so I caught a bus out to a shopping mall way out of the centre in Seville and Jesus - Hey-zeus - as they pronounce it over here really was my saviour. He refunded my money and was so helpful. This was just when I was beginning to think there were too many Jesus'!
Our visit to Castella Jorge on the Triana side of the Rio Guadalquivir we discovered the this was the seat of the Spanish Inquisition. Oh how many times in history has religion been used to control the masses and give evil people power? The old castle is now a market and the exhibition of modern art placed in the dug out ruins of the old castle was well worth it!
Looking back, we had such a lovely place in Granada. It was quiet, up a hill and overlooked the snow-capped Sierra Nevada. The owner - Michelle - is an artist and Cuban. His pension was just perfect. Sadly, I think that all other places will fail by comparison. He told us the best places to eat, and sat and chatted. It really was a home from home.
And now.... we are off to Cadiz. I'll tell you more of our trip later... The internet here in Spain is dodgy to say the least!
Love
XXX
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