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TRAVEL REPORT
GRANADA AND SEVILLE
6th - 11th April 2008
GRANADA
(brief narrative by Annie Welton - pictures by Gina Johnson - to follow)
We set off for Granada on the 6th - and only got to the first coffee stop before we bumped into the Javea U3A on their way to Seville! Our first night there was going to be their last night.
We had hoped to be able to buy our tickets that afternoon so that we could visit the Alhambra the next morning but, alas, this was Spain and we were informed that it was not possible for us to purchase the tickets until the next morning. We all ended up in a queue the next day - being ushered up to the ticket office in fives (waving our pensionista evidence) - and eventually got our tickets and made our own way round the Alhambra. It was very beautiful and everyone enjoyed the intricate stonework and tiling, and also the extensive gardens
The next day we were off to.....
SEVILLE
(narrative by Paula Martin - photos by Norma Robinson)
The Feria in Sevilla is held every year two weeks after Easter. This year, unfortunately, it rained from the first day of the festival.. Undaunted, we decided to visit the Feria on Wednesday evening and after our evening meal we set off at 11 p.m. - and managed to find the right bus to get there.
On our arrival, the first thing we saw was an enormous castle lit by a million light bulbs which gave the appearance of a glittering crystal palace - in itself making the visit worthwhile. Once inside, the Feria is in a designated area and covers a large area with cobbled type roads. There are about 300 casetas - mostly private but some public. The pavements had a particular type of sand on them which helps with the drainage after rain - needless to say, it did manage to get on the hems of the lovely flamenco dresses. The Feria was extremely busy from when we arrived - most of the women were in flamenco dresses and the guys were smartly dressed in traditional Spanish suits. Despite the weather, everyone was enjoying the festivities, dancing in the roads and casetas. We stayed until 2.30 a.m. but even then people were still arriving! The buses operate all through the night so it was very easy to get around.
The next day we visited again during the daylight hours and there were still throngs of people and lots more children in their national dress. During the day the horse and carriages, and the Andalucian horsemen and horsewomen ride around the roads but due to the weather the parades were cancelled.
We also had quite a bit of free time and everyone enjoyed visiting the Cathedral, etc, at their leisure.
It was most certainly worth a visit despite the weather.
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