Adventures of a Traveling Mud Princess

This weekend we trekked the 1000 odd kilometers down south to sunny Sevilla, which bursts at the seams once a year during Feria de Abril – a weeklong tribute to flamenco dresses & dancing, food, tradition, flamenco music, and Andalusian (Spanish region) culture. In general, Southern Spain is known for its flamenco dancing, olives, oranges, sunshine, beaches, Moorish architecture, and Arabic influences; all of these things reach their pinnacle for Feria week in April. An entire fairground is dedicated to hold this honored tradition, which has been taking place for well over a century, and throughout the day and night the fair is bustling with girls in flamenco dresses, grandparents out for a stroll, dolled up three year olds with flowers in their hair, and camera-happy tourists like us. The men generally wore suit jackets and jeans, although some did wear the traditional vests and flat-topped hats. Many women still dress up in the traditional flamenco dresses, but they have now deviated from the standard red polka dots to form a startling array of colors, patterns, and textures. It was really interesting to see the different dresses because many of them so clearly tell a story about the wearer: teenage girls were decked out in fushia and lime green polka dots or purple and pink stripes, women usually sported more refined, classical, or elegant choices such as cream with royal purple trim (one of my favorites) or solid crimson or beige with black lace accents, grandmotherly women often had gorgeous old flamenco dresses that had faded with time and were probably sewn by hand, and the youngest of the bunch (anywhere from 2 months to 10 years) ran around swishing the fullest skirts of all with bright polka dots and eye-catching colors! They were all so beautiful and I loved how EVERYONE joined in the celebration. Dressing up wasn’t just for teens or older women or kids or skinny girls or actual flamenco dancers…all women had the opportunity to participate in the event and they all looked so lovely. To top off the beautiful dress, many would pull their hair back into a chignon, place a large decorative comb in the top, and pin a grapefruit sized flower on top of their heads or to the side behind their ears. The dresses were so beautiful and we all turned chartreuse with envy in our jeans and t-shirts! J

The women wore the dresses everywhere (including eating in restaurants, going shopping, getting groceries, etc.) and the result was a cross between a carnival-like feeling and the sentiment of jumping back hundreds of years in time. It was so fun just to sit and have a tea (Arabic style made steeped in milk) or Chocolate with Churros (super thick hot chocolate to dip greasy-amazing-funnel-cake-like churros into) and watch the women parade by in their dresses. We had so much fun picking out our favorite styles and patterns – I think my favorite was when whole families matched. There was one girl (about 9 years old) who was dressed head-to-toe exactly like her mom (from hair to shoes to earrings to flower position) and she was so pleased to be such a big girl – they were both gorgeous and looked so cute sauntering down the street in their matching hot pink flamenco gowns. The fact that feria was going on really made this trip to Sevilla as special as it could be because we had the chance to not only see a beautiful city, but also one of the biggest festivals in Spain and take part in a long-standing Spanish tradition.

Of course because we were there for a flamenco festival, we made sure we saw several true flamenco shows! We had an insider show us this really neat free flamenco bar that had nightly performances, yummy sangria, and the best green olives I have ever had! We went there both nights and were treated to two different performances of amazing flamenco skill and passion. Flamenco is a combination of hand clapping, stomping, singing, dancing, skirt swishing, intricate arm movements, and a variety of instruments (such as guitar, cassanets, flute, etc). The dancers moved with such strength and passion that you couldn’t take your eyes off of them and the control over their feet and hands was amazing; It is such a beautiful dance and so open to the interpretation, whim, and feeling of the dancer that it immediately draws you in.

Although probably my favorite part was probably just the overall atmosphere of feria and the costumes, we also saw a lot of really neat sights in Sevilla. We wandered through the cramped streets of the old quarter (and even squeezed our car through them), saw the infamous bullring, and walked all across our Sevilla tourism map! Sevilla is probably most known for its towering cathedral, which is the biggest gothic cathedral EVER constructed and the third largest cathedral in the world (2nd only to St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and St. Paul’s cathedral in London). Its sheer size is staggering, but the best part for me was La Giralda, the bell tower that provided an excellent view of the entire city. We also visited the Real Alcazar de Sevilla, an ancient Moorish palace (built with similar decorations and designs as The Alhambra) and beautiful garden area in the center of the city, which is still the King and Queen’s official residence in Sevilla. This palace has such intricate tiling and carvings literally covering every floor, wall, ceiling, window, and door and it is so breathtaking to see the ways in which simple construction materials were molded to form a palace of such splendor.

Oh, did I mention we drove to Sevilla? As in…in a car! We figured out how to rent a car and get down there and it was so much fun to take a road trip! We ended up with a nice sized (although box-like) car and it was a cozy ride up and back…that’s right, everyone…I drove in SPAIN! And lived to tell about it! The Spanish drivers are a bit crazy and use their horns ALL THE TIME! But after I got used to all the roundabouts, different traffic signs, strange lanes (or lack thereof), and pushy Spanish drivers, I remembered how much I love taking road trips! We had a really great time and the car worked really well for us – although, we did get lost once on the way back home and detoured an hour or so…but, we also stumbled across the town of Avila, home to the biggest fortress in Spain! So that was a pleasant surprise – driving through a massive Spanish fortress at 2:00 in the morning!

Other random Sevilla experiences…

There were constantly Gypsy ladies carrying around some kind of grass/plant that they would try to give to you as a “gift” and then charge you for taking it! Watch out for them – so sneaky!

Feria was so crazy because people were out ALL the time – one morning we got up around 8:00-ish and passed tons of people walking home for the night! We weren’t quite that hardcore, but we did stay out at Feria until 4:00 one night and there were still literally thousands of people wandering around! AT 4:00 IN THE MORNING! I don’t mean kids or teens or young crowds, I mean babies and four year olds and grandparents and moms and dads and families and groups of older women and teenagers – EVERYBODY! It was so interesting to see all of those people meandering around at the fairgrounds in their traditional dress so early in the morning, eating and drinking and playing games and just celebrating being Spanish!

We felt a bit homeless because we were living half out of our car and half out of a friend’s friend’s house, so we definitely got ready in a couple of obliging grocery store or hotel bathrooms, (a friend might have even washed her hair in the sink…) and dozed off in a couple of sunny parks. But it was fun to have our own car and make our own decisions on everything without having to wait around for buses or planes or a huge group of people.

Also, (see photo) I got ESPANA toro underwear! Great souvenir! J

We did the Macarena on Macerna street (picture)!

And of course, tried our hand at our own version of Flamenco dancing in front of the Sevilla Cathedral!

All in all – flamenco dancing, street wandering, getting ready in bathrooms, catching a few hours of uncomfortable sleep at a time, sight hopping, churro eating, sangria drinking, picture posing, fair-ride riding, sun basking, feet aching, paella munching, dress envying – everything, we had a fabulous trip and I loved Sevilla. I don’t know if it was because of Feria and all the Flamenco or because of the great road trip or just the sunshine, but Sevilla was one of my favorite places I have visited in Spain! And when you come to Spain, you should try your darndest to get here for Feria de Abril in Sevilla because it is well-worth the trek, whatever the distance may be!

I can’t think of anything else, I can’t hardly eat anything else, and I long to see my love again…these are all the symptoms, right? I am in love…and obsessed. I have found the most amazing shop in all of Pamplona. It beats out any restaurant, any clothing store, and tourist shop you can find. This little spot of gold that now holds my heart is named Beatrice’s and is home to the most delicious pastries I have ever tasted. It has large chocolate and fruit muffins (Oh man….I am drooling already), dozens of types of tiny cookies, cakes, doughnuts, and…mouthwatering, gooey baby chocolate croissants that I just can’t get enough of. It is the kind of place I go into and know that for this…for Beatrice…it would be worth it to waddle back to the States with an extra 20 pounds around my middle. That is how good it is – it actually makes you wish you were fat! J If you want proof that it is best in the world, listen to this…this pastry shop has a line. Yep! A line…outside of a pastry shop. Sometimes the wait is up to half an hour and still people flock to it. I have never been to a pastry shop with a line before (and trust me, I have been to a lot of pastry shops) and this one is the only one that is worth it! Seriously, you should fly to Spain just to try the pastries…but while you are here, you should spend some time with me…any takers? J

Oh, but it doesn’t end there…from Barcelona I headed south to Granada, an old Moorish city and home to The Alhambra (a fortress built by the Moors, home to the Nassrid Palaces, and backed by the Sierra Navada Mountains). Before we can talk about any of that however, Granada’s true claim to fame among college students is that they have FREE tapas (delicious appetizer-style food for the Spanish ignorant among you…like small open faced sandwiches or meatballs or fried octopus or fried veggies). That’s right – Free! Order a drink (even a soft drink) and you get free food with you meal; you just can’t beat that!

Second only to the free tapas is The Alhambra. It is beautifully landscaped and sports a great view of the rest of the city, including the Alabycin (the old gypsy quarter with hundreds of small white houses dotting a mountainside). The most spectacular part of the Alhambra was certainly the Nassrid Palace. The entire interior was covered in either individually painted and fitted together mosaic pieces or intricately carved stone or plaster. Every single wall, every ceiling, every floor was covered in something beautiful, time-consuming and together it produced a staggering effect. The sheer magnitude of work that went into it is astounding. The palace took 200 yeas to finish, which means that the king who commissioned it never even saw it in a fraction of its final glory. They say that The Alhambra represents the way the Moorish Kings wanted to be seen by the world; the outside is sheer stone: solid and strong, unwavering and no-nonsense, but the inside is intimate and beautiful and breathtaking and inviting. They say that it is a lesson to each of us to show our enemies (and the rest of the world) strength, bravery, and calm and to show those you love your true beauty, vulnerability, tenderness, and inner spirit. I thought that was a really amazing metaphor and it so perfectly describes The Alhambra.

Granada (and southern Spain) was so different from Pamplona (and northern Spain) mostly because of the strong Arabic influence in the south. There were tons of vendors with rugs, teas, Aladdin-pants, hookah pipes, and genie lamps. The pastries were a lot different as well – more flaky and Baklava-ish. I also frequented several “Teterias” (or little tea houses) with intricately designed glass cups, silver teapots, and rugs covering every wall. I loved them! I even tried (and really enjoyed) a new drink…I found it by accident actually because I order “tea with milk,” which in Pamplona (and the States) will get you regular tea with a bit of milk in it. In Granada however, I received tea actually steeped in milk! No water to be seen, and it was actually very good! I hopped around Granada’s many cathedrals, popped in and out of teterias, tried a variety of Arabian Pastries, bought a nifty red bag with an elephant on it, and even went rock climbing while I was in Granada and I would recommend that town to anyone! The culture is so vastly different from northern Spain that if you are visiting Spain, you have to hit at least one city in each half to get a full picture of this awesome country!

I also took a fast day trip to Cordoba, where I saw the largest Mosque in Spain. The Mezquita was originally built a Mosque on the rubble of an old cathedral and since then has switched back and forth between the two several times…so now it is an interesting combination of Catholic/Islamic, Gothic/Arabic influences. In Cordoba, I also visited the Alcazabar de Los Reyes, a famous palace all the Christian Kings stayed at in Spain and the spot that Columbus first asked permission to explore the Americas (beautiful gardens). I even tasted Salmorejo, a thick cold tomato soup particular to that area and green olives, which Andalusia is famous for.

It was a really interesting trip and I got to see a lot in a relatively short period of time…Irish castles, Moorish palaces, cathedrals galore, gorgeous gardens, orange trees, olive fields, Port cities, parades, celebrations, a dozen different kinds of pastries and drinks (I now can make real Irish coffees), and some really great people! It was a wonderful spring break, and although it is nice to be back in Pamplona and resting…I am already off again this Saturday to San Sebastian (a famous beach town just a few short hours by bus) to wiggle my toes in the sand, wade up to my knees, and wander the streets of yet another unknown town.

After our trek to the Cliffs of Moher, we headed south to Limerick (where we stopped to say just a few, short rhymes) and then on to Cork. Cork was a really neat place to spend a few days and one of my favorite cities we visited; it had kind of a small town feel to it with lots of museums and day trips to keep you occupied. The first day we explored around Cork, visited St. Finbar’s Cathedral (he founded Cork with just a school and a church to begin with), St. Anne’s Cathedral (which marks the highest point in Cork), and the twisting, bustling side streets that wound around the several rivers meandering through town. There is actually one part of the old district that is an island, as the river splits and goes around this chunk of land – kind of cool!

The next day we headed off to Cobh, an even smaller, quaint fishing port town about 20 minutes from Cork. Cobh, pronounced Cove, was originally named Cove and then had the name changed to Queenstown (when the Queen’s feet first touched Irish soil…in this little town) and now to Cobh (which is Cove in Gaelic). This town is known worldwide as Queenstown and it is the site of many odd, but famous departures. As the biggest port in Ireland and for a long time the biggest port in Europe, this city saw several million emigrants depart Ireland during the potato famine, shipped convicts to Australia, crammed passengers into “coffin ships” for passage to America, and watched the Lusitanian sink offshore. In fact, Annie Moore and her two brothers, who were the first immigrants documented by Ellis Island, also left from Cobh to escape poverty in Ireland. But really the town is mostly known as the last port of call for the Titanic; that’s right my friends, I stood on the harbor where the last 150 Irish passengers boarded that giant ship before it took off to its tragic end. That was pretty neat! There was jus so much history packed into one tiny little town that it was so fun to see!

On our last day in Cork, we took a day trip to the Blarney Castle, which houses the infamous Blarney Stone. Now, legend has it that whoever kisses the Blarney Stone will be able to speak more eloquently from now on…hmm…as is evidence by this rambling blog, it might be wearing off on me! The Blarney Stone is at the top of the castle and you actually have to lean out backwards over the castle edge in order to kiss the stone! The castle itself was really interesting and it was fascinating to imagine it actually being fully functioning and serving hundreds of guests. The grounds around Blarney where also really neat and it was a sunny (although terribly windy) day so that was a nice change of whether from rain. After Cork, we headed back to Dublin for a quick trip to the pint-shaped Guinness brewery and museum, another wander through the streets, and a very long night in the airport before we headed back to our beloved Spain!

So, if you take any stock in the advice of yours truly, when you get to Ireland…DO head to Galway (or another smallish town) for St. Patrick’s Day, definitely grab a couple pints of Murphy’s (good luck finding it anywhere else!), head to Doolin Village and take Karl’s walk to the Cliffs of Moher, and stop by Cobh for your fill of history! I wasn’t that impressed with Dublin, although the Guinness brewery is a must see! Also, see if you can’t get up North to see the Giant’s Causeway…I have heard it is beautiful and we didn’t quite get there! Send me a picture if you see it! J