Lovely blue skies with fluffy clouds and perfect temperatures all week. The azahar is almost gone though. How’s the weather where you are?
spring blue
31 Thursday Mar 2016
Category Archives: spain
day job
28 Monday Mar 2016
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market “picnic” during a Market & Tapas Tour
During Semana Santa last week I only offered tapas tours at lunchtime, due to the massive crowds and processions in the evenings. Bars are also packed solid then. I remember back when I first started doing the tours I would do them pretty much whenever I was asked, including when the Semana Santa processions were on. Lesson learned. I guess in some ways it was “fun” in the sense of everything being very unpredictable, with clients knowing that anything could happen (or not happen, as in, not moving from one spot for half an hour). But in the end I decided this really didn’t represent my Sevilla Tapas Tours and, frankly, these tours were exhausting.
Anyhow, last week was a nice balance of being busy but also with enough time to relax. And it struck me around mid-week how it felt a bit odd only working during the day and having the evenings free. Like a proper day job! Because I’d say about 80% of my tours happen in the evening. So it was a nice break from the routine.
ladies “de luto”
24 Thursday Mar 2016
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On Maundy Thursday and Good Friday women dress “de luto” (in mourning) in black dresses and lace mantillas. And although there are definite rules – no mini-dresses, no red lipstick, no stiletto heels (to name a few) – they are not always observed. The ladies are also always happy to pose for a photo. The blonde woman (upper-left) saw me lurking with my phone out and asked if I wanted a photo, then gathered her friends around for a group shot. And suddenly about half a dozen other people came out of nowhere with cameras ready. Score!
great power
21 Monday Mar 2016
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Was out and about last night, since the threatened rain didn’t end up appearing. Though the threat of it had kept some of the processions from leaving home on time, rendering the printed programmes pretty much useless. As a result I didn’t see any processions, not wanting to hang about for an extra hour or so along the routes. But I got a few pics, including this one of people waiting for the late processions in the street, while contemplating the Great Power from above… 4G. 😉
crosses to bear
17 Thursday Mar 2016
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Spotted these guys while on a tapas tour. They were transporting wooden crosses from a van parked in Plaza Santa Cruz to… wherever. Probably the Santa Cruz Church. These will be carried by some of the Nazarenos (others carry long candles) during the Semana Santa processions. There is so much preparation that goes into this crazy week (I like it, but it really is crazy) that I find my heart aching for everyone who is going to be devastated by the seriously rainy-stormy weather, forecasted to start Palm Sunday. Let’s hope things clear up! Because if it rains, nothing happens.
casa azahar 