This is long. I hope you enjoy it.
I returned a week ago from spending Semana Santa or Holy Week in Sevilla, Spain. It was one of the most incredible things I have ever seen in my life! People had warned me in advance that the crowds would be heavy and I think with that information, I was able to manage my expectations. It was crowded, but it was a gentle crowd and I felt like I was part of their wonderful celebration. Fortunately, I was traveling with my former college Spanish professor who was a font of knowledge about where to go and what to see in Seville. She attended the Semana Santa festivities in 1970 when she went to every single salida. It wasn’t my goal to see every salida but we did go to a few. The rain was a damper in Seville as many days of processions were canceled.
I am not a Catholic, but I am a Christian and prior to leaving, I had some prejudices about what Semana Santa would be like. My ideas were smashed as I was caught up in a truly reverent observance of this most holy season in the Christian calendar. I have a great deal of respect for the churches of Spain in their consistent, devoted display of the last week in the life of Jesus. I think that even non-religious people would enjoy seeing the processions and festivities of Semana Santa.
We stayed in the Barrio Santa Cruz, which is the labyrinth of streets formerly known as the Jewish Quarter. (I believe) I loved wandering through the neighborhood and routinely getting lost in the cobblestone lanes. It was quite crowded with tourists and someday I’d like to return to Seville during a low season. However, I enjoyed engaging the shopkeepers and waiters in conversations. It was great to practice my Spanish, but I confess that the Andalucian accent is difficult for me. I guess I need to go back and practice more!
One day we took a bus to the coastal town of Sanlucar to tour a bodega. The tour was interesting as we wandered through dark, cavernous buildings filled with casks of various types of sherry. The scent of the sea was in the air. (and the impending rain!) The price of the tour was 6 euros and included 4 generous samples of sherry. I even purchased a bottle of Pedro Ximenez to take home. I would love to return to Sanlucar to enjoy the beach and sea. The small town atmosphere is also authentic and lovely! We saw some pasos stored in their church awaiting processions later in the week.
Flamenco was definitely on the schedule as there was a performance venue in the entrance to our hotel. I was completely mesmerized by the dancers and musicians. The one hour show seemed to only take a few minutes. The stage and seating are was quite intimate with only two or three rows of seats around a wooden patio. I am not a flamenco expert, but I certainly enjoyed it very much. Again, I will have to return to develop my flamenco critic skills.
I am not normally a spa person, but a new friend invited me to join her for a spa day. The price was about half what I imagine you would pay in the US. We arrived at 12:30 and had two hours of pampering. The first hour or so was Arab style bath therapy. We had three Jacuzzi pools with many different jets massaging various parts of the body. The water was warm, but not hot. There were two saunas available that did provide heat. One sauna was dry and the other was wet. I liked the dry sauna a lot. (The day before, I had been a bit sick with a cold and fever. I had considered canceling, but decided to go ahead and I’m so glad that I did! I think the massage and water therapy was good for my health.) The massage was lovely and I think that in the future, I will add this to my agenda for travel. It is a relaxing experience for the weary traveler!
Seville has always been a magical city to me and this trip definitely did not disappoint. However, I love Madrid and when I got back into town (both arriving from the US and later in the week from Seville); I had an overwhelming feeling of being “home” again. I can’t wait to return to Spain again very soon.
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