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 VISUALISE
a scene where dark-haired beauties flounce by in colourful
be-ruffled flamenco dresses . . . the affluent young landed class,
handsome in traditional upscale "gaucho" style, ride past with a
studied arrogance on thoroughbred horses . . . and an equally
elegant older generation cavorts about via horse-drawn carriages. At
first glimpse it's like a dress rehearsal for some wide-screen
production in vibrant Technicolor, with everyone in costume ready to
assume their role.
Truth is, this happens every year in
Seville, Spain where for five days the city parties through the
night in a style that makes New Year's Eve seem like a subdued dress
rehearsal.
Like so many things in this history-centred country, roots for
this remarkable gala go back to another century. What is now world
famous as Seville's Feria actually began as a trade fair in 1846.
Its original intent was to improve business in trade and
agriculture. The imaginative party-loving Spanish soon turned it
into something far livelier – a folkloric celebration that also
combines business with bullfights, dancing, dining and a unique
variety of hoopla.
This writer happened on all its excitement by accident while
travelling in Spain. There to cover other pre-scheduled attractions
and events, my arrival in Seville happily coincided with the fair's
opening.
Somehow, intuitively one knows that any event beginning with
simultaneous illumination of half a million lights at midnight is
geared to night owls! And in a country where the evening meal begins
somewhere around 10 o'clock, it goes without saying the Spanish are
night owls.
Somehow, we're told it all manages to combine business with
pleasure. But to the casual observer's eye, the emphasis definitely
seems to be on pleasure.
IT'S held on a huge open site south of town and local Sevillans
build literally an entire temporary village of small casitas. All
are brightly decorated, covered in bright red or green striped
canvas. There are flags, flowers, sometimes elaborate signs
displaying the casita's name. Many are private, some public.
These casitas serve multiple purposes. There's a wood floor for
some flamboyant flamenco dancing, an area for sipping and savouring
local sherry along with tapas snacks for nibbling. And when we met
the mayor, we were told much business is conducted in the midst of
this carnival-like atmosphere.
In some ways, it's like a giant family reunion with everyone
glamorous in their most elaborate flamenco dresses, parading around
with great enthusiasm to see and be seen. It resembles a great
encampment of some regal mediaeval potentate moving across his lands
with an impressive entourage.
Adjoining the casita area are display booths selling all sorts of
goodies, along with dizzying rides to keep youngsters amused. After
an afternoon and early evening there taking enough photos to fill an
album, we retreat to solitude of the country estate chosen as our
headquarters.
It's not that Seville itself doesn't offer exceptional
accommodations . . . it definitely does.
A real standout heading the super posh list is five-star Hotel
Alfonso XIII which has all the style and design of a royal
palace.
In fact, it was built in 1929 to coincide with the Ibero-American
Exhibition and inaugurated by King Alfonso XIII. Its public rooms
are spectacular with elaborate tiles, woodwork and fountains. In the
late 1970s, grandson King Juan Carlos I reopened it after extensive
restoration work.
But lured by solitude of a unique country setting where
our personal battery gets a super recharge, we drove north from
Seville some 15 kilometres to Hacienda Benazuza, edging the village
of Sanluca la Mayor.
A member of the Great Hotels of the World, it has prices to match
its five-star acclaim (seasonal). Often written up in glossy
magazines as a premier location, it was built by the Moors and dates
to the tenth century and was converted to a hotel in 1992. With an
impressive setting, it resembled an Arab village and the kind of
place travellers seek out.
Although unique, there were some loose ends reminiscent of a John
Cleese Fawlty Towers sequence during my stay. The bellman (in tails,
of course) managed to lay my garment bag in a water puddle in the
process of removing it from the car and delivering it to my suite.
Expected faxes were never delivered, but had to be sought out at
the desk. Car keys given to staff went temporarily missing. But the
very special atmosphere with its grand staircases, elaborate
ceilings, vintage stables and spacious grounds were worth any minor
glitches. Surprise of surprises, even the dining room waiter had
worked at a Bermuda hotel.
With a fondness for historic properties, we're considering the
Parador at Carmona, 32 kilometres east of Seville, for a
subsequent visit. One of Spain's justifiably acclaimed paradores,
it's located among remnants of King Pedro the Cruel's summer palace.
The Feria is always held two weeks after Easter, which this year
happens to be very early. Easter week itself is a time for historic
statues to be taken from local churches and paraded through
Seville's streets in dramatic procession. However, Feria (this year
April 25 to 30) is the time for people of Seville to parade
themselves.
But the area deserves a visit at any season. Even Cervantes, when
imprisoned there in a debtor's prison, took his incarceration in
stride. Asking for pen and paper, he began writing Don Quixote.
Writer Washington Irving described it as "exotic" and early visitors
were equally impressed. They included St. Therese of Avila in the
16th century, who spoke of its enchanting personality.
According to legend, Seville was founded by Hercules, but
evidence of its earliest origins remain shrouded in mystery.
Originally called Hispalis, that name is thought to be of Phoenician
or Iberian origin. Caesar founded a colony there in 45 BC and it
became capital of Spain under Roman rule.
BIZET chose it as setting for Carmen – in fact, the famous cigar
factory of that production is now part of the University of Seville.
Rossini's famous barber, Figero, played out his fictional life
there, and painters Diego Velázquez and Bartolomé Murillo began life
in that city. Magellan set out to circle the globe from there.
In fact, during the Age of Discovery, Seville became one of the
world's richest cities and memories of that gilded era remain. With
an impressive collection of ancient churches, cathedrals, palaces
and other treasured and tiled architectural marvels, it's a joy just
to drive around and view them.
Miles of gardens and avenues are abloom with jasmine and orange
blossoms. Music seems to be everywhere and there are endless lists
of locations where flamenco is performed with a lively flair worthy
of José Greco, whom I saw perform several times during the height of
his career.
Far too many worthy sites exist to catalogue them here in detail.
Seldom does one see such a blend of Moorish, Renaissance, Gothic,
Baroque and Mudejar styles and visitors will barely scratch the
surface of sightseeing possibilities.
Only St. Peter's in Rome and London's St. Paul's are larger than
Seville's massive cathedral. An elaborate tomb borne by four kings
was constructed for remains of Christopher Columbus, who was brought
there in 1506.
But as an explorer who travelled the world, it should come as no
surprise he was soon carried back to the West Indies, then
supposedly returned here centuries later. But many historians
theorise it was actually his son who was returned to Seville and
that Columbus rests in the Dominican Republic. Regardless of where
he is, the tomb and overwhelming cathedral are worth a visit. Of
special interests are Archives of the West Indies, located in a
Renaissance building dating to 1785. It was designed by the
architect of the famous royal El Escorial Palace. Nearly 40,000
documents relating to Spanish exploration in the West Indies and
South America are protected and preserved there . . . unfortunately
they are not yet fully catalogued. They include signatures of
Magellan, Cortes and Columbus.
Temporarily closed to the public during renovations, it is
available to researchers who make prior arrangements. Since Seville
was such an important centre during the Age of Discovery, it's
possible information concerning early sightings of Bermuda could be
found there.
Spain has so much to offer travellers, one can only hope to cover
small segments on a trip to savour it properly. It's truly an
abundance of riches and happily locals have wisely realised the
value of saving and preserving sites of historic and scenic
interest, not bulldozing them in the name of "progress". No wonder
tourists beat a path to their door.
In this area travellers won't want to miss
Cordova with its famous Moorish Mosque dating to the eighth
century. The list of must-sees is long . . . Arcos de Frontera,
Jerez,
Ronda and the unchanging charms of the
Andalusian villages. Hopefully, we'll revisit there in future.
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