The Slower Road

How about a few more pictures from Seville?

As I’ve mentioned, colorful tiles are everywhere – on the outside of buildings and covering interior walls. As you might imagine, they are of varying ages, styles, and quality. And, this being a very Catholic society, many of the themes are religious in nature.

Some I saw on my visit (and these are by no means the largest or the most elaborate of the tile decorations on buildings!):

a view of Seville

a beautiful framed image, with sconces on either side, on the side of a church

elaborate (old!) tile- and plasterwork on the walls of the 16th-century palace I visited

another framed image on the side of a church

an image celebrating the area's beautiful jacaranda trees

yet another elaborate image on the side of yet another church

I realize that I keep repeating myself, but I must say, one more time, that the Sevilla feria is a unique and wonderful experience … whether you’re just strolling the sidewalks and stopping to watch the spectacle or whether you’re invited in, as I was fortunate to have been this year.

I would like to extend a huge “thank you” to everyone who so kindly welcomed me into their homes, into their casetas (home away from home for the duration of the feria), and out for rides in their carriages this year.

Not everyone is pictured here, of course, but a few images of my Spanish friends:

Raimundo and his father, Raimundo

Pepa and Reyes

family and friends after lunch in a private caseta

Raimundo with Pepa's cousin, Fernando

members and guests of the R.C.E.A.

I’m back in the States now, after a long trip, but will still be posting photos from Spain for a couple more days.

First off, have I mentioned how extraordinary it is to see the Spanish horses (whether being ridden or driven) on the roads in the midst of traffic, with nary a mishap? One horse was hopping around a bit under its rider, but they were being kind of squeezed to the edge of the bridge by four lanes of car traffic …

this photo is slightly misleading because you can see only a couple of cars; it's fascinating to see the many riding horses and carriages (private or having been hired in the old town by people going to the feria) ... threading their way through four lanes of traffic, around the big roundabout, across the bridge, and on to the fairgrounds

People drive to the fair, or they walk, or they ride horses, or they ride in carriages, or they ride motos (it’s funny to see a man in a suit with a helmet on, driving his moto, with a flamenca-dressed lady seated sideways behind, as she might be on a horse … one of these wore a helmet but most did not, as it would be quite difficult with the flowers the women all wear in their hair). There was more of the car driving and walking this year, apparently, because the public transportation workers had timed their strike to coincide with the feria.

Sadly, we had some rain on and off on Wednesday. But no matter: most everyone (walking or in carriages) had umbrellas and the coachmen and grooms had come prepared with rainproof covers for their hats and with raincoats. All of which, of course, works quite well … but doesn’t look so feria-like in photos. Ah well. It was still a fabulous day at a most remarkable spring fair!

Raimundo and Pepa's daughter, dancing in front of her grandparents' caseta

two of the many riders, stopping for a cup of the ubiquitous drink whose name I never caught; it's a dangerously refreshing mix of manzanilla and Sprite

I was fortunate to be offered another turn around the feria in a carriage, this time with a five-in-hand in traditional harness; here: a view from my seat as we turned a corner; you can see the three leaders and one of the two wheelers

traditional Andalusian-style braids on the leaders of a team owned by Mr. Ordas, whose carriage collection our CAA group visited last year

here, finally, you can see a bit of everything on offer at Sevilla's colorful feria: the casetas, the paper lanterns over the sidewalk, the sycamore trees along the streets, a row of riders taking a drinks break, a carriage with passengers taking a turn around the feria, and women in colorful traditional dresses

Yesterday (Tuesday) was the first official day of Sevilla’s feria … when practically the entire city appears on the fairgrounds – women and children in colorful flamenco-style outfits, men in suits, riders in traditional outfits, horses in fancy English-style or traditional Andalusian harness. The day is a combination of trying “to see and be seen” and visiting with friends and family. And, as you might imagine, chatting and eating and drinking … all day long and well into the night.

It’s amazing to see how many horses with riders and horses with carriages and people walking can fit into the streets of the feria with no mishaps. I had the good fortune to take a “turn” around the feria in a carriage and the view from the middle of the traffic is even more impressive than watching it from the dusty sidewalks. This must be somewhat like the park driving of days gone by.

Without further ado, then, some images from the day. We go back for another full day today (and today is the city’s official holiday, so there should be even more people at the feria, if that’s possible), so there will be more photos still to come.

a family (with all the women in pink polka dots), arriving at the feria; this was early in the day, before the crowds packed the streets and sidewalks

a close-up of traditional Andalusian harness; I had a brief lesson from Raimundo in how the harness styles from Sevilla and Jerez are slightly different and how all the various colors should coordinate with certain parts on the carriage

the coachman whose harness you just saw; he is wearing traditional livery based on an 18th-century style

a close-up of an antique Spanish-built carriage several days before the feria; the carriage is owned by one of Raimundo's relatives and has been beautifully restored

... and the same carriage with passengers, before we set off for a turn around the feria

a line of carriages headed down the street; this was before things got really crowded

several little girls in blue and white

it's great fun to just find a spot in the shade and watch the spectacle pass by; the colors are fantastic

when they want to take a food or drink break, the riders line their horses up in rows, side by side, facing the sidewalk