Just so these photos don't get lost in the midst of the new ones I just added; I wanted to give you a glimpse of what I saw during Semana Santa. Unfortunately, it wasn't the extravagant, passionate production it normally is. The disaster of a rainy Holy Week is thankfully rare: the last time it happened was 80 years ago. This sight (photo on left) generally greeted me in the streets; drenched and empty seating, all over the city.
I happened upon a beautiful, stationary paso Sunday morning before attending church. I had a few minutes to spare and across the street, the doors of a Catholic church were open (which are so often shut, the suspense had been building to see what was behind them) and therefore I decided to investigate. This was my curiosity's reward (photo on right); its flowers and candles were splendid and numerous. They lit up the room, which slowly started to fill with people. By the afternoon, I saw a line stretching down the entire street, easily 200 people long. And to think, I had strolled right in! The other "float" in the church was golden and ornate, featuring Jesus' suffering and bearing of the cross, in contrast to the floral beauty of Mary's paso:
Next up, the week-long party known as la Feria! It officially begins Monday--let's hope it won't rain. I hope to once again don some flamenco gear and hit the streets and casetas (tents) with my camera at the ready.
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