Easter in Seville, Spain

		Semana Santa en Sevilla Easter celebration in Spain is a manifestation of ancient rituals that provide glimpses to the country's fiercely religious history.  The Easter Week, known in Spain as "Semana Santa", begins with the "Domingo de Ramos" (Palm Sunday) and ends with "Lunes de Pascua" (Easter Monday).  Easter traditions and rituals are marked by regional flavors across the length and breadth of Spain. In this blog we are going to talk about Easter in Seville, one of the most important and beautiful cities in the region of Andalucia, Spain.
First of all, don't be scared if you see people dressed in a habit and with a pointed hood ("capirote"), nothing as bad as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK)! these are the traditional clothes for some of the Seville's Easter Parades ("procesiones").  Easter in Seville is one of the most important traditional events of the city, one to two weeks before the city's other great celebration, the "Feria", and is amongst the largest religious event in Spain, internationally renowned for its drama. Religious devotion, art, colour and music combine in acts to commemorate the death of Jesus Christ. Members of the different Easter brotherhoods, dressed in their characteristic robes, parades through the streets carrying religious statues to the sound of drums and music – scenes of sober beauty. The week features the procession of "pasos", floats of lifelike wooden sculptures of individual scenes of the events of the Passion, or images of the Virgin Mary showing restrained grief for the torture and killing of her son. They are Baroque statues with silver and gold crowns, embroidered cloaks and velvet tunics which only reveal face and hands. Some of the sculptures are of great antiquity and are considered artistic masterpieces. They carry the pasos on their shoulders. Approximately 60 processions are scheduled for the week, from Palm Sunday through to Easter Sunday morning. The climax of the week is the night of Maundy Thursday, when the most popular processions set out to arrive at the Cathedral on the dawn of Good Friday, known as the "madrugá".  The processions are organized by hermandades and cofradías, religious brotherhoods. During the processions, members precede the pasos (of which there are up to three in each procession) dressed in penitential robes, and, with few exceptions, hoods. They may also be accompanied by brass bands. The processions work along a designated route from their home churches and chapels to the Cathedral, usually via a central viewing area and back. The processions from the suburban barrios may take 14 hours to return to their home churches. They must all pass the so-called “official section”, which starts in "Calle Campana" (Bell Street) and finishes passing through the Cathedral. The "saetas" are very emotional moments of the processions: these are flamenco songs, recited a cappella from the balconies in honour of the statues. The early hours of Good Friday constitute the most important time of the Seville Easter week celebrations. That day, some of the most venerated statues make their way through the streets, such as "Jesús del Gran Poder", "la Macarena" (not the song!), "la Esperanza de Triana" and "el Cristo de los Gitanos". The streets of the city fill with people and with emotion all night and well into the following morning. We would, however, recommend patience, because the waits to admire these beautiful statues tend to be long. Without doubt the local heroes of the night are the lads who carry the thrones. Always hidden away in Seville, but you might catch a glimpse when they pop out for a well earned drink. You can see processions by heading for any point on their routes, except in the official section. Here there are seats and stands from which to admire the passing processions. If you would like to reserve a place, contact the "Consejo Superior de Hermandades y Cofradías" (Brotherhoods’ Association) on tel. +34 902 995 275, or via their website: www.hermandades-de-sevilla.org From Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday traffic is closed off in city centres and the solemn processions take over in the afternoons (so be sure to do your shopping in the morning). The aroma of burning candles, the passionate strains of a late night saeta and the mournful trumpets that accompany images of Christ and the Virgin Mary create an other-wordly ambience that can transport even the most casual observer to another time and place. You will never see anything like it again. Seville has various shops dedicated to the sale of "Nazareno" robes, including sandles and "Capirotes". Many of these shops can be found on the "Calle Alcaiceria de la Loza". The cone shape "Capirote" are made to measure while you wait.  Up to one million people attend the celebrations of Holy Week in Seville, that is why you should book your hotel or apartment for holy week in Seville with more than three months in advance to make sure you find lodging to your liking. Also, it's worth to plan a stay during the beginning of the week, since from thursday on it is holiday in Spain and the city gets (over)crowded. The chances to find flights, good lodging and enjoy better views over the processions and the city itself are considerably higher from sunday to wednesday. Another big city famous for their "Semana Santa" celebrations is Malaga, but you can find Easter processions in almost all the big cities of Spain and some small towns/villages too. More info about Easter in Seville can be found here: http://www.sevillaonline.es/english/seville-city-centre/semana-santa_holy-week.htm For more info about Seville, visit: www.visitasevilla.es Thanks for reading www.Letsgo2spain.com

Fallas in Valencia, Spain

The Valencian Bonfire Week! From 15th to 19th March Fallas is a traditional celebration held in commemoration of Saint Joseph in Valencia, Spain. The term Fallas refers to both the celebration and the monuments created during the celebration. Each neighbourhood of the city has an organized group of people that works all year long holding fundraising parties and dinners, usually featuring the famous specialty paella. Each neighbourhood produces a sculpture known as a Falla which is eventually burnt and are made, mainly, of cardboard and wood.   The sculptures are design in a certain theme. Normally you can recognize various national and international happenings and figures in a sarcastic way. The figures withing the Falla are called Ninot. Sometimes theses Fallas are more than 30 meters high and the most expensive Falla in the year 2009 cost approximately 1 million euro. There are many events happening during these days and they are all named with Valencian words, the most important ones are: La Plantà: on the 15th March. All the neighborhoods set up their Fallas throughout the city, there will be more than 600! The plantà is officially scheduled between 8am and midnight, and once it’s done Fallas is really underway!     La Mascletà: an explosive barrage of coordinated firecracker and fireworks displays, takes place in each neighbourhood at 2:00 pm every day of the festival; the main event is the municipal Mascletà in the Plaça de l'Ajuntament where the pyrotechnicians compete for the honor of providing the final Mascletà of the fiestas (on March 19).         Don’t go if you have problems with your ears. They’re extremely loud, even if you’re prepared. If you’re unsure whether you’ll like it. We recommend watching from the northern end of Plaza de l’Ayuntamiento. You can always get closer.   If you’re a daredevil or hate your eardrums, show up 20 minutes before 2pm and claim a front-row spot. Actually, for the last 5 mascletàs, make that an hour early, these are the most popular and the plaza will be packed. Above all, if it gets too loud, don’t stick your finger in your ears. This prevents the regulation of air pressure and could damage your eardrum. The trick is to cover your whole ear with your hand and keep your mouth slightly open. Some Mascletas are organised by the beach at different times too.   L'Ofrena floral: Each falla neighborhood takes an offering of flowers to the virgin. This occurs all day on their days of March 17 and March 18. The virgin's body is then constructed with these flowers. Getting around the city is a tricky affair on these two days, over 100,000 falleros, falleras and musicians from all around the Valencian community storm towards the Plaza de la Virgen. The parades last around 7 hours on each day.     The music is lively and the falleras proud. And braving the crowd packing into the Plaza de la Virgen, in order to get a glimpse of the men creating the Mare de Deu’s dress of flowers, is something you simply have to do during Fallas   Els Castells and La Nit del Foc: On the nights of the 15, 16, 17, and 18th there are firework displays in the old riverbed in Valencia. Each night is progressively grander and the last is called La Nit del Foc, (the Night of Fire). These shows are always incredible, so it’s worth staying up late into the night to see it. They will be around 1am or even later. Over 4000 kilograms of gunpowder is used in a show that lasts over 20 minutes, and consists of one highlight on top of another. Expect over 500,000 people up to watch the fireworks on the last night.       La Cremà: Starting around midnight on the 19th March, all the Fallas figures are burned to the ground. The whole city seems to be in flames, and the huge bonfires on almost every block make for a surreal experience. Watching one of the large monuments burn is memorable. An act which combines melancholy and renewal in equal parts, la cremà is something that stays with you for awhile. By the next morning, everything’s cleaned up and back to normal — you’ll find yourself walking the city streets, wondering if everything was just a dream.   This festival is not for everyone. If you can’t tolerate noise and firecrackers, then you’d be well advised to stay away. As a matter of fact, many Valencians detest Fallas and vacate the city as the hordes of revelers arrive. There are many parades in the streets during Fallas, that are nice and interesting to see, but the “Fire Parade” at the 19th of March 2012 can be really recommended. Try to take a siesta. After the 2pm Mascletà, eat and rest up so you’re ready to go out again around 6. With luck, you’ll have energy enough to stay out until the early morning hours — just like a real Valencian!       While walking from monument to monument during Fallas, stock up on energy with buñuelos, which are sold on almost every street corner in Valencia during Fallas. Don’t forget to get a cup of super thick hot chocolate as well, for dunking. A view of the city’s streets while the festival is on – and even a few days beforehand – is a sight worth seeing. The Fallas Committees decorate their districts with the most impressive artistic lighting. Every corner of Valencia is decorated with a multicoloured display of hundreds of garlands of lights, in a multitude of shapes, colours and bold designs. The lighting in the Ruzafa district is especially attractive, where narrow alleys combine with broad, spacious streets, providing a huge range of illumination possibilities. Don’t wait around until the last minute to find accomodation. Prices climb as the festival nears — for example we saw a single dorm room bed being sold for €150 per person per night.     You can find more info and events dates, times and details in: http://www.fallasfromvalencia.com/ Thanks for reading www.letsgo2spain.com

VIVA back in Manchester!

¡Viva! Spanish & Latin American Film Festival

MANCHESTER: Fri 2 – Sun 18 March 2012 This is the 18th edition of the Festival in the CornerHouse in Manchester. This years highlights are: "Pa Negre" (the first Catalan-language film to win the Best Film Goya) and the new Emilio Aragon's movie "Pájaros de papel" that will also be in the Opening Gala Night.   There will be 18 movies in total including drama, comedies, animated movies and documentaries too. All the movies are subtitled in English and you will be able to see not only Spanish movies but also Latin American ones from Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Peru, etc. During the festival will be some other cultural events like arts exhibitions, talks, debates and Spanish Language Study Sessions! Visit the official website for further information www.vivafilmfestival.com or download the PDF brochure by clicking in the following link: http://www.cornerhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Viva-2012-Festival-Brochure.pdf www.letsgo2spain.com

Spanair Closed Down

Spanair Closed Down

It's all over the news, Spanair has ceased all its operations as the airline company has gone bust! "The company has decided to cease its operations as a measure of caution and safety," Spanair said in a statement late Friday, citing a poor financial outlook. An estimated 22,000 passengers who had booked seats on more than 220 canceled flights have been left looking for alternative arrangements and instructions on how to seek reimbursements.   AENA (Spanish airports authority) said special lounges had been allocated for Spanair customers, who were being allocated to other airlines, but they had to buy their tickets. Find the official annoucement here: http://www.spanair.com/es_pos/en_GB/portal/Error/Page404 or follow their new Twitter Channel if you want the most updated information: https://twitter.com/Spanairinformac (Although it's in Spanish) Until everything get sorted Ryanair has launched a €49 Rescue Fare, this might help many passengers that need to travel and can't afford new tickets, for more information from Ryanair go to http://www.ryanair.com/en/news/ryanair-launches-49-euro-spanair-rescue-fare. Aswell as Easyjet with a €50 Rescue Fare http://corporate.easyjet.com/media/latest-news/news-year-2012/27-01-2012-en.aspx The Spanish government said it was taking disciplinary action against Spanair for breaching rules on continuity of services and passengers' rights in the course of its sudden shutdown, and may fine it up to 9.0 million euros. Spanair's former owner, Scandinavian airline SAS, said it ratained a 10% share in the Spanish carrier and the bankruptcy would hit its own results to the tune of 191 million euros or $252 million.   Lastest News from a Spanish Newspaper confirmed that Spanair has agreed with IATA to refund all the affected passengers, here is the full article in Spanish: http://www.elperiodico.com/es/noticias/economia/spanair-negocia-como-devolver-dinero-los-viajeros-afectados-1365201 As soon as we heard more news we will be posting comments in this blog. www.letsgo2spain.com

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