La Giralda - Seville's Cathedral
The streets of Seville throng with Semana Santa this week. Between Palm Sunday and Easter itself, the city hosts a delicate combination of solemn religious processions and a candy-floss-coloured carnival.
Nazareno, Sevilla
The radios and newspapers buzz with timetables, with 2010 seeing the arrival of a downloadable version for your mobile phone and, of course, a dedicated twitter stream (#ssanta10 if you’re curious and can speak Spanish.)
On Thursday night, Seville’s metro system stays awake all night to cater for the crowds that fill its escalators in both directions.
So, what’s it all about?
The full Travel Lab Report is coming soon, in the meantime here are some photos from last night to whet your appetite…
As part of Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday. Oh, and those are bats flying over the cathedral in the first photo…and yes, children carry three foot candles while dressed in long gowns and then play with fire to make wax balls:
UPDATE: The Travel Lab Report on Semana Santa in Seville is here.
Making a Wax Ball, Seville
Sounds like good old fashioned fun playing with fire without all those boring health & safety regulations that force us to ban sparklers and christingle candles in the UK
I am not much for huge crowds, but this looks like something I would get carried away in. As pps said, playing with fire would be so regulated here in the U.S. that all the candles would be shielded!
Seville is calling me even during a religious holiday. What better way to be introduced (or reintroduced) to a culture than with a festive carnival.
It’s certainly an atmospheric (if crowded) time to visit Seville – with a completely different approach to personal responsibility and safety than the UK & US!
what gorgeous photos – i can’t even imagine being in such a huge crowd, though.
Thank you. The crowds weren’t too bad – about the same size as rush hour on the London Underground but with less intensity!