I'm a little late on my blog post for Feria because I have been completely consumed with homework this week. I have my first ten page paper due next week Thursday, and I wanted to get it edited by the program center before I turned in my final draft. I made a few deadlines for myself, and so far I have followed them pretty closely, which is a good sign. While being in Spain, I have really perfected the lifestyle "work hard, play hard". I'd much rather avoid talking about the homework part though, so I will focus on the "play hard" part of my life. Last Monday night marked the beginning of Sevilla's "Feria de Abril". It's named "The April Fair" because usually Feria falls on the second to last, or last week of April, but this year since the Catholic calender was so late, Feria didn't even start until May 3rd. Also, there is generally a two week break between Semana Santa and Feria, but this year the city decided it was better to only allow a one week break in between the two holidays. The week of Feria was probably the most fun I have had since I have been in Spain. It is interesting because Feria has no religious affiliation, unlike that of Semana Santa and some of the other holidays during the Fall. Feria is entirely a celebration of life and a chance for families and friends to get together and enjoy time off work and school.
To begin, Feria takes place right in my neighborhood, Los Remedios. I was only a few blocks away from the big Fair and could usually hear it every night from my window when I would go to bed (and wake up in the morning for that matter too). The "campground" (for lack of a better word) where Feria takes place consists of approximately 1050 casetas and a temporary amusement park right next to it. The casetas look like little rectangular houses and are owned by various families in Seville. To own a caseta is actually a sign of wealth in Spain, because it costs thousands of dollars every year to have one. The costs don't stop there. Every caseta has a door guard who ensures that the only people who enter are members and their guests. Depending on the caseta, families will either pay for an open bar with food and drinks included or put a price on specific dishes since the Feria is truly the most expensive thing ever in Spain. A lot of the private casetas are owned by very large families who split the costs, and some are even conjoined groups of friends who buy a caseta together. It's interesting how private the Feria is, because most Spaniards are very open and welcoming but the Feria is viewed more as a chance to celebrate with the people close to you. I think that is what makes Feria special, because even as a foreigner, I could appreciate the desire to share Feria with those who mean the most to you.
Feria starts every year on a Monday night. At 12:00 (technically Tuesday), the big door-like structure leading into the Feria (called the Portero) lights up and marks the beginning of Sevilla's largest festival. On Monday, only members of the caseta are allowed in. Most casetas serve the traditional Feria dinner of fried fish and stay up early into the morning the next day dancing Sevillanas, eating, drinking and talking amongst each other. Tuesday through Thursday are the best days of the Feria because the casetas open up to member's guests and the Spaniards dress up to look their best. The last weekend of Feria is when all the tourism from around Spain usually comes to participate in the Feria of Sevilla. I was in Sevilla till Friday morning, so I got out just in time to avoid the big crowds. Of course, the tourists don't particpate in the private part of Feria, but a lot of them go on the amusement park rides and go to the public casetas as well (there are about 8 spread throughout the land) From what I saw Monday-Thursday, the Feria was the most Spanish event (besides the Flamenco) I have experienced. I almost can't put it into words because everything seemed unreal. As Americans, we have this image of what Spain is like in our heads, and the Feria fulfills and confirms that image. It's important to note that the Spaniards do not always dress in Flamenco dresses, and aren't always watching bullfights though. These traditions are special to holidays and that is what made it so cool to see and be a part of.
Back in the olden days, families were only supposed to arrive to the Feria by horse-drawn carriages. Of course, not everyone upholds this tradition, but of the few that do, it was very cool to see. Men, women and their children being brought to the Feria where they enter their caseta to drink, party and celebrate all day was just an inconceivable concept. There were also several men and women who rode their own horses through the streets of the Feria, dressed in "traje de gitanas" which a flamenco dresses, or "traje cortos" which are what the men wear to bullfights. Inside each caseta, there is a kitchen, tables and chairs, and dance floors. It's also funny because there are draw-string buckets that people put their valuables and other belongings in to protect them so they don't get lost or stolen easily. The nights are filled with more dancing, eating and drinking, and the amusement park gets much more active as well.
I went to the Feria every day, and even had the privilege of going to a friend's private caseta. He invited me for a meal on Thursday afternoon and I was able to meet his entire extended family and see what the inside of a private caseta was really like. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity because it is something I will truly never forget, and makes me feel very honored that I could partake in something so prized by his family. I wish the United States had a tradition like this, but I can only imagine what my Spanish friends would think if they came to America and saw a Saturday football tailgate! Culture differences are so interesting, and the Feria really opened my eyes to another way of partying and celebrating life.
For the weekend, I went to my other spanish friend's pueblo called Rubio. It is about an hour west of Sevilla by train and is the definition of "countryside" The reality is, there isn't very much to see when you go to a pueblo. But what I did have the opportunity to see was how normal and native Spaniards live their lives outside of the city. The houses are all next to each other, and there were two main restaurants, but much beyond that, it was all grassland. There were no supermarkets or shopping stores. It was exactly like farm towns of the United States. What I really liked about Rubio was the sense of community. Everyone in the town knew each other and makes a consistent effort to ask about how people are doing, and the most recent updates on their lives. In Rubio, I also got the chance to meet an entire extended family and get tours of each of their houses.
When I arrived Friday, I met my friends parents and she showed me around the town a little bit. We spent the whole day talking about various things on her patio and then went out to dinner at one of the two restaurants. We ate tapas and then went to the "Fiesta de la Romería", which is a prelude party to what was going to happen on Sunday. Believe it or not, we stayed out until 8:30 in the morning. I was absolutely exhausted and couldn't believe I had even managed to stay awake. It was so much fun because everyone from the town was at the party, from babies to 90 year old men and women. Needless to say, all day Saturday was spent sleeping till I awoke to a paella meal made by Elia's father. We had fish paella to start off the evening, and then my friend took me around to introduce me to her family that I hadn't met yet, and show me the church and central plaza of Rubio. Saturday night, we went out to dinner at the second restuarant and had a relaxed night in to prepare ourselves for the Romería party the next day.
On Sunday we woke up at 8:00 AM and got ready for the big fiesta. Elia put on her flamenco dress and we went out on the town to start the day. I guess you could say Romería was similar to Feria, in that there were tents owned by families and groups of friends, but it certainly wasn't as formal. We started by all gathering in the street and making a walk from the center of town into the countryside land. Since Romería is a religious holiday, we followed a procession with the Virgin Mary and Christ child up to a windmill stationed in literally "the middle of no where". When we got there, everyone started dancing Sevillana and singing. This moment marked the beginning of Romería and was very special for me to see. We then split up into our separate groups and got into our mobile-home like car. We were pulled by the back of a tractor for about and hour to the "campground" (which is literally what it was) and set up tents for the day. I'm sure you are probably reading this thinking it is the most hick, countryside festival possible, but the people were so proud of their tradition and so welcoming that I never questioned what we were doing at any minute. I spent the whole day with Elia and her friends (a group of about 20) under our tent doing what else, other than eating drinking and talking.
I was really proud of myself in Rubio because I spent practically the whole weekend speaking Spanish except for a few times when me and Elia would practice with her English. Again, I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to go to a Spanish pueblo. Her friends and family were so welcoming to me, especially for being a foreigner. They kept telling me how I was most likely the first American ever to set foot in their pueblo, and that they wanted me to go on the news and tell the world how much I loved their town and their Romería festival. I truly felt like a novelty in Rubio because everyone wanted to meet me. I guess I was just the center of attention, and it really felt good to be so welcomed and integrated.
Today a group of 13 MCP students crossed another thing off our Sevilla bucket list and went on the paddle boats through the Guadlquivir river. The company is called "Pedlquivir", and was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. We spent an hour going up and down the river and had a great time enjoying the sun and nice weather (even though yes, it was extremely hot). Tomorrow our program is going to Málaga for the weekend. It is our last program planned excursion, so I guess it will be one last hurrah before we start exams. I have made a lot of really good friends in Spain, both American kids from the program and native Spaniards. It is going to be really hard to watch everyone leave. And I am definitely going to miss my Spanish friends. It's hard to believe I am entering my last month of study abroad. I've had the time of my life, and am really going to miss every part of it.
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