April 16 2017
marchers, bands and hangers-on follow winding, cobbled routes from their home churches and chapels to the central cathedral and back again.
Round trips may take over 12 hours and there are dedicated stations where physios pummel the exhausted portapasos (strong men who carry the floats on their shoulders, hidden from sight by drapes).
It’s quite eerie at night as you nibble tapas and enjoy a drink in a bar, and slowly the sounds of marching feet get nearer and nearer. A low dirge gathers volume, and finally a huge, laden float looms into view, like an ancient sailing vessel lit up with stars. Silence falls as the figure of the Virgin is spotted on the float, glittering amidst a sea of flickering candles. The quiet might be broken by a lone singer on a balcony, breaking into a spontaneous, hoarse tribute. Bar patrons put down their drinks and make the sign of the cross.
On a lighter note, on the Thursday before Easter, Seville’s women (young and old) dress rather like glamorous widows. The traditional outfit is known as la mantilla and comprises a severe black dress, stockings, high heels and lacy mantilla. These might be accessorised by a rosary bracelet, black gloves and a necklace with a large cross plunging into a spectacular cleavage.
Our first sighting of these merry widows was several elegantly dressed women and their partners fortifying themselves with champagne and breakfast nibbles at the foodie market Lonja del Barranco, an old glass and iron building on the river bank, updated with stalls selling all kinds of artisanal food and drink. Intrigued, we crossed the 19th-century Isabel II bridge and stationed ourselves with cappuccinos in the old quarter of Triana. This is a riverside neighbourhood, celebrated for producing the bravest bullfighters, most sinuous flamenco dancers and skilled potters. Soon, leaving their homes decorated with colourful tiles and wroughtiron balconies, the proud women paraded past, hand-in-hand with their equally dashing men. — © Judy Bryant
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