Ole!

I bet that word is very cliche for Spain...but it is true that it is used here. Last night I went to a flamenco bar with some friends of mine. We were told about it by a local student and although it was a little hard to find, we got there and had a great time! All we knew was that it was on Calle Levies and that the street wasn't on a map. If you have every been to Europe and seen the small streets with building super close together, this where we went. We weaved in a out of small streets that only motos and walkers were fit down. Finally, after asking many people we found it (including a British couple who we thought looked Spanish but didn't know where it was, a young man in his car who was driving by, and a young German man who we also thought could have been Spanish but luckily lived really nearby it so he knew the area well). Our friends had already arrived at the place and told us "it has a red door and is poorly marked" that was all we had, but lo-and-behold we walked around a corner, saw a large red door, walked inside that there it was! It was a miracle we didn't get lost!

This was the first time that I had seen flamenco in real life (Youtube videos don't do it justice at all). Flamenco is the traditional dance of Spain and very particular to Spain since it is pretty secluded from the rest of Europe by the Pyrenees. It includes manos (hands), guitarra (guitar), and voz (voice). There was a man on the guitar and two other men and a woman clapping. There is no continuous beat to follow but they all seem to know when to clap harder and how fast. One of the men was singing and it also seemed to be very unstaged. It seemed that he mearly just felt the words and the soul of the song and had to yell out his feelings/thoughts. It was so beautiful. I am giving it a very poor representation. Periodically, the woman would get up and start dancing. It is hard to explain but it is a series of wrist twists and foot movements that show so much emotion. It is not a kind of dance for purely entertainment (though it can be) but it is more enjoyed through understanding the SOUL behind the music and the movements. Kind of like ballet.

It was so powerful and after every song there would be a loud "OLE!" and applause that the whole bar would yell as a kind of "MAN, that was amazing!" I have given a whole new appreciation for Flamenco since I am taking a class about it. We have had two days and it is truly about feeling the music and the emotion of the song combined with slightly planned movements/steps, but never to a T like some Jazz or Hip Hop performances in the U.S.

I have heard you can see Flamenco performances in the U.S. and I know in the Twin Cities there is a business or organization that does it for the area. If you have time for a romantic evening, I highly suggest a flamenco show to be involved. I would love to take someone when I return to MN to see a show, it is beautiful!

The rain is still coming down in Andalucia and no body knows when it is going to stop! This morniing we had a walking tour of Los Reales Alcazares (an old palace in Sevilla built in the 10th century) and luckily had umbrellas but otherwise was completely drenched. I think I have ruined at least one probably more like two pairs of shoes. No big deal though! The uneven cobblestone streets make huge puddles that surprise you when you walk right into one. It has been very miserable and cold (for here - 50s Farenheit) and the news is filled with stories about flooding and danger levels. Lots of trees have fallen due to high winds. My impression of Spain in these first few weeks includes LOTS of rain, the most delicious oranges you can imagine, dog poop left on the beautiful sidewalks, and delicious food!

An interesting side note concerning the dog poop: It is amazing how well the city of Sevilla keeps it city, employing people to sweep the streets, trash is picked up every morning, and an electric line of public transportation. However, when people walk their dogs in the street, it is VERY common to have to watch where you walk because people don't pick up after their dogs! Not to mention the large droppings for the horses in the carriages that litter the city too. It's quite an interesting contradiction.

Hoping for beautiful weather this weekend! Hope everyone is doing well and send me emails with updates on your lives! I love getting them!

Saludos,
Betsy