Music: From Carmen to the Macarena

This morning, we headed to Maria Luisa Park.  It was the former site of a 1929 International Exposition to champion the Spanish-speaking world.  On the way, we passed Seville's University. It's housed in the former royal cigar factory.  Yes, THAT cigar factory where saucy Carmen charms soldiers and toreadors alike.  Unlike an opera such as Tosca (where there's no way in hell that Tosca throws her fat body from the Castel sant'Angelo into the Tiber), Carmen's premise is less of a stretch.  The Plaza de Toros, the cigar factory and the soldiers' barracks are all in close proximity.  The factory was massive, with 10,000 young women rolling cigars.  Now that it's the University of Seville, it's non-smoking!  If you've seen Carmen, you know the fountain that features prominently in her singing La Habanera. There's only one, so this must be it!

 

 

 

 





 The park itself was extraordinary.  The Spanish wanted to remind the world that they had been big stuff a few hundred years earlier and they were ready to spend some serious cash on showing off.  The place is filled with 'pavilions' representing countries from around the world.  Spain's Plaza Espana is easily the most grand.



After the park, it was off to La Basilica de Macarena.  No, we didn't do it. Sadly, we'd missed the chance to see the only reason one GOES to the basilica--to see the treasury.  It's highlight is a pair of 5 ton silver floats that are carried by teams of 48 men at a time during a procession for Holy Week.  They take the BVM VERY seriously here.  She sports some jewels that would make mere mortals green with envy.  Yes, the BVM at the altar is standing on the silver float in 'the treasury'.