2 days to go

It is nearly Easter. Which means Semana Santa in Spain... or rather in Sevilla. I already noticed it yesterday when I had a wonderful 45 min. bus ride in a crowded bus. Sweating like a nutter, carrying my notebook and a huuuge bag. So Semana Santa tourism started.. And we don't talk about a few busses.. We talk about an increase in population of 1.000.000 people. Wowi! All the brass bands are already rehearsing for weeks along the river, trying to march synchronized. The costaleros (carrying about 60 kg each on their neck) had their rehearsals and even andi and me get informed. Got this free booklet which contains all the 59 processions which take place in the city. Starting this Sunday till next Sunday. And now it comes.. Each of the processions have their "crowd". The band, the "penitente" (sinners carrying wooden crosses), the "ciriales" (church members dressed like priests carrying silver staffs with candles) and the "nazarenos" (the white guys in the picture).

BUT the nazarenos are not 10, 50 or 100 per procession.. no! starting with 400 and ending with incredible 3000 of them escorting the Virgen de la Macarena from Thursday 0:30 till Friday 12:00 a.m. OVER 12 HOURS of carrying a 2500 kg Virgin Mary through the narrow streets of Sevilla. Followed by 3500 members of the church. So probably you can see that we get a bit scared there... Will be a weird feeling seeing each night about 6600 of these cone shaped hoods marching through the town. Some of them not allowed to speak.. the smell of incense, the sound of the mourning music... Hell, that's exciting!