We walked down Gran Via de Colon, to the Plaza de Isabel Catolica, to take a look at the cathedral, but it is so surrounded by other buildings, that meaningful photos are not possible. In the same complex is the Capilla Real (Royal Chapel) where Queen Isabella and her husband Ferdinand are buried. I was the lucky one who was offered a sprig of rosemary by a woman, but having read the tourist guides, I said no and turned away, and she left me alone. We did see two other people get sucked in though....they offer you a sprig of rosemary, and when you put your hand out to take it they grab your arm and want to read your palm. Then they ask for money for reading your palm, and tell you that coins are bad luck, so you have to give them at least 5 euros. We watched one young couple held in the death grip of two women until they were outside the cathedral grounds, at which point the women gave up and went in search of new victims.
Next stop was the tourist information in Plaza Nueva to get a better map of the city, and then we walked through Albaycin (the Moorish quarter). There is very little visible of the Moorish history, but we did see a few buildings with wall frescos (age unknown).
We stopped for coffee in Plaza Nueva, while we waited for a flamenco ticket office to open. Tickets were 18 euros for an hour long show and included a drink, so we bit the bullet and bought tickets for tonight's show at 8:45 pm.
By 1 pm it was up to 31 degrees and we were drooping and ready for a break, so back to the apartment for lunch and siesta.
At 4:30 pm we headed out to walk some of the "Paseos" in the San Anton and San Matias areas, but while only about 4 blocks from the apartment we heard band music, so we had to investigate. The source of the music was a large band comprised of people of all ages, and they were marching down the street, towards the basilica of the Immaculada, where they stopped on the sidewalk.
There was obviously more to come as there were policemen on the next few intersections, so we hung around to see what happened. It turned out that there was to be a religious procession, and soon people carrying banners and staffs came out, followed by priests, then the large "float" pictured below, which was being carried by a number of people who were hidden underneath it. They turned away from us, marched up the street for a block, before turning around and came back past the church, joining the procession, which soon headed off with the band in tow.
I checked online for any hint of what they may have been celebrating, based on today's date and the liturgical calendar, but drew a blank, as it did not seem connected with St. Luke's day. If any of you have suggestions please let me know. This was the first religious procession that we have come across, and it was quite a sight to see.
As we continued, we saw several tea stores in our wanderings, and one particular type intrigued me - Rooibos Cannabis. I don't know if you are supposed to drink it or smoke it.
We then watched a magician in the Plaza Bib-Rambla, and didn't actually get to where we had planned to walk, before we had to head home for dinner. Everybody, young and old, seemed to be out enjoying the day. And what better way to enjoy the day than with an ice cream....
At 8 pm we walked back to Plaza Nueva for our Flamenco show, which we thoroughly enjoyed. The organization seemed like it was their first day in business, but the show itself was great. There were 4 performers (a guitarist, a vocalist, and a male and female dancer), and they kept us entertained for more than an hour. So we can now cross flamenco off our to do list, and focus on other activities.
Now, it is time to get some rest before we head to the Alhambra, the big tourist attraction in town, in the morning, so stay tuned....
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