Fiesta! Carnaval de Cadiz y Feria en El Puerto

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I didn't really have enough to talk about for two individual blogs, so this is my experience of two of the biggest festivals in the Cadiz area.

Carnaval is a worldwide tradition that mostly takes place in primarily Catholic countries in the lead-up to Lent. Carnaval de Cadiz is famous all over Spain, with people flocking to the city from as far away as Barcelona and beyond for the 10-day festival. Before we went to Grazalema for the first weekend, we saw the Carnaval kick-off in style at the Teatro Falla. The streets were full of people partying in costume, as inside the theatre, the finals of the singing competition were taking place. Groups train for the whole year to sing about politics, topics in the news, and everyday circumstances, all of which are original compositions full of satire and wit.

When we returned from Grazalema, Carnaval was in full swing. The narrow streets were festooned with lights and decorations, packed with people and debris, and overwhelming with the smell of urine. We had the Monday and Tuesday off work, so plenty of time to join in the celebrations. On Monday, I went down to the Mercado Central to see some of the chirigotas and coros. The centre of the Old Town was jam-packed with people and performers. The coros, large groups in elaborate costumes performing on the back of moving floats, were in fine tune. Accompanied by the guitar, they alternated between comical and serious songs. Pity I couldn't undersand much with the gaditano accent, but the crowds were entertained. They were all dressed up according to different themes and there was a real party atmosphere.

The next day I met up with a friend for some cerveza, and we caught a few of the chirigotas singing on the streets. These groups are the most famous witty and satiric groups who attend Carnaval - using criticisms, parody, stinging sarcasm, and a droll play on words to get their messages across. One of my favourite acts was lampooning Angela Merkel and the Eurozone crisis, dressed as horses. I really wish I could understand more! However the harmonies, expressions, rhythym and talent were all there to enjoy. Later that night we found a stage act near my house entertaining the crowd with a pantomine act.

I missed out on the last weekend of Carnaval as I went home to Ireland for a family event. But a week later I went out with my flatmate Marion, to the La Vina Barrio. She wanted to take me to a famous and very typically Andalucian bar called Manteca, but we had to wait an hour or so for it to open. So we walked around the corner and found ourselves on a beautiful palm tree lined street called Calle Virgen de la Palma. The buildings were old and colourful, decorated with pot-plants, light and traditional music spilling out onto the streets that were lined with tables and chairs. As we sat out with our canas (small glass of beer), a marching band passed by! I found out that the weekend after Carnaval was the "Carnaval de los Inhartibles" which roughly translates as "carnival for those who aren't sick of it yet"! We wandered down to Manteca and I fell in love instantly. Only up and running for 59 years, it seems a lot older with tiled floors; shelves heaving with wine, fino and spirits; and walls completely covered in old photos and bull-fighting memorabilia, including two bull's heads mounted on the wall. They were playing chirigota music, and the camareros (waiters) put on a great show singing along as they took orders and doled out food. We got some tapas - delicious cold meats and cheeses - to nibble on as I tried to understand the conversations around me. We stayed for ages listening to the banter and stories from Carnaval. One man said he came out of his flat to find a smurf and superman having sex against a wall. Lovely!

After the drinking and debauchery of the Carnaval de Cadiz, I didn't know how Feria would compare. There are fairs all over Andalucia from April until October, with Seville being the first (and most famous) fair of the season. Feria de Primavera (Spring fair) began as a livestock trading fair where locals would gather once a year for five days. Over time this rural gathering became an increasingly social event, to the point where livestock trading gradually disappeared and left a purely social celebration in its place. El Puerto were holding their fair over the first weekend of May, and Ben and I headed over on Saturday afternoon to meet up with our friends there. After lashing down all morning, the rain had cleared and it looked like a beautiful day again.

El Puerto hold it's Feria on a purpose built fairground on the outskirts of town. It consisted of two areas. The first is full of typical fairground attractions, rollercoasters and stalls, to entertain kids and adults alike. The second is a large plot filled with methodical lines of "casetas (small marquees with a bar, tables and chairs and a dance area) where families go to eat, drink, revel and dance. Of course we headed to the casetas first! Every bar in town had their own caseta, and decorated it accordingly. The first place we went to was playing traditional music, and the locals were dancing sevillanas: the folk music and dance of the area around Seville. We had tried to dance this with the kids at Saturday camp so we tried our best, but it takes a special type of rhythm! Women were walking around wearing big, beautiful, brightly coloured Flamenco dresses. I really wanted one but at e80-100 for a cheap one it was not going to happen! A lot of men were dressed traditionally too in black suits, a white shirt with a black wide-brimmed hat - which I think is what the men wear while riding the famous dancing horses of Jerez. I did see one horse "dancing" randomly on the side of the street, very similar to what I saw in Ayacucho, Peru. I don't know why I keep getting suprised by the depth of the Spanish influence in South America!

After we met up with more of our friends, I was introduced to rebujitos, a dangerously delicious mix of sherry (fino or manzanilla) and lemonade. They came in ENORMOUS plastic cups - each one had half a litre of sherry topped up with whatever could fit in! Unsuprisingly, the Puerto Feria is known as the Feria del Fino, after the local sherry. We wandered from caseta to caseta, drinking and dancing in the last of the evening sun. Later when it got dark we hit the funfair, trying out the rollercoasters and easily spending an hour at the bumping cars giving ourselves very sore necks and bodies the next day.

Come to Andalucia if you want to fiesta!

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