Upon arrival to the fairgrounds, which take place in the Andalucian capital of Seville in southern Spain, you are greeted with a magical entrance that appears to look like a lit up castle or ornate building.

Feria De Abril Traditions

Once inside, the “costumes,” so to speak, only add to the whimsicality of the event. The women wear their best trajes de Flamenca, Flamenco-style dresses, and the men in the traditional traje corto or short jacket, though more common today is a standard suit. I could imagine that wearing the correct outfit is mandatory for all the Sevillanos or Sevillians. As this was our first time at the fair, we didn’t have our own Flamenco dresses.

Plus, none of us could actually dance the traditional Sevillana or Sevillian Flamenco dance, so it didn’t seem absolutely necessary. Given the chance to decide again, however, I would absolutely try to find the dress to wear, whether I bought it online or second hand, as it definitely makes you feel more included in the festivities.

Inside The Fairgrounds

The fairgrounds are set up in rows of casetas or small tents. Most of the tents are private and you can only enter with permission. There are some public tents, however, which is where we went. Inside each tent is music, dancing, drinking typical cocktails such as the rebujito, a mix of Sherry and a soft drink, and eating tapas.

Officially, the festivities begin at midnight on Monday night, two weeks after the Semana Santa or Easter Holy Week, and end the following Sunday. Many of the activities already start on the Saturday before the official opening, however.

The people in the public tents were quite friendly; we were able to have a few conversations with the locals that ended up teaching us some of the traditional Sevillana. We were not very good, to say the least, but it was a great cultural experience to learn something new and meet a few locals. Around 4 or 5 in the morning, people began going to the larger tents, which also had more popular music from today. Wanting to “do as the locals do” we stayed out until dawn dancing, having some typical drinks and enjoying the food!

The Sevillana dance:

Planning For Your Trip to Feria

Keep in mind, as the Seville Fair is a very popular destination, we had a lot of trouble finding a place to stay since we decided to go only a month before the fair. Fortunately, I had a friend that lived in Seville that let us stay at her house.

If you plan to visit, I would recommend booking your accommodation far in advance. Also, make sure that you are close enough to walk to the fairgrounds, as they are not located in the center of the city. Instead, the fairgrounds are located in Los Remedios, to the southwest of the city, next to the Guadalquivir River. Overall, it was a great experience and a glimpse into a true tradition of Southern Spain, I would absolutely go back in a heartbeat!

[Andalucia.com], [Wikipedia]

The culture has a rich heritage with ancient roots, which predate the arrival of the Romans. Historians estimate that the genetic uniqueness of the Basques even predates the arrival of agriculture in the Iberian Peninsula, dating back at least 7,000 years.

The fact that the Basque community is present today after thousands of years, while many other cultures have simply disappeared, is just one distinctive factor of their culture. Some consider the Basques to genetically represent the indigenous people that first inhabited the European continent, while other studies have shown that they are not significantly genetically different from others in the Iberian Peninsula (modern day Spain).

The Basque Language

The traditional Basque language is indisputably considered one of the most distinct aspects of their culture, as it has no roots in Indo-European languages. It is believed to be one of the only surviving pre-Indo-European languages in Europe (developed before the Romance languages such as Spanish), and the only in Western Europe. In Basque, the language is known as Euskara, with various dialects. For Basques living in Spain during the rule of Franco, it was considered an act of dissent to speak Euskara, rather than Castellano, and the culture was deeply repressed.

The Basque Culture

In the autonomous community known as Basque Country in northern Spain, one can see that the Basque people continue to be extremely proud of their heritage, if not more due to their lengthy suppression during the 1900’s. They are also one of the most economically strong regions of Spain with a significant amount of industry.

A prime example of their cultural pride is the annual Basque Fest that takes place in the prominent cities of Bilbao and Vitoria-Gasteiz at the end of March and beginning of April. During this time, the Easter festivities such as street processions coexist with aspects of Basque traditions such as gastronomy, sports and customs.

The festival is based on the linking of tradition and modernity through five pillars of Culture, Music, Market, Sport and Gourmet, united together by the icon of the “Lauburu”, the traditional symbol of the Basques.

A Famous Basque Festival

When we visited Bilbao, it was actually coincidental that the festival was going on at the same time. However, it was truly a great experience as there were not many tourists there and we could get a first hand view of deep cultural traditions. Scattered throughout the city were various art exhibitions, dances, street theatres, craft fairs and children’s entertainment that were free to join.

Another really cool part of the festival was the Basque sport competitions. As the Basque people were historically farmers or fishermen, their traditional sports are based on these lifestyles, known as “Basque rural sports”. Examples include wood chopping, stone/anvil/bale lifting, cob gathering, tug-of-war, weight carrying and dragging games. These games are obviously very physically demanding, and it was so exciting to see them taking place live!

[Basquefest.com], [Basques in Spain], [Wikipedia], [Discover Magazine]

What is Las Fallas?

The name Las Fallas, referred to as Falles in English, literally means “the fires” in Valencian. Residents of each of the neighborhoods, known as the Casal faller, gather together, plan, organize and construct figures known as ninots (“puppets” or “dolls”), made of various materials such as cardboard, wood, paper-machè or plaster. These figures can cost up to €75,000 according to online research, though when I visited there, I was told they can cost up to €150,000!

You may be wondering how can something made of such cheap materials be so expensive?

Well, would you believe it if I told you they can be up to five stories tall? Intricately painted and designed by local artists, which can take the entire year to complete, and and then placed in a central area of each neighborhood (most likely in the middle of an intersection). This day is known as la plantà (the rising).

Aren’t yet convinced? Have a look at actually how cool they look!

Typically, the ninots of today are constructed to represent satirical scenes or current events, particularly in the political sense such as the Spanish politicians. I remember when we were there in 2013, there was a depiction of the botched restoration of the nearly century year old Fresco Ecce Homo by Elías García Martínez by amateur painter Cecilia Giménez.

So you may be thinking what happens with these figures? They just sit in the middle of road and then what happens?

Well, the answer is in the name of the festival: Las Fallas, the fires. On March 19^th of each year, starting in the early evening, the residents prepare for the La Cremá (the burning). The ninots get burned to the ground. And not just lit on fire with a match or something as simple as that.

No, they get stuffed with fireworks.

Each year, one ninot is spared from destruction by popular vote. This ninot, called ninot indultat (the pardoned puppet) is then placed in the local Musuem of the Ninots with the pardoned puppets from previous years.

So far this is what we’ve got. Each year, residents spend thousands of euros to build these intricate figures, devote countless hours designing and decorating them to every detail and in the end they completely destroy them by fire. The big question here is why?

What is the history behind Las Fallas?

Though not completely clear, the most widely recognized origins date back to the 16^th century, when the residents of Valencia would use streetlights during the long nights of winter. These lamps were hung on a wooden device used for lighting, known as a parot, and when the spring began and these lights were no longer needed, they would burn it them on St. Joseph’s Day, the patron saint of carpenters. This would be a way to welcome the spring as well.

We were able to visit the festival on the 18^th, the day before la Cremá, which was great because we had time to check out many of the ninots which are scattered throughout the city.

Besides the actual figures, there are also tons of other activities going on during the festival. Many residents dress in traditional clothing and play instruments such as the dolçaina (an oboe-like reed instrument) and tabalet (a kind of Valencian drum).

There are also fireworks in the evening and live music parties in the streets, equipped with food and drink.

If you plan on going to Las Fallas, make sure to book accommodation ahead of time as up to 2 million visitors are expected to come to Valencia each year to participate.

Overall, this is one of the coolest, most unique festivals I’ve ever been to and it should definitely not be missed!

[Visit Valencia], [Don Quijote]

History of Carnival

The exact origins of this festivity is not certain, though it may be traced backed to the Medieval Latin word(s): carnem levare or carnelevarium, which mean to remove meat. Because the celebrations are thought of as the final festivity before the period of Lent during which Roman Catholics would abstain from eating meat in earlier times, this derivation makes perfect sense.

Where the history of Carnival begins is also unsure. It may be rooted in the primitive festival, which honored the beginning of the new year and rebirth of nature. Or, perhaps it is linked to the pagan Saturnalian festival of ancient Rome. Either way, the founders of the idea probably didn’t imagine it would turn into the eccentric dance, drink and be merry festival it has today!

Worldwide Carnival Celebrations

Probably the most famous Carnival celebration takes place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t find elaborate and fabulous festivities here in Europe either! Where are the best places to celebrate Carnival in Europe?

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.

Located in the Canary Islands of Spain is perhaps the most famous Carnival celebrations behind Rio. This year’s celebration runs from February 3-14^th, so preparations are in full swing! The festival is one of the most important to the people of Tenerife, and the entire year can be spent planning the floats, costumes and designs. During the peak times, more than 250,000 people can be found in the main streets and squares dancing to traditional Latin music, drinking and dressed up in elaborate costumes.

Venice, Italy.

The Carnival of Italy’s city on water began January 23 and runs through February 9^th. During the Carnival you will find masked party-goers invading the streets, singing dancing and simply enjoying the party! The biggest excitement comes during the weekend and the not to be missed is the election of the year’s best costume- decided on the final day, February 9^th. The most famous spot to join in is at St. Mark’s Square, so get a mask and get over there! Only a few days left!

Nice, France.

Like the Venetian Carnival, masks are an important part of the costume. This year’s celebration takes place from February 13^th-28^th with the theme being “King of Media”. The final days of the festival culminate on Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) where the people each as much heavy, fatty food as possible before the abstinent period begins the following day. Not sure what to expect? Check out the video here!

Cadiz, Spain.

The Carnival of Cadiz is one of the most extravagant in Europe, taking place this year from February 4^th-14^th. There are processions, concerts, shows, fireworks and tons of dancing, drinking and singing in the streets. The “Chirigotas” or satirical songs about the current Spanish news and politicians are a popular aspect of this Carnival!

I’ve been lucky enough to spend a few New Year’s Eves in Europe, once in Spain and once in Germany, which just left me curious to find out about more celebration traditions across Europe.

Spain

¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

Let’s start with my all-time favorite European country (of course I’ve not been to all, but I think it will be difficult to steal my heart from Spain!). New Year’s celebrations in Spain include burning straw dolls in the street and eating 12 grapes at midnight. The heart of the Noche Vieja (New Year’s Eve) can be found at the Puerta del Sol in the center of Madrid. It’s totally packed by the time the famous bell tower chimes so get there early if you want a spot!

Germany

Prosit Neujahr!

New Year’s traditions in my current home include leaving out a bit of food on the table after midnight to ensure plenty of food for the upcoming year, or falling molten lead in cold water, with the end shape being the basis for predictions made for the future of the person such as wedding, traveling or abundance of food, known as Bleigiessen. Berlin’s Brandenburger Tor is the heart of the German New Year’s Eve (known as Silvester), where thousands watch fireworks to celebrate.

Holland

Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!

Another one of my favorite European countries, especially the capital city of Amsterdam, is a great place to celebrate the coming year. One tradition is to eat a donut or something shaped like a ring to bring good fortune in the new year. Come New Year’s Even (known as Oudejaarsavond) people gather in the streets with the countdown taking place in the large grassy square in front of the Rijksmuseum. As well Nieuwmarkt and Dam Square are also great to visit, with the latter featuring live music from famous Dutch DJs.

France

Bonne Année!

One French New Year’s traditions is in the expected romantic fashion, where there is typically a large feast (which includes crepes, foie gras and champagne) with a formal ball or torchlight procession to pick grapes to follow. In the capital city of Paris, crowds gather along the Champs-Elysées with views of the Eiffel Tower’s midnight lights.

Italy

Buon Anno!

Some Italian New Year’s traditions include wearing red underwear or throwing old clothes out the window to ring in the New Year. In the capital city of Rome on New Year’s Eve (San Silvestro) people gather to the piazza del Popolo to see a free concert and fireworks display.

What are your favorite New Year’s traditions?

[Time Out], [123 New Year]

While water still remains an important economical aspect, the massive space of the deserted shipyard in Amsterdam North (NDSM) was in total decay- up until the 1990s when it started to become a haven for artists, squatters and skaters. Today, it is undertaking a total redevelopment and becoming one of the most unique and trendy spaces in the entire city.

Just a short ride away from Amsterdam Central Station, is the former shipping wharf area known as the Amsterdam NDSM. You take the (free!) GVB ferry service from the back of the central station. The ride takes about 15 minutes total and gives the opportunity to see the changes happening in Amsterdam’s waterways.

In 1937, the NSM (later known as NDSM), was the largest shipbuilding company worldwide. It later merged with the Dutch shipbuilding company NDM and NDSM (Nederlandsche Dok en Scheepsbouw Maatschappij) was born. The industry thrived, building cargo ships, bulk carriers and war ships for the Dutch navy until low demand finally caused NDSM to stop building ships in 1978. It continued to repair ships until finally the doors closed around 1984. This not only meant the golden age of Dutch shipbuilding was over, but there was also the question of what to do with all of the area that was required during its prime. As you can imagine, building ships takes up a lot of space!

During the 1990s, various people, specifically “city nomads” such as craftsmen, artists and aspiring artists settled and named themselves “foundation Kinetisch Noord”. The city council liked the idea, and now provides subsidiaries to the group to further develop the large boathouse and surrounding area, which would otherwise be left for decay.

Upon visiting NDSM today, you can see that it has now developed into a space that serves many purposes. Firstly, it provides a workspace for creative and start up companies, even those with very low budgets. It also is a platform for regeneration and repurpose, as seen with the various restaurants, bars and even the three room hotel that is made from the old shipping crane, where you can also bungee jump from!

Furthermore, with the building of many office spaces, it appears to be developing into a modern economic hub. Lastly, it has become a popular space of residence, even for students who can live in small shipping containers for about €225 per month!

We stopped at the Pllek (which means “spot” or “place” in Dutch) for a coffee and a few drinks. It is a really cool bar/restaurant that has been build from the old shipping containers combined with large glass windows, which gives great views of the entire IJ waterfront area. There was a large rocky sand beach, where you could sit on big bean bags, hammocks or lay your own towel down and soak up the sun. It has a really relaxed atmosphere and it also serves as the location for many events. On Friday nights there is music, Saturday night it becomes a club with a DJ and there is live music on Sunday. There is even yoga class there on Saturday and Sunday afternoons too!

On your next visit to Amsterdam be sure to check out this super cool, creative and innovative neighborhood!

[What’s Up With Amsterdam], [Amsterdam Tips]

The 2015 Oktoberfest just came to an end, so it felt only right to pay a little tribute to my trip there last year.

For over two hundred years, the tradition has been kept alive. Today, over 6 million visitors flock to the Theresienwiese, or Wies’n, fairgrounds each year to celebrate, consuming over 6 million liters of beer!

Beer At Oktoberfest

Not just any beer can be served at Oktoberfest, either. Firstly, it must conform to the rules of the Reinheitsgebot (Purity Order), sometimes referred to as the “German Beer Purity Law”. This law regulates the ingredients that are allowed in the German beer, with the most well known version coming from Bavaria (the German state where Munich is located) in 1516.

The beer must also be brewed within the city limits of Munich to be designated as an official “Oktoberfest Beer”. The six breweries allowed to produce the beer include the Augustiner-Bräu, Hacker-Pschorr-Bräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner, Spatenbräu and Staatliches Hofbräu-München. You can find most of the beer from these breweries in all parts of Germany throughout the year, but there is something special about drinking it out of a 1-liter mug wearing a Dirndl (the traditional Oktoberfest outfit for women).

History of Oktoberfest

While many people have heard of Oktoberfest, it is the largest festival in the world, after all, you may not know the story behind it.

On October 12, 1810, the Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. In celebration of their matrimony, the citizens of Munich were then invited to attend the festival held on the field in front of the city gates. These fields were later named “Theresienwiese” (Theresa’s fields) to honor the Princess and are the same location of the festival today. There was a horse race for the royal family to mark the close of the event, and essentially the decision to repeat this race the next year is the reason that Oktoberfest became a tradition.

While the last horse race was in 1960, overtime the festival grew to include many more attractions. An Agricultural Show was added and takes place every three years. Gradually, more amusements were added such as a carousel and other rides, as well as the traditional beer stands were replaced by beer tents in 1896.

My Visit

Going to Oktoberfest last year was something I always wanted to do. I mean, what could be better than dressing up in a crazy costume, drinking liter beers and eating traditional Bavarian food?

The experience itself was more than I expected. Though it was very crowded, the festival grounds are huge. Everything, I mean everything is totally lit up! It was like a magical carnival. Plus everyone is wearing the traditional outfits, with men in Lederhosen and women in the Dirndl, so you can totally get in the spirit!

We dropped the ball a little on the beer tents, however, which is where all the fun really happens. You should try to reserve a space prior or get there very early to get a spot at a table, which we didn’t do. You can also only order your drinks from a table, which means that in the end a table is totally necessary! The tents also close relatively early (around midnight), so it’s better to get there earlier in the day anyway.

Anyone else have any experiences to share about their trip to Oktoberfest?

[Wikipedia], [Oktoberfest.de]

Featured image from Hierbert Pohl via Flickr.

1. “Having a grill”

Even large, densely populated German cities have lots of green spaces. On a sunny summer day you can definitely expect to find groups of people gathering in the pockets of parks with small travel grills, packages of sausages, various meats, vegetables and, of course, some beers. At any given supermarket you can find areas specially designated to “grill food” such as pre-marinated steaks, special grill spices and even cheeses spiced perfectly to sizzle on the grill. If you’re lucky enough to visit Germany during the summer, definitely make some friends, head to the closest park and chill out for the afternoon.

2. Festivals, festivals, and more festivals

From my experience, Germans love a good summer festival. Every weekend there is some park (or even random field) being turned into a concert hall. Typically, they have electronic music as the main attraction, but there could also be a mix of pop or other types. Usually, there is food and drinks served as well, and sometimes it’s even free to enter the festivals. Also, don’t expect a rainy day to cancel the party. Last year, I went to the Holi Festival of Colours, and it poured the entire time—needless to say it just added to the fun!

3. Urban water sports

Cities like Hamburg have a huge canal system. On any given sunny day you can find tons of people kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, paddle boating and even swimming in the waters throughout the city. Also, because Hamburg is very spread out, there are only a few areas of the canals that are super urban. The rest are meandering through the greenery, giving you a relaxing break from city life. Or Munich, for example, has become a famous spot for urban river surfing at the Eisbach (German for “Ice Brook”). Located in the middle of the Englischer Garten, the large park in Munich, this section has been surfed since 1972!

4. Beach bars

While the coast of Germany has really nice beaches, you don’t have to travel from the cities to get an authentic feel. Beach bars, such as Strand Pauli in Hamburg, are a really popular hang out spot, and can be found throughout the country. Essentially, someone had the genius idea of bringing in some sand, comfy beach chairs, straw umbrellas, fancy-sounding drinks, chill out music and voila!—the German beach bar is born. They are a great place to enjoy the warm summer sun, so definitely check out which ones are near you!

5. Long days

Because Germany is so far north, the sun sets really late in the evening. In late June and early July it can even be light out at 11pm! This means the day length is over 16 hours during the summer solstice. If you plan on being there during this time, I recommend investing in a sleeping mask or some heavy duty curtains!

What are some of your favorite things about the German summertime?