Last Saturday, I set up a little get together to take folks that are new to the area around Utrera and show them a few of my favorite "places and spaces" (just like someone had done for me when I first arrived). You know, bakeries, dry cleaners, strip clubs, the usual. We've had a lot of new folks arrive in the past couple weeks, so it was the perfect time to organize a field trip. Plus, the weather was going to be gorgeous (finally, after 4 weeks of a cold front in the 50's) AND Utrera's Carnaval was happening Saturday and Sunday, so we even had scheduled fun to look forward to.
The day started off walking around the side streets of Utrera, finding the Wynn's after they became lost, pointing out my favorite bakery and doing some shopping in the costume shop and 2 euro store. The Wynn's, their two girls, Kourtney G., her daughter and I met up with Jessie, her girls, Megan and Ian, their kids and Carmen at the Main Plaza. Based on the response I got on Facebook, I thought that I was going to need a stick with a scarf on it so people could keep track of me. The size of the group that did turn out was much more manageable. Even though it was only 1 in the afternoon, the entire plaza was packed with kids playing in the play area and folks sitting and drinking their coffee or beer. In Spain, there's no such thing as day-drinking shame; anytime of day is a good time to take down an ice-cold Cruz Campo, which I suppose is appealing to some misguided souls. I love how the Spanish are so social; it's one of my favorite qualities of theirs as a culture. Even starting at a young age, they are always with their friends, whether it's for a mid-day coffee, a stroll down the Paseo in the early evening, or tapas and drinks at night. Although their economy's in the crapper, it's not a bad way to live.
After letting the kiddos play on the equipment for while, we schlepped down to El Remedio with our big group for lunch. El Remedio was the first restaurant that El and I went to in Spain and is a favorite amongst the Americans. It's a Cuban/Spanish restaurant that has the best gambas al ajillo (prawns simmering in garlic and olive oil) and chicken fajitas with a spicy sauce (you really can't find good Mexican food around here, obviously). I normally order those two things b/c they are so delicious, especially the prawns-which I always burn my tongue on b/c I can't wait to eat them, but I may need to start expanding my palette. People ordered Cuban pork with black rice that was amazing, papas bravas that were probably the best I've had in Spain (which is saying a lot, as they are offered EVERYWHERE) and a pork with a pepper sauce that was fantastic. You can see why people love having their personal and professional functions there, as the food is amazing, they offer menus in English and the staff is very accommodating with large groups, which ours was on that day.
After eating way too much at lunch, we walked off our lunch back to the Main Plaza to wait for the costume parade that was supposed to start up. Autumn had sent out the schedule of events that were supposed to be occurring throughout the weekend. The theme of this year's Carnaval was "Tribute to the Movies", and all the posters had Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly wearing a Carnaval mask and smoking a noise-maker. There wasa "train", basically a tractor pulling carts in the shape of a train, that was BLASTING party music and just sitting in the Main Plaza. Well as you can imagine, the kids went NUTS and immediately started asking the parentals if they could go for a ride. Carmen, our handy Spanish translator friend, found out from our Conductor/Farmer that it was 1.50euro/person, and the train would take us around Utrera for a 20 minute ride. The kids were SO excited about it, that it was impossible to say no. Plus, it's Carnaval so why not???? The train ride only ended up being about 10 minutes, but it was actually really fun. We all really got into waving to the people on the street, and they were equally excited to wave back at us. Farmer John kept the party going by blasting music throughout the ride. But let's be honest, there's really only one song you can play in situations like this.
After the train ride of dreams, we found some prime real estate in the Main Plaza to enjoy some helado (ice cream) and people watching while the kids played. Spain is essentially a non-violent culture, with the most common crimes being petty theft, so it is completely accepted and normal to see kids playing on their own while the adults socialize over drinks or cafe. The plaza was closed off to traffic, so parents didn't even have to worry about cars coming through. The kids are super independent, and the parents don't have to worry as much about their child's safety. It was also pretty awesome to see the American kids having a blast with the Spanish kids; love how friendship transcends languages. Excuse me, I think my eyes are sweating....
Outside of the place where we got drinks, there was this Spanish guy standing at a table that KNEW he was hot shit. Not THINKS he's hot shit, as that fact was confirmed by all the ladies present. Signed, sealed, delivered and etched into the Ten Commandments. He looked like McSteamy from Grey's Anatomy and was wearing his uniform for work (a pair of fireman's pants and a grey t-shirt). The company he works at must specialize in smoldering, as every movement he did gave off steam. He was making eyes at Carmen, our gorgeous single friend, motioning her over, so of course the rest of us were egging her on to go talk to him. She finally went over to chat with him, while the rest of us hooted and cackled like a group of geriatric ladies at a Chippendales show. She doesn't have a cell phone yet, so she came back with Jesus's number and a few of his smooth, Johnny (Juanny?) Cool Guy lines. Mission: Success!
The costume parade that was scheduled for 4 was apparently not happening, and it was creeping towards five; that was when a flamenco demonstration was supposed to occur at Nuevo Bar Colon near the Paseo. We still haven't made it to a full-out flamenco show, so I was anxious to see that in action. Carmen, Sharon, and I bid everyone adieu for the time being and made our way to the show. Elliot, Hannah (his niece) and her friend Matt met us there after they had spent the day sightseeing in Sevilla. Hannah is his brother's daughter, and she and Matt are doing part of their student teaching in Slovenia, with a program through their school-the University of Minnesota-Duluth. It's only an 8-week program, but I am super impressed by how much traveling they've done during that time. I give them major snaps for taking advantage of their time here.
At Bar Nuevo Colon, they had set up a small outdoor stage with speakers and an outdoor bar that served paella, sandwiches (montaditos) and drinks. We got there at about quarter after cinco, and it was very obvious that they were in no rush to get started. We saw Jamal from base, and he introduced to a whole bunch of people: Paco (the owner of the bar), Mario (his buddy who had something else to do with the bar) and another guy who was a chef at a restaurant in Dos Hermanas called Oveja Negra (the black sheep), a restaurant that we will definitely be trying based on Jamal's description and recommendation. Since it was Carnaval, everyone (except us) was dressed up in costumes, and Paco was no exception, with a wig, pirate boots and black coat (I still can't figure out what his costume was). An outgoing guy who seemed to know everyone at the bar, he seemed to take up the whole room with his presence. Sweeping from group to group, giving cheek kisses, you could tell this guy loved people and loved the attention he got from people.
While we were all chatting and meeting the belle of the ball (Paco and friends), we saw what must have been the flamenco band starting to set-up. Starting to set up may be a bit of a stretch, as they would move one piece of equipment and then go have a drink with their friends. It was fairly obvious that there would not be any dancing, as the parking lot where the stage was set up was sloped. I can't imagine trying to flamenco dance on an decline. The three guys setting up the stage also didn't have that dancer's look to them. In fact, they looked more like a Greek folk band, wearing purple strips around their heads, white, puffy shirts and these multi-colored striped vests. The band's name was Diego y Nico, but there were three guys there. The one looked like he was straight off the boat American, so we saddled him with the name "Frank", giving us our flamenco trio: Diego y Nico y.......Frank. Frank didn't even have a real instrument to play (Diego and Nico had guitars, and Diego sang) and was saddled with a box (Frank on caja!) and a mini-cymbal that he hit with his hand. When they started playing at 6:40, they were actually REALLY good. Diego was a good singer, and somehow Frank made box-playing sound awesome. Everyone, including two seasoned flamenco dancers who put on a mini-show for everyone, was dancing, and the Spanish were singing along to the tunes. Despite its delayed start, it was a really fun show; everyone was glad they went. We were even treated to an extra bit of Paco time, as the jamon jumped up on stage with the band.
We headed back to the Plaza after the show just before 8, and it was PACKED with people. A lot more Americans from base were there, so it was like a giant party in the streets. Elliot and Matt had gone home earlier to rest up before dinner, so Sharon, Hannah, Carmen and I met back up with the Daughtrey's, Randall's, Servidio's and Renfro's. For some reason, I was committed to keeping with the Utrera schedule of events, and karaoke was starting up at 8 at Bar Latino. There were prizes of 50 and 100 euros for best karaoke, and let's face it, who else is really going to be good at singing songs at English besides the Americans???
Bar Latino was down this seedy alley (an adventure, we called it) and LOUD as all get-out. It was like an American rock bar with Bud Light and Miller Lite signs on the walls and people dancing along to people singing karaoke. A few people sang Spanish songs, including the same one twice, Waldo of Where's Waldo? fame got up there with a harem of French maids, and a Spanish couple attempted "Like a Prayer". They hit all the words, and the guy did a few voice theatrics that would make Ice Queen Madonna smile. It was painfully loud though, and our group was getting hungry (Elliot and Matt had met back up with us at that point), so we split off for dinner.
Elliot, me, Sharon, Matt and Hannah went to one of our favorite places, El Bouquet, for dinner and split a bunch of tapas: salmorejo, which is probably my favorite Spanish dish-a cold creamy tomato soup with chopped up egg and bits of jam, croquettas, jamon, queso, an eggplant mini burrito and a salad with orange vinaigrette dressing. Washed down with a bottle of vino and some agua, and we had gotten our second wind for the evening.
After dinner we met back up with Jessie, Megan, Kelly and Carmen by Bar Antigua, but we said goodbye to Jessie and Megan as they headed home to be with their kiddos. Elliot was also exhausted from walking all over Sevilla that afternoon, so I gave mah Boo a kiss goodnight.
According to the schedule, a costume party was supposed to be happening at Chill bar just around the corner at 11. Chill is a lounge-type bar that's dark on the inside with club music and bright lights flashing. Since we had gotten there when the party was supposed to start, it was empty except for the bar staff. We had forgotten to do the conversion to Spanish time, in which you add an hour and a half to find the actual time of event.
On our way to another bar (we hadn't decide what bar yet, but Chill was too....chill), Carmen saw Yael, a young Spanish guy who works in the Bowling Alley on base and his two friends, dressed as a soldier, Jack Sparrow and a cowboy respectively. We asked where "the party at?" (or as my mom says: somethin, somethin, somethin Bacardi at), and they said that they were heading to Chill.....so we went to Chill for round two. There were a few more people there, including the Renfro's and Scott's, so we had more of a party going. Plus, there were glitter Indians.
The bar staff was comprised, not to the surprise of anyone, of young, beautiful Spanish guys and girls. Let's be honest here, we didn't really notice the girls (except for Matt). The guys were these young, hard-bodied 22-year olds who were shirtless with headdresses, fake bows, and war paint that was coated over with glitter. They knew they looked good, and they were flaunting it. At one point, one had dropped and broken a glass. He did such a god-awful job of sweeping it up that Kelly just grabbed the broom and took the task upon herself, while he stood there flexing his abs while holding a dustpan. I attempted to get a picture of Kelly sweeping up, yet I ended up with a Calvin Klein-esque underwear ad with Chief Washboardstomach.
As the crowd grew, the music kept jamming, and we kept dancing. They played Danza Kuduro a few times, much to the delight of the crowd, Party Rock and Rihanna's S&M a good three times, and we danced through it all. I eventually had to stop and get my fan from my purse due to my lovely excessive sweating. The schedule was calling to us, though, and we needed to make the "Red carpet party" hosted by Marilyn Monroe at 12:30 at a bar about a 15 minute walk away. Maria and crew left a little bit before us, so when we finally made it over there, we saw her car driving away. I called her and she informed us that it was a REALLY young crowd, like 18 year olds, and that she was heading to Cabaret, the next bar on the schedule. Instead of going there, we went back to Chill for Round 3.
We made a pit stop at Bar Antigua before heading to Chill (again), where I choked down a beer that was 10% alcohol. Ouch. The bar is so different from other Spanish ones, and basically the antithesis of Chill, as it had posters of Johnny Cash on the walls, pool tables, dart boards and a clientele of folks with bright pink hair. It also had a pretty good beer selection, which is a rarity in Southern Spain. Unfortunately, I had chosen the wrong beer for 3am.
We walked alllllll the way to Cabaret, which is back towards our house, just as Maria and crew were leaving again. Fortunately, this time it wasn't because the patrons were wearing diapers. There was a live salsa band playing, and we were mesmerized by all the couples who danced like it ain't no thang. These couples just looked so...sexy! The way they kept with each other throughout all the twists and turns was hypnotic. The band kept the couples going, and I finally got my dance show.
Imagine our surprise when a familiar face walked up to Hannah and said her name. Lo and behold, it was Madame Social Butterfly, Paco. He was very excited to see us all, and we were equally as excited to see him as well. We didn't recognize Mario at first, as he got into the spirit by donning a disco outfit, but we had a joyful reunion with him once we recognized him. While Paco took pictures with everyone in the group (not kidding about this) and took people for spins around the dance floor, Mario chatted with the rest of us about life and how he was never going to get married. I'm not sure how that topic came up, but then he lifted up his shirt to show a bunch of electrodes and pads on his chest and stomach to prove his point. We were still unsure what that point was and when we asked for further clarification, he just shrugged like we were silly children. That's a him, a-Mario.
Paco found another group to reunite with, so we all went into decision mode as to what to do next. It took about 2 seconds before we all looked at each other and said "Glitter Indians" in unison.
After we returned to Chill, we noticed that the bar had gotten even more crowded, and the bathroom had flooded at Chill, cementing the fact that we had made the right decision. We were dancing, singing and laughing at the top of our lungs when we had a celebrity sighting: FRANK FROM DIEGO Y NICO Y FRANK! Our group immediately swarmed him and asked, "Are you Diego or Nico?????". In English. Of course. He got super excited, and turned around to grab..... DIEGO Y NICO. They were SO PUMPED that we recognized them, and we were like star-struck teenagers with them. It turns out they're local guys from Utrera and apparently don't get groupies that often. We chatted with them for awhile, taking pictures of course, and Diego was trying to tell me about how he needs to learn more English. Not taking the bait of becoming his tutor, I told him that he needed to move to America if he wanted to learn English. We all danced together for a bit before the three amigos tired of their adoring public.
Almost immediately after our favorite band of all time left us, a flash of glitter passed our eyes and, like a bolt of lightning, Kelly and I were all of a sudden dancing WITH GLITTER INDIANS. They were twirling us around the dance floor, and our group ate. that. shit. UP. I'm telling you, fairies sliding down rainbow unicorns couldn't have been more magical. After our sparkle braves left us to squeal with one another, we figured there was no better way to end the night, so home we went.
The time when we walked through the door at home? 6am.
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