Opening Night

I didn't bring too many articles of clothing with me to Spain. Now, 10+ months into it, the clothes I have are getting kind of worn. In addition, I've intentionally lost a bit of weight. The combination prompted me to go the Primark today with Laura to get a couple of pairs of shorts and some pants. It was pretty crowded over there, but I managed to find some pieces that will at least get me through the rest of my time here. I'm going to retire a couple of articles of clothing by leaving them in the dumpster area down by the bridge (where we bring our regular refuse). People regularly scour that area for usable items like clothing and shoes. I left an old pair of shoes there a few months ago and someone claimed them before I was 20 meters away.

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Feria starts tonight at midnight. The grounds are all prepared now. Laura and I wandered down there this evening to have a look at the grounds before the crowds showed up. Walking south through Triana from our house, you get to Calle Asunción, which is a lot like the main street in our neighborhood. A mostly pedestrian way with shops and cafes. At the end of this street is the main entrance to the feria grounds:

Here's a closer view:

Tonight at midnight, this entrance will be lighted, and the week-long feria begins. The sandy grounds which are empty the majority of the year are now covered with tents called "casetas" along temporary avenues. The casetas are typically green/white or red/white striped canvas. They erected in the weeks leading up to feria and are "owned" by families that have had these spots for generations, or other organizations:

People dress up in their finest. Some of the casetas are quite large:

The avenues are decked out:

Already the street cleaning is underway. Tonight there will be thousands of people in this makeshift city:

Inside the casetas, the tables are set and waiting for friends and family to arrive:

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On a completely unrelated note, this license plate hanging in a restaurant window caught my eye as we walked home: