Flamenco, Flan & Figs

I finally got to see a flamenco show, though I have to say that I actually prefer the classical folkloric dance style over the haughty stomping flamenco steps. Apparently there are about a dozen Spanish dances (including the jota, fandango, bolero, Sevillanas, and others in addition to flamenco).  

We were lucky enough to wander into a plaza and catch those traditional dancers performing after we visited the caves of Sacromonte. 

This fascinating collection of cave dwellings is where the Romani people (“gypsies”, who were persecuted at various points in history) were able to hide out and live in peace. They were erroneously called gypsies, because they were thought to have come from Egypt, but actually this ethnic group originally came from India, and then spread throughout eastern and southern Europe. The haunting sounds of flamenco music and dance got their start in these caves.

At the hillside bottom, below La Alhambra, is Sacromonte, the Darro River and the nearby Albaicin, or Arabic district. In this lively warren of winding cobbled streets and alleys, I could sit and people-watch for hours, and marvel as tiny little taxis, buses and vans manage to weave through the mobs.

Spain maintains its seduction and dreaminess, despite my travel weariness. As my month of Spanish wandering comes to a close, I’m starting to catch some of that Mediterranean breeze coming up from Africa…What could possibly be a more exotic next journey!