Travel Diary. Day 8. Celebrating Feria de Abril in Seville. Plaza de España.

It is the first days of May, and Seville's streets, metro, and squares are filled with graceful and colourful "little cakes" (that's what I tend to call Spanish women in national costume - they resemble layered cakes in their wide, ruffled skirts). All roads lead to the peninsula in the middle of Seville, where in a grandiose, seemingly endless expanse countless tents and festival gates are set up to celebrate the spring - or April - festival (abril means "April" in Spanish). The feeling is that for a week all the Andalusians have put their work aside and are celebrating life - singing, dancing, showing off (they certainly have a talent for that), and drinking wine.

But some of the "little cakes," elegantly coordinated couples in costume, and even entire dressed-up families head to the Plaza de España, which is surrounded by a palace building, a fairly large and well-kept garden, a canal with small bridges, and inscribed ceramic railings. There photography is taking place, as well as boat rides on the canal and in horse-drawn carriages. Every self-respecting Andalusian woman has her own unique costume and red roses or carnations in her hair.

And you know how to tell the tourists apart - by their sunglasses. Interestingly, the Andalusians themselves, despite the sun being quite bright and warming even at the start of May, almost never wear sunglasses. Another thing - Sevillians are not particularly open toward strangers trying to peer inside to see what is happening in the festival tents. At the entrance there are even something like guards, from whose glances alone one can gather that this party is for locals only, or by invitation.