Contradictions

I'm heading off to Granada this morning for the last leg of my holiday. The train isn't until lunchtime so I had enough time this morning to head out for breakfast before leaving for the station (which I'll be doing in about half an hour).

It was beautifully cool (well, by Seville standards at any rate) at 9 am this morning and I sat for a hour on the terrace outside my breakfast spot with my cafe con leche and read my book. On my way back I was struck by one of the contradictions of Spain. It is a deeply religious country, with many many churches, religious imagery everywhere yet at the same time it loves to party. As anyone who has been to Spain will know, the evening only really gets going around 10 pm - and that's during the week. At the weekend it can be midnight or 1am before things start getting really lively. I can't say that I've participated in the late night revellery, but I have benefited from it by being able to walk back to my hotel at 11 pm and feel perfectly safe because of the numbers of people on the street. Clearly here having fun and being religious are not mutually exclusive, unlike Calvinist Scotland!

I was tickled, however, this morning on my way back to the hotel by the revenge that the Church gets on the late night revellers. It was 10 am and all of a sudden all the church bells starting ringing, calling the faithful to Mass presumably. Now that's one way to remind you of the sins of the flesh - or more acurately, the alcoholic liquids. I wouldn't like to have a hangover on a Sunday in Seville!

It was particularly intense where I was as I happened to be walking past a convent at the time. I looked up and there were the bells tolling away big-style. I was reminded, completely unfairly I hasten to add, of the film Black Narcissus, and its mad bell tolling nun. If you haven't seen it, rent it this week - Deborah Kerr at her best!

And now, off to the station for me and a 3 hour slow train to Granada. At last a chance to see the countryside and not just a blur from the AVE/Avant high speed trains.

Speak to you later xx