Sunday, 5 June 2016

Valencia, Flamenko Experience

In anticipation of the fascinating showCarrer de Sant Vicent Martir at night

It is Sunday. And it means that local people are relaxed and many restaurants are not working. It also means that you can visit some museums for free. At the same time many museums will be closed. Nevertheless, I was lucky enough to enter The Basilica and The Cathedral absolutely for free to become the spectator of the processions.

Basilica of Our Lady of the Forsaken (Basilica De La Virgen de los Desamparados) is the baroque church, dedicated to the city's patron saint and it was constructed in the 17th century. The Basilica is linked to The Cathedral by way of a Renaissance arch.

The service at Basilica of Our Lady of The ForsakenThe main hall of Valencia cathedral also known as Saint Mary's Cathedral

The Cathedral itself is an impressive building that includes a variety of architecture styles, including Baroque, Romanesque and Gothic. This church is dedicated to the worship of God the Father.

However, the main thing, which is undoubtedly worth seeing in the Cathedral, is the holy chalice, that is located in the separate chapel and guarded behind bullet-proof glass. According to a legend, it's the vessel used by Christ when he first celebrated the Eucharist at the last supper.

Actually, the holy part of the Calice is the cup at the top, and it is carved from a chocolatey-red agate; and the base, handles, the pearls and the precious gems were added centuries later.

The cup has been the part of the cathedral's relics since the 15th century, and was installed in this chapter house in 1916.

I do not know for sure if this is the real cup or not. The fact is that by the 16th century there were about 20 cups that claimed the honor of being the authentic cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper. But these days only two cups are considered authentic - the Holy Chalice of Valencia and the silver cup of Antioch (now in the possession of the Metropolitan Museum of Art).

Anyways, many Spanish people would claim that the cup from Valencia is The Very Cup.

Chapel of the Holy ChaliceThe Holy Grail, which is in fact made of agate stone

This day I continue with visiting the beach. The beach in Valencia is much more than a place to tan, swim, and jog. It offers a luxury of space and may host numerous events during the year. For this time I became a witness how the professionals were flying their kites. Outstanding presentation!

The kites are dropping downThe kites are flying up

At 21:00 there was a Flamenco Show in the restaurant at Sant Vincent Martir street. The show has lasted for 2 hours and I could not take my eyes from the dancers for a moment. It is simply breathtaking!

Such performances consist of three distinct components: song (the 'cante'), playing guitar (the 'toque' ) and dance (the 'baile'). For me, the main part of flamenko show is dance. The dance itself is an expression of emotion with great use of the arms and rhythmical stamping of the dancer's feet.

Unfortunately, there are not so many places in Valencia to experience flamenco show. And if you want to feel the real dramatic melodies of Flamenko, you should go to Andalusia, where this art originated. Meanwhile, flamenco has become extremely popular not only in Spain, but also abroad.

The male Flamenco dancerThe men set the pace for the dancing woman

After the performance my new acquaintances and I went for night clubbing. One of the most popular places to dance is Cafe Bolseria, which is located near Placa del Tossal (Calle Bolseria 41, Barrio del Carmen). This bar seems to be always full of people and offers very good atmosphere with R&B and pop music.
Radio city is another legendary disco-bar in Carmen area, where you always can find a good party with excellent unconventional music.

The entrance of the night clubAt the bar of the night club

In the end, I want to share my list of the basic words to "survive" in Spain:
   
   hola - hello
   adios - bye
   vale - okay
   porfavor - please
   perdoname - excuse me
   disculpa - sorry
   muchas gracies - thank you very much
   mui bien - very well
   proxima parada - next stop
   pan - bread
   bebida - a drink
   cafe con leche - coffee with milk
   tinto vino - red wine
   blanco vino - white wine
   la cuenta - check
   salida - exit
   entrada - entrance
   asientos reservados - reserved seats
   bolsa - bag

Flamenko is not only about dance, but also about song and instrumental music

Flamenko is known for its emotional intensity

There is expressive use of the arms and rhythmic stamping of the feet

The dance seemed to be improvised rather than choreographed

The woman, sensual but proud and strong

The female dancer is completely exhausted at the end of the performance

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