So spring started at 6.14am last Tuesday.
Here’s how I know my favourite season of the year here in Seville has arrived.
It’s all about smells, sounds and colour.
Flowers: sweet-scented blossom everywhere – azahar, the orange blossom with pretty white flowers (above and below). When I take the kids to school, we walk along a row of orange trees, treading on a soft carpet of tiny white petals - it’s a scent experience unlike any other, and will last for the next few precious weeks.
Also almond, cherry and plum blossom, fluffy white and candy-pink, and others, are out in full force.
The carpet of yellow flowers in the olivar (olive grove) next to our house is a joy.
The sounds of spring, for me, are animals: frogs croaking to each other in our swimming pool, in (at the risk of coming over all Paul McCartney) a chorus… frogs singing in pool – you’ll need to turn the volume up to get the full effect.
…and mournful Semana Santa music, blaring from cars and in shops, and being played by brass bands in processions.
Later, this switches to the more upbeat Sevillanas, in time for Feria.
This is the best time of year to visit gardens, go to the sierra for some jamon and hiking or take the kids to the beach for a warm day out without having to slap suncream on them every five minutes. It’s also time to get out the barbeque.
And time to bathe in the glow of warm temperatures, before the heat comes.
The first time I smelled orange blossom it totally blew me away and it remains my favourite floral fragrance. Hence the nickname, which I’ve been using for about ten years now (or since whenever it was I first got a computer). It not only says “spring” to me, but also “Sevilla”.
Gorgeous photos, Fiona!
Agree. It’s that perfect sensory experience that represents everything good about where we live. Thanks re the photos, thought I’d better up my game after the last lot!!
Gorgeous post!
Reblogged this on The Hotel Los Bérchules Blog.
Beautiful! Enjoy spring. BM xxx
You too – it never lasts long enough, does it?
Wow that looks great there and even damp, cold London is set to hit 23º this afternoon!
Enjoy your balmy London spring!
Those cherry blossoms are too fluffy! Not quite that spring here in the north yet
Is it warm, at least?
. . the scent of oranges and lemons is fantastic – in our village we are surrounded by orchards of them. Spring has indeed sprung . .
The scent of the blossom, right? I love the smell of oranges, but preferably when their juice is in my glass.
Fiona, you have captured Spring in the south. I miss that orange blossom smell.
Thanks, Nancy. Agua de Sevilla perfume is the closest thing!
No better time for coming over all Paul McCartney than Spring.
I’ve even taped the damn things on my iphone to put on the post – rather essential since the whole theme was senses of smell and sound – but of course now no idea how to download sound file! As I can’t work out how to embed a video, so not even sure why I’m bothering!!
OK, I managed to add the sound file, thanks to Soundcloud.
Fiona, you have captured spring eloquently. Thank you thank you.
Thanks for your comment, Nancy. Ribbet!
Pingback: Scoopette Bucket List – Nancy Todd·
Pingback: Floral fest: the Patios of Córdoba « Scribbler in Seville·