We made our first field trip out of Seville. About 40 miles southwest from Seville, there is a special village. Special for both the church at right and the wetlands at left.
This is the village of El Rocío and they host an annual pilgrimage in honor of the Virgin of El Rocío. The village normally of less than 1,000 people swells to approximately 1,000,000, (yes, I mean one million), during the religious pilgrimage. The pilgrimage dates from 1653.
On the left is the edge of the Doñana National Park, reportedly the largest natural reserve in Europe, which covers approximately 210 square miles and provides a critical habitat for both wintering and overflying bird species and other natural life. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It was a hazy, dusty day so I didn't get the brilliant blue sky I wanted but, you get the idea. Just imagine a brilliant blue sky surrounding the white church.
It was lunch break for a group of school kids eating, laughing, and playing along the malecón. Very comfortable, sweater weather.
Inside the church.
The village has no paved streets - all sand - and horses are a common form of local transportation.
Unfortunately, we didn't see any horses during our short visit but, there are hitching posts in front of the business district stores to tie up.
These mannequins were modeling traditional attire for men and women.
It may be a horse town with sand streets but, we did wander into this fancy hotel lobby for a look around. The ceramic tile mural at left shows a diverse collection of birds in the tree. Birds are a strong magnet for people all over the world to visit the natural preserve Doñana National Park.
On the left is the edge of the Doñana National Park, reportedly the largest natural reserve in Europe, which covers approximately 210 square miles and provides a critical habitat for both wintering and overflying bird species and other natural life. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It was a hazy, dusty day so I didn't get the brilliant blue sky I wanted but, you get the idea. Just imagine a brilliant blue sky surrounding the white church.
It was lunch break for a group of school kids eating, laughing, and playing along the malecón. Very comfortable, sweater weather.
Inside the church.
The village has no paved streets - all sand - and horses are a common form of local transportation.
Unfortunately, we didn't see any horses during our short visit but, there are hitching posts in front of the business district stores to tie up.
These mannequins were modeling traditional attire for men and women.
It may be a horse town with sand streets but, we did wander into this fancy hotel lobby for a look around. The ceramic tile mural at left shows a diverse collection of birds in the tree. Birds are a strong magnet for people all over the world to visit the natural preserve Doñana National Park.
I like the grey sky in photo #2, it makes the white church pop out.
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