This weekend, 3-6 June, is the Feria Chica de Loja. A fairground has been set up in the town but it is not as large as the Feria in Huétor Tája two weeks ago as the main Fiesta in Loja is at the end of August. On Friday night, though, we went to a special event "Aires de Raza Flamenco" in the football ground of the Barrio San Antonio.
The show began with two dancers and two horses, ridden by men in striking costume, performing a carefully choreographed dance in which the movements of the flamenco dancers complemented the actions of the horses. Two different horses, equally magnificent, performed a graceful ballet around long poles carried by their riders.
On the stadium, first class singers, guitarists and a flautist performed throughout theshow. Also on stage, two exceptionally good dancers gave a thrilling display. This was authentic flamenco, very different from the flamenco shows put on for the entertainment of tourists.
The performance ended, as it had begun, with dancers and horses. It was a wonderful show, enjoyed by everyone. Afterwards, we made our way home, stopping enroute at our nearest village, La Fábrica, for supper. Although it was past midnight, the terrace outside the bar was filled with villagers.
Unfortunately our compact digital camera was not able to capture images of the show so we would like to thank our friends Jim and Denise for these photos taken by them with their SLR.
During the summer months, the balmy evenings bring the people of Loja outdoors to fill the street cafés and pleasant, leafy squares which, at this time of year, saturate the whole town with the heady scent of lime blossom. We ourselves enjoyed a stroll around the lower part of the town and came upon a delightful square, canopied with trees, where we stopped for drinks and tapas before heading to the arena to watch theflamenco display.
