El Viaje - Granada / Zambra Flamenco - 22 September

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    Before our trip, we read about the Flamenco performances that others had seen. Something we learned was that there are several "flavors" of Flamenco dance. One of these is the Zambra - specifically the Zambra of Maria la Canastera. When we inquired of Madame Landazuri about seeing a performance, she already had tickets on hand to sell us. It wasn't inexpensive - 22 euros each - but we had planned on seeing some Flamenco, and the ticket included a nighttime tour of the Albaicin. That evening we boarded a mini-bus along with several other tourists for a stimulating evening ride up to the Sacromonte. This is the traditional Gypsy quarter of Granada, on the eastern edge of the city. We stopped first for a nighttime view of the Alhambra and then continued on to arrive at the cave home of Maria la Canastera and her "Gypsy" family. The inside of this whitewashed cave was spectacular, with decoration everywhere bordering on the garish. They have a 100 year history of performance reflected in many photos on the walls. There were about 30 other people crammed into this place, and the dance took place directly in front of us - so close that the skirts of the dancers brushed our legs. It was amazing, colorful and intense, and well worth the price which included glasses of white wine during the half hour experience. The photographs were among the most colorful of our entire trip.

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