Easter Monday isn't a Bank Holiday in Andalucia, although it is is some other parts of Spain, so after the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday public holidays, it was business more or less as usual today. We decided to walk up the Gibralfaro to the Parador for lunch. With time to spare on the way, we visited the fortress and enjoyed its gardens until it was time to go and eat.
As we climbed, we caught sight of one of the weekend's big cruise ships sailing away. Two more cruise ships are in port, which weren't there over the weekend, so this continues to be a busy period for the city, with several thousand visitors extra each day on top of those who've driven here, making a long weekend of the Easter festival.
There weren't many people in the restaurant, although we were among the first to arrive. Our meal was of typical local dishes, including salt cod and a stew containing several flavours of sausage and a big variety of alubia beans.
The air was clear and bright, though not warm enough to sit out on the terrace to eat. Nevertheless, we had a superb, almost haze free view of the city and the harbour. After the return walk, we both felt unexpectedly tired rather than invigorated, so took a siesta and whiled away the afternoon. Later on we walked into the Old Town. I was interested to see what progress had been made on removing the spectator seating on the processional routes.
The large mobile seating stands had gone, and work had begun on dismantling the rest. All of the thousands of wooden chairs had been collected and shipped out, so that Calle Marques de Lario was clear for the crowds of shoppers to roam at will. A start had been made on the tribune in the Plaza de la Constitucion, and given its size and the time it took to erect, it'll take several days to remove. A lot of overtime has been worked this weeked to restore a semblance of normality I reckon.
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