If you have followed me on any social channels, it was hard to miss my trip to Seville with Licor 43. Larissa and I were the lucky ones to get the full experience of the famous Feria de Abril festival, which they celebrate for an entire week.
I compare the Feria fun to a mixture of Carnaval we celebrate in the South of The Netherlands, Fashion Week and a Wedding in a traditional manner.
It was such an incredible journey. I donโt even have words to express my feelings. We were well aware of how unique this experience was and we tried to absorb as much as possible, because the 43 hours with Licor 43 went by like a whirlwind.
โ Licor 43 โ
In this article, I tell and show the journey from my perspective. Licor 43 is very proud of its Spanish roots and had invited us to this trip to experience Spanish life during #43hoursofpassion.
During our visit we were to discover what Spanish passion is all about, during a time Seville is at its most vibrant and very welcoming and lively. We were to capture this ourselves, but we were also followed by a production crew to film a short video for the campaign. We worked hard, from the early morning until deep in the night! It was an intense couple of days that I wouldnโt have to want to miss for the world. Immense grateful that I can call this my job.
It has been amazing to see the Spanish spirit, the joy of life that is so characteristic of the Spaniards. The proud dance movements, the love for partying, the way they get carried away by music and good foodโฆ We had the unique opportunity to completely submerge in this lifestyle, and boy, did we!
At the end of the article you get to see the campaign we filmed with Licor 43. You can also see it from Larissaโs perspective on her blog,ย here.
So letโs go #43passionatehours by Lily with Licor 43.
Vlog
PS: Donโt forget to subscribe to myย YouTube Channel!
โ Flight โ
The flight to Seville was the scariest one ever. We were about to land, in fact, I thought it was touched down already, but I didnโt feel the bump. In the video, you can see how close we were to the ground before we heard the engine go full power again and fly right back into the clouds. For 10 minutes we had no idea what was happening. Apparently, the wind changed last minute which effected our landing and we had to try it over again. Oh well, we made it to Seville eventually!
DAY 1
The first 24 hours was all about preparing us mentally and physically for the Feria. After our flight we had dinner with the lovely team for the briefing that got us all excited.
Itinerary
โข Shopping experience with Ana Nievas
โข Visit Cristina Garcia studio
โข Find my Flamenco dress
โข Lunch at restaurant La Azotea
โข Flamenco course
โข Dinner at Feria
โ Shopping โ
The first stop of the day was visiting Ana Nievasโ store. She is a lovely local blogger and designer. She was our shopping guide and also the stylist finding my Flamenco dress.
Ana brought us to this beautiful concept store. You can have a coffee here, buying pretty (Flamenco) dresses and accessories.
โCristina Garcia โ
The next stop was visiting an award-winner designer Cristina Garcia. We had the honor to wear her mesmerizing creations to the Feria. I am not an expert in Flamenco dresses, but everyone can tell that it is high fashion couture. Unfortunately, I was not lucky enough, not model tall to wear her designs. We did make some photos in it. As a fashion lover, the transformation was an amazing experience.
โ Say yes to the dress โ
Time for plan B! LilโLily had to find a dress to party at the Feria. Ana helped me find the dress. After trying out a few dresses, we decided to go for the classic black dress. It was like finding a wedding dress, you just know when itโs your dress.
โLunch at La Azotea โ
Yummy tapas for lunch at La Azotea. We tried the signature dishes, jamon and salmorejo. Forgot to make a photo here, but you will see the dishes in theย vlog.
Address: Calle Jesรบs del Gran Poder, 31, 41002 Sevilla, Spain
โ Flamenco dance class โ
It looks so easy when you watch people dancing the Flamenco. From grannies to little kids, everyone apparently knows the moves of this traditional dance. Well, I definitely underestimated this.
Macarena taught us the very basics in a 2 hour crash course. Itโs really the coordination of hands and feet that failed me big time. Before the dance class I thought I had some rhythm in me with my street dance and salsa background. The truth was that I felt like a big cow who couldnโt move next to the ever elegant dancing Macarena.
Frustrating at times, because I am a perfectionist with dance moves. Yet, it was so much fun. I have a new found admiration for the Flamenco.
โ Feria first night โ
The first taste of the Feria was there. We went there by night to have dinner at a private caseta. All the stories were not hyped, the excitement we felt when entering the Feria was like going to Disneyland as a little kid.
The beautiful lights, the people all dressed up in Flamenco dresses, the Spanish tunes everywhere, it was like I was dreaming and went back in time. Unreal.
This fairground consists of over 1000 casetas. Casetas on the Feria are private owned party tents, which are temporarily build for the celebration.
We had access to a few, where the families welcomed us openly. Tapas dinner, meeting charming local people and (try to) put the Flamenco moves in to practice. With other words, having a really good time enjoying ourselves.
DAY 2
The day of the truth. On the second day we got the unique full experience of the Feria that started in the early morning until partying late in the night.
Itinerary
โข Make up & hair like a Sevilliana
โข Sight seeing on a carriage
โข Lunch at a private caseta
โข Flamenco show
โข Tapas at Feria
โข Enjoying Feria
โ Make & hair by Manu Luna โ
It took a team to get ready for our feria. We transformed into Sevillanas and we were really feeling it. Top stylist Manu Luna came over in the morning to glam us up to the right looks. The make up was quiet natural with some pop up red lips to match my flower piece on my head. And may I add that I adored Mano, even though we couldnโt really communicate with our language barrier. You would be surprised what a few Spanish words and speaking with hands and feet can do ๐
โ Carriage transport โ
The full experience includes a horse and carriage ride to arrive at the Feria in style. Seriously, Larrisa and I felt like princesses. And later we felt like movie stars. Tourists were taking pictures from us where ever we went. We were attacked by a group of Koreans to pose for photos as attractions. So funny.
โ Plaza Espaรฑa โ
On a carriage, we continued the city tour to Plaza Espaรฑa. Amazing place to visit as a tourist. I think Larissa and I could spend hours here to shoot every little bit of this place.
โ Feria โ
Closer to the Feria it was crazy to stuck in a big traffic jam of horse carriages. It gave us some time to look around and judging each others rides, dresses and hair.
The experience was complete when we arrived at the Feria. Oh man, I cannot even describe the feeling, itโs something you should experience yourself to fully understand. I was pinching myself, while enjoying myself to the fullest. Viva La Feria!!
I want to thank Licor 43 here for making all this possible. It feels like a dream came true, a dream I didnโt even know I had. A thank you to the lovely production team, who had to deal with these two little divas hihi. Muchas gracias!
