Seville - the passion of flamenco dancing

We had planned to go to Cordoba today but the train fare wasn't reasonable so we changed plans and stayed in Seville. First off we went to the Museo del Baile Flamenco, the official Spanish museum of flamenco dancing. It is quite an unusual  museum where you wander from room to room in relative darkness, but we came away with a lot of knowledge on the art and history of flamenco. There are seven different passions used in flamenco, all dances express emotions such as happiness, playfulness, sadness and loss. Flamenco is a very emotional experience for both the dancers and the spectators. 
There was also an art installation based on flamenco and a collection of memorabilia.

From there we walked across town to the Metropol Parasol, locally known as the mushroom. This modern structure was meant to revitalise the area but we have our doubts. From the top you get a good view of the city and there is also a cafe bar where you can enjoy a drink.

I'm  sure we walked at least ten kilometres today! From the Parasol we headed to the river and walked along the bank as far as the Golden Tower, then cut back through the city to return home for a very late lunch.

At 5 pm we returned to the Flamenco Museum for the most amazing hour of entertainment. A flamenco guitarist, two cantor singers with incredible voices and three dancers. The two women and one man, wearing stunning costumes, presented dances showing all the passions of flamenco. It was absolutely spellbinding. This was in an intimate setting so all present were close to the dancers. When our eyes left the dancers it was to look at a little girl in the front row who didn't  take her eyes off the dancers. She applauded enthusiatically with her hands above her head. Sadly no photos were allowed however I am sure the speed of the feet could not have been captured.

It is still daylight at 10 pm so it doesn't  seem strange going out to eat then.  There are so many restaurants to choose from that we have not been to the same one twice. Tonight we ate paella. I have a desire to buy a paella dish but I haven't seen a hardware store.