Feria 2008 - How was it for you?

Top 5 Super Things about Feria
(in no particular order)
1. The Portada - Gaudy and unnecessarily huge as it may be, there is something magical about the portada, especially when lit up at night.
2. Rebujito - Sherry and lemonade mix that's a May staple here in Cordoba. It goes down very easily, is lovely and cool and makes you extremely giggly and mellow. Thus far, I haven't experienced a rebujito induced hangover, although I'm sure it exists.
3. Trajes de gitana - Looking at the ladies and little girls all dressed up in their flamenco dresses is one of the simple pleasures of feria. Spotting the most hideous can be fun but even better yet is looking out for the pretty ones and making mental notes of patterns and colours for when I can eventually fork out the 600 euro or so it will cost me to get my own.
4. Coming together - No matter what your walk of life, be you pijo, friki, moderno or whatever else, for ten days differences are put aside to congregate on the same piece of wasteland and do irreversible damage to your liver. You may go to different casetas but there's a common purpose and, for a brief time, peace and love among Cordobesans.
5. Work? But it's Feria! - The entire duration of Feria is accompanied by a festive feeling, whether you're actually at the site or not. So even if you are working, you're doing feck all. And then there's the work night out on Wednesday...


Top 5 Shite Things about Feria
(once again in no particular order - although the first thing I mention is quite a stand out)
1. Toilets - Anyone familiar with going to the loo in Cordoba knows that it's not a pleasant experience and is best done with armed with your own supply of tissues and the will to repeat "esta ocupado" constantly due to bar owners' belief that locks on bathroom doors are a expendable luxury. Well, feria makes you nostalgic for all of this as you are faced with holes in the ground, portaloos that don't flush and, as the queues get longer into the night, trips to the Guadalquivir riverbank. You now things are bad when you come out excitedly exclaiming that there's a sink in the toilet. Worst culprit so far is the Federacion de Penas Cordobesas toilet...
2. The Sand - A stroke of planning genius. Cover the ground with sand with the same dying power as turmeric. Just add water and all sorts of Glastonburyesque scenes follow. If it's hot and dry half the crowd have to wear World War style gas masks to counteract their allergies and, like, breathe. No matter what the weather's like it's a mess. Surely there's an alternative...
3. Being sober at Feria - If you're under the age of 13 being sober at Feria is great. You have loads of rides, candyfloss and balloons to distract you. Anyone above that needs to become inebriated just to handle the sordidness of the whole thing, especially at night. Without a few copas you notice the messy puddles of, what you hope is, drink, the smell of a lot of people crowded into tents and the shite music. I have decided that sober Feria nights won't be repeated next year.
4. Let's go to Feria. Well, what else can we do? - Being Cordoba's most important fiesta everything closes down for the second half of Feria. This is great in one way(a few days off work) but bollocks in many others. The city centre is deserted and if you don't fancy Feria all your favourite haunts are invariably closed. The only solution - get out of Cordoba.