Carnival in Rio, royal progresses in London, St Patrick’s Day in New York: the world is not short of good street theatre. But Holy Week in Spain is equal to any - week-long, full of strange sights and wonders, and nation-wide, embracing every town and village in the country. In a land where fewer than a quarter still go to church, the winding street processions, the candle-lit floats with holy figures, the extraordinary costumes of the barefoot penitents, the very extravagances of devotion, seem to contain something beyond purely Christian mystery. Everybody takes part, whatever their persuasion. This is a fiesta without denominations.

Sometimes a singer will appear on a corner balcony and, when the procession pauses beneath, will launch a saeta in ancient ululations that raise the hair on the back of the neck. Carrying the floats is a highly skilled affair demanding many weeks of practice by teams of up to sixty. Sometimes you see the porters pop out from beneath the heavy folds of textile that hide the lower parts of the float, to enjoy a smoke or a glass of beer while deputy porters pop in. It is a time for flowers, gorgeous cloths, for gleaming ecclesiastical silver work. Statues ranging from near-pop to the highest form of artistic expression are paraded through the streets in absolute confidence they will come to no harm.

And then, in the deeps of Thursday night, there comes the sorrowful climax as Christ is carried to his doom, often with spectacular expressions of grief.

Fast on the heels of which, it’s party time. Fervour gives way to bank holiday spirit and Sunday brings another climax: meat, drink and the pleasures of the countryside.
This tour is a chance to participate in the popular life of Spain, with crowds and simple comradeship, tapas, wine or coffee in very busy bars. We have chosen the south-west, from ancient Carmona and Seville with its feverish processions to the towered Templar town of Jerez de los Caballeros, well known in a humbler way for its delightfully striking processions. The plan is to get an overview of Spain in Holy Week – with lunches out, countryside and some wonderful towns and villages to visit just for the fun of it.

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