VISUALISE a scene where dark-haired beauties flounce by in colourful be-ruffled flamenco dresses . . . the affluent young landed class, handsome in traditional upscale "gaucho" style, ride past with a studied arrogance on thoroughbred horses . . . and an equally elegant older generation cavorts about via horse-drawn carriages.At first glimpse it's like a dress rehearsal for some wide-screen production in vibrant Technicolor, with everyone in costume ready to assume their role.

Truth is, this happens every year in Seville, Spain where for five days the city parties through the night in a style that makes New Year's Eve seem like a subdued dress rehearsal.

Like so many things in this history-centred country, roots for this remarkable gala go back to another century. What is now world famous as Seville's Feria actually began as a trade fair in 1846.

Its original intent was to improve business in trade and agriculture. The imaginative party-loving Spanish soon turned it into something far livelier — a folkloric celebration that also combines business with bullfights, dancing, dining and a unique variety of hoopla.

This writer happened on all its excitement by accident while travelling in Spain. There to cover other pre-scheduled attractions and events, my arrival in Seville happily coincided with the fair's opening.

Somehow, intuitively one knows that any event beginning with simultaneous illumination of half a million lights at midnight is geared to night owls! And in a country where the evening meal begins somewhere around 10 o'clock, it goes without saying the Spanish are night owls.

Somehow, we're told it all manages to combine business with pleasure. But to the casual observer's eye, the emphasis definitely seems to be on pleasure.IT'S held on a huge open site south of town and local Sevillans build literally an entire temporary village of small casitas. All are brightly decorated, covered in bright red or green striped canvas. There are flags, flowers, sometimes elaborate signs displaying the casita's name. Many are private, some public.These casitas serve multiple purposes. There's a wood floor for some flamboyant flamenco dancing, an area for sipping and savouring local sherry along with tapas snacks for nibbling. And when we met the mayor, we were told much business is conducted in the midst of this carnival-like atmosphere.

In some ways, it's like a giant family reunion with everyone glamorous in their most elaborate flamenco dresses, parading around with great enthusiasm to see and be seen. It resembles a great encampment of some regal mediaeval potentate moving across his lands with an impressive entourage.

Adjoining the casita area are display booths selling all sorts of goodies, along with dizzying rides to keep youngsters amused. After an afternoon and early evening there taking enough photos to fill an album, we retreat to solitude of the country estate chosen as our headquarters.

It's not that Seville itself doesn't offer exceptional accommodations . . . it definitely does. A real standout heading the super posh list is five-star Hotel Alfonso XIII which has all the style and design of a royal palace.

In fact, it was built in 1929 to coincide with the Ibero-American Exhibition and inaugurated by King Alfonso XIII. Its public rooms are spectacular with elaborate tiles, woodwork and fountains. In the late 1970s, grandson King Juan Carlos I reopened it after extensive restoration work.

But lured by solitude of a unique country setting where our personal battery gets a super recharge, we drove north from Seville some 15 kilometres to Hacienda Benazuza, edging the village of Sanluca la Mayor.

A member of the Great Hotels of the World, it has prices to match its five-star acclaim (seasonal). Often written up in glossy magazines as a premier location, it was built by the Moors and dates to the tenth century and was converted to a hotel in 1992. With an impressive setting, it resembled an Arab village and the kind of place travellers seek out.

Although unique, there were some loose ends reminiscent of a John Cleese Fawlty Towers sequence during my stay. The bellman (in tails, of course) managed to lay my garment bag in a water puddle in the process of removing it from the car and delivering it to my suite.

Expected faxes were never delivered, but had to be sought out at the desk. Car keys given to staff went temporarily missing. But the very special atmosphere with its grand staircases, elaborate ceilings, vintage stables and spacious grounds were worth any minor glitches. Surprise of surprises, even the dining room waiter had worked at a Bermuda hotel.

With a fondness for historic properties, we're considering the Parador at Carmona, 32 kilometres east of Seville, for a subsequent visit. One of Spain's justifiably acclaimed paradores, it's located among remnants of King Pedro the Cruel's summer palace.

The Feria is always held two weeks after Easter, which this year happens to be very early. Easter week itself is a time for historic statues to be taken from local churches and paraded through Seville's streets in dramatic procession. However, Feria (this year April 25 to 30) is the time for people of Seville to parade themselves.

But the area deserves a visit at any season. Even Cervantes, when imprisoned there in a debtor's prison, took his incarceration in stride. Asking for pen and paper, he began writing Don Quixote. Writer Washington Irving described it as "exotic" and early visitors were equally impressed. They included St. Therese of Avila in the 16th century, who spoke of its enchanting personality.

According to legend, Seville was founded by Hercules, but evidence of its earliest origins remain shrouded in mystery. Originally called Hispalis, that name is thought to be of Phoenician or Iberian origin. Caesar founded a colony there in 45 BC and it became capital of Spain under Roman rule.BIZET chose it as setting for Carmen — in fact, the famous cigar factory of that production is now part of the University of Seville. Rossini's famous barber, Figero, played out his fictional life there, and painters Diego Velázquez and Bartolomé Murillo began life in that city. Magellan set out to circle the globe from there.In fact, during the Age of Discovery, Seville became one of the world's richest cities and memories of that gilded era remain. With an impressive collection of ancient churches, cathedrals, palaces and other treasured and tiled architectural marvels, it's a joy just to drive around and view them.

Miles of gardens and avenues are abloom with jasmine and orange blossoms. Music seems to be everywhere and there are endless lists of locations where flamenco is performed with a lively flair worthy of José Greco, whom I saw perform several times during the height of his career.

Far too many worthy sites exist to catalogue them here in detail. Seldom does one see such a blend of Moorish, Renaissance, Gothic, Baroque and Mudejar styles and visitors will barely scratch the surface of sightseeing possibilities.

Only St. Peter's in Rome and London's St. Paul's are larger than Seville's massive cathedral. An elaborate tomb borne by four kings was constructed for remains of Christopher Columbus, who was brought there in 1506.

But as an explorer who travelled the world, it should come as no surprise he was soon carried back to the West Indies, then supposedly returned here centuries later. But many historians theorise it was actually his son who was returned to Seville and that Columbus rests in the Dominican Republic. Regardless of where he is, the tomb and overwhelming cathedral are worth a visit. Of special interests are Archives of the West Indies, located in a Renaissance building dating to 1785. It was designed by the architect of the famous royal El Escorial Palace. Nearly 40,000 documents relating to Spanish exploration in the West Indies and South America are protected and preserved there . . . unfortunately they are not yet fully catalogued. They include signatures of Magellan, Cortes and Columbus.

Temporarily closed to the public during renovations, it is available to researchers who make prior arrangements. Since Seville was such an important centre during the Age of Discovery, it's possible information concerning early sightings of Bermuda could be found there.

Spain has so much to offer travellers, one can only hope to cover small segments on a trip to savour it properly. It's truly an abundance of riches and happily locals have wisely realised the value of saving and preserving sites of historic and scenic interest, not bulldozing them in the name of "progress". No wonder tourists beat a path to their door.

In this area travellers won't want to miss Cordova with its famous Moorish Mosque dating to the eighth century. The list of must-sees is long . . . Arcos de Frontera, Jerez, Rhonda and the unchanging charms of the Andalusian villages. Hopefully, we'll revisit there in future.

l Next week: Some things you should know about car rentals