holy week. or semana santa as it's called. observed all over southern spain with a seriousness and fervor you might not see elsewhere. for seven days leading up to easter, nearly every city in andalucia gets taken over by ancient processions. to an outsider, it's an impenetrable montage of confusing, yet deeply evocative images. figures in dark hoods loom up from every direction. spoke pots of incense, candles, religious imagery, and the crowds. flashes of goya, dimly remembered impressions of the inquisition.