My long-time friend, Katie, is staying with me this trip. Her mom grew up in the same neighborhood as Rhett and me and we've been friends all these years. Katie wanted a little R&R so we've been hanging out and seeing some sights. She was here before with Rhett and Deb.
We went to Tarragona last Wednesday. It was the first warm day we've had and maybe the last! It felt good to get out into the warm sunshine. We had lunch at an excellent place by the marina. That evening, we went to a wonderful dinner at Philip's. Jesus was there and suggested we go to Reus for one of the Easter processions. We decided to go on Good Friday.
We got there in time to have tapas at my favorite place in Reus. The procession didn't start until after 8:00 pm and we were able to see the preparations. Several churches participated and each has different fraternal organizations that manage the various floats. The floats are based on stations of the cross and other events leading to the crucifixion.
Most of the organizations have drum and bugle corps that march and play behind the floats. I did see one young woman carrying a saxophone (?). There were at least a couple of groups of men dressed as Roman Legionnaires. They also have drum corps and do their best to look suitably sinister. Before the procession, we saw some of them stopping at a café for beer, coffee and cigarettes. A soldier's life is never easy.
The different church groups all have slightly different regalia and colors. Each group also included at least a few kids. Considering the procession takes close to three hours to complete (snail's pace), I really admired those kids for taking part. The week around Easter (Semana Santa) is the biggest holiday by far throughout Spain. It's the time everybody takes off work and hangs out with their families.
One of the most striking features of the procession was the "Capirotes" or conical hats. Most Americans associate them with the Ku Klux Klan. I have to admit it's hard to get comfortable standing around with people dressed that way. It turns out that, before the Inquisition, people doing public penance for their sins were required to wear these hats and cover their faces. For a complete explanation, please check out this link:
Capirote https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capirote
Like most holidays here, there are special pastries and treats. In Catalunya, the cakes are called "monas". Every kid get one for him/herself. They can get really fancy and expensive. Please check out the photos below.
We had a quiet Easter. Katie brought some plastic Easter eggs and hid them around the house. That was totally sweet and fun. She also brought a chocolate bunny we haven't gotten into yet. Maybe tomorrow! I hope you and yours had a Happy Easter!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment