The Festa de l'Ermita is held the Saturday after Easter. This was my second Festa. Montse and her family invited me the first spring I was here and I've always wanted to go again. This year Francesc invited Katie and me to join his friends and family.
The weather can be unpredictable this time of year. The official forecast was for cold wind and rain. Fortunately, the rain never came but it was certainly cold and windy. A number of families in the village opted to stay home and cook their paella in more controlled circumstances. We decided to brave it.
Francesc did a heroic job getting the fire going. Like all great paella chefs, he had all his ingredients prepared and the paella came together just right. I can honestly say it was the best I've ever tasted. Everybody else seemed to feel the same way (see photo below)!
Francesc' wife and sister (Marta and Pinyeres) were there along with some of their families. There were also a number of friends from the village and some of Francesc' friends from work. They were all very interesting and friendly. A few of them spoke English so Katie was able to visit with them.
We walked around the Ermita before and after our meal. We ran into Ariadna and her family, Pilar and Philip, Albert and Lluisa and a number of other folks I know. We walked back home. It felt good to get little exercise after the big meal.
An hour or so after we got home, the procession with the Virgin came by the house. The priest and about twenty people from town were there to greet her and escort her back to the church. A few members of the band from the Festa stuck around to give them some musical backup.
It was a great day. Thanks for inviting us Francesc!
