This was a nice week, ending with a four-day weekend: both Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays in Spain. As I do every year, I went to the centre on Friday and Sunday to have a look at the Easter processions. There was also a medieval market in our neighbourhood, which provided some photo opportunities (as well as some good beer and cheese).
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Good Friday procession of the Virgen de la Soledad, just after leaving the church:
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Another Good Friday procession. My American friends always find these outfits ominous, but I assure the viewer that they have nothing to do with the KKK and indeed predate the Klan:
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Saturday morning, a quiet golf course photographed while walking Cheeta:
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The statistics tell us that Spain’s economy has turned the corner in 2014 and is now growing at a good pace. I see signs of this in my neighbourhood, where shops that have stood empty for months or even years now have new tenants. Here is a gourmet food shop that is opening in a small commercial centre near our home:
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Still same Saturday morning dog walk; a man is having breakfast at a local bakery:
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On Easter Sunday I went to the centre of town again, but this time I went too late to see the two processions that meet outside City Hall for the culmination of the festivities. But instead, I saw something I have not seen before, the aftermath of one of the processions. Here is Virgen de la Alegría on a little square next to the monastery where the statue is kept:
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The paso is dismantled, a delicate operation:
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Children pick up the small handbills that are thrown, confetti-like, from the balcony of the town hall:
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A bar with questionable beer selection, decorated for the holidays:
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Wall art:
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Wall of poetry:
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Wall painting:
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Wall painting and parking:
The final four images are from the medieval market in my neighbourhood. These markets consist of stalls selling food, drink, some handicraft and trinkets. There are also pony rides for the children, and of course, this being Spain, bars and restaurants. The whole thing lasts 3-4 days, and then they move on to some other town.
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Pulpo:
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Embutidos from Mallorca:
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Cheese from Menorca–it was delicious and I bought some, made from raw sheep’s milk:
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Another stall where I bought something–this lady is selling artesanal beer from northern Spain:
More Easter procession photos can be seen here.