This was a great week. Only 3 days at work, since we have Maundy Thursday and Good Friday off, which meant lots of time for cycling and opportunities to view and photograph the many Easter processions around Alicante. And also a nice lunch with friends at home.
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I start with some cycling photos. One early morning, while cycling before going to the office, I had to stop and photograph the hills on the road to Aigües, partly shrouded in clouds:
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On Sunday morning, I cycled to the town of Agost, stopping for a break in Verdegás. Some of the locals were very relaxed about my presence:
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Others were a bit wary:
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Later in the week, during another pre-work ride, I was amused by these signs. The “detour” sign seems to be pointing to the heavens:
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On Sunday, we invited our friends Eliot and Assumpta, Lucas and Alejandra for lunch. Not paella this time, rather a lamb roast with some added dishes. While the lamb was roasting, we sat outside and had some drinks, munchies and conversation:
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Then we went inside for the food:
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Staying with the food theme, during the week I went to our local supermarket. We eat a lot of fish, so the fish counter is a regular stop for me:
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We also eat a lot of seafood, whether at home or, like here, in a restaurant:
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A typical dinner at our house, baked fish on a bed of potatoes and onions, topped with some shrimp:
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As usual, I continued my project of photographing “parked” dogs in the vestibule of the supermarket. I love them all, whether small like this one:
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Or bigger ones, like this docile creature:
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Then Thursday arrived, and with it a 5-day weekend (Easter Monday is also a day off here). I wanted to document the processions well this year, so I went to see them on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. On Thursday, I went to a procession commemorating the Last Supper:
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I always focus on individual participants in the events:
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Even better when I have eye contact:
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On Friday, I went to a Good Friday procession in a working class neighbourhood called Carolinas. It was by far the most enjoyable experience of the Holy Week. In this neighbourhood there are no tourists, no huge crowds, just the local people enjoying the holiday:
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More eye contact, and a smile:
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Watching and not watching:
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A conversation. This is probably my favourite photo of the entire Semana Santa:
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I started Sunday with an early bike ride; I wanted to go to the centre of Alicante at 11 to see the Easter Sunday procession, the culmination of the entire week. So I was out early on the road between Busot and Jijona:
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Jijona is very quiet on a Sunday morning:
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Then to the city. One of the two processions on Easter Sunday is called Nuestra Señora de la Alegría. The sculpture is carried from its home at the Basílica Santa María to the nearby city hall. On the way it is carried down a set of steps leading from the Basílica down to Calle Jorge Juan, a very delicate exercise for the costaleros:
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The Señora de la Alegría is escorted down the steps by members of Belleses del Foc i Dames d’Honor, one of whom gave me a smile. There was also eye contact with one of the other ladies, but no smile:
I have a dedicated gallery from the Semana Santa processions here.