The main event this week was the annual Santa Faz pilgrimage, during which more than 300,000 people walk about 6 km from the centre of Alicante to a monastery in the suburbs. I also did my usual kms of cycling, this time on the Vía Verde.
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To start the week, I cycled to Busot and Jijona. Near Busot there is a large reservoir which right now is a lot shallower than it should be. We have not had rain for more than 3 months, and the situation is getting serious:
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My daughter and her boyfriend Ernesto had gone to Venice for a few days. They came back Wednesday, and I went to the airport to pick them up:
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The second Thursday after Easter is a major holiday here in Alicante, called Santa Faz (Holy Face). It revolves around a relic held in a monastery on the outskirts of the city, a piece of cloth said to have been used to wipe the sweat off Jesus’s face when he was on the cross. The Santa Faz procession starts early in the morning at the cathedral in the centre and ends at the Santa Faz monastery, about 6 km north of the city. This year, more than 300,000 people took part, and I was there to take pictures:
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The motivation for participating varies. Some people (most) do it because it is a local tradition going back hundreds of years; others do it because it is a day off and an excuse to party, something always welcome here in Spain; and others do it for religious reasons, the most devout walking barefoot for maximum penitence:
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The young people are mostly in it for the party aspect:
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Flags–the Spanish one, and the one of Hercules, our sorry professional football club in Alicante:
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Given the number of participants and the consumption of various liquids, the city sets up toilets along the route. Still, some people can’t wait:
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The pilgrimage ends at the Santa Faz monastery, where an outdoor mass is held on the square in front of the church. A choir was already in place, singing for the pilgrims:
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Those not attending mass continued past the church. Despite the huge crowd and the relatively narrow street, no problems were reported:
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The street in the previous picture leads to another square, a large roundabout with benches and trees, providing a space for people to take a rest:
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Various souvenir stands were around to take advantage of the commercial opportunity offered by the large crowd:
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Another Santa Faz tradition is the sweet wine, mistela, enjoyed along the route in small chupitos, as demonstrated by this young woman:
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If benches are all occupied, people just sit down on the kerb:
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Lots of dogs take part in the procession too, some dressed for the occasion:
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In the afternoon I went down to the beach to see if the other Santa Faz tradition, young people partying on the beach after the procession, was still on. A few years ago the police began cracking down on public drinking, and the beach was no different than it would be on any nice spring day, not a trace of botellón. I walked around a bit, and noticed this embellishment of a sign prohibiting cycling on the promenade:
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Early morning light in my garden:
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On Wednesday I went out for lunch, not something I do a lot (we have a decent canteen at the office). But this time I had agreed to go with my colleague Claire. She works in another department but we have known each other for a long time–I was her boss from 2009 to 2011. I chose to go to TK Arabesco, a Moroccan restaurant in the centre that I have “discovered” this year and fallen in love with:
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This is Claire:
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And me, photographed by Claire with my camera:
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I finished the week with a ride on the Vía Verde. A reasonably hard ride, first 25 km on the road to get to the trail, then 12-13 km on gravel, then back on the road, 35 km to get home. But it has its rewards:
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Almond trees:
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Riding on the Vía Verde means looking at majestic landscapes; but along the side of the trail there are also pretty details:
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A lone hiker in a big landscape:
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Same hiker, about to be passed by me:
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The total length of the Vía Verde is 22 km, but I joined it in Agost at 5 km, and I left it just after the 17 km mark, because the last 5 km are pretty boring and there are some long, pitch-dark tunnels which I dislike. At this spot the regular road is adjacent to the trail, so I took a short break, photographed a family hiking, and then rolled down to Agost on the road, and back home:
