Saturday, July 16, 2016

Ready For Another Virgin

Today is the Fiesta De Nuestra Señora Del Carmen, The Virgin of Carmen, patron of mariners and fishermen everywhere. As in years past, the virgin will be paraded through the streets of of our neighborhood of Los Boliches before she's floated into the water (and back out again). I plan to get plenty of pictures tonight of the procession and the fireworks that follow. Meanwhile, here's what it looked like around town earlier today.

(Do I have to tell you to click the images to enlarge?)

RED FLAGS MEAN ROUGH SEAS.
I SURE HOPE THEY CALM BEFORE TONIGHT. 
ALTHOUGH SWIMMING IS OFFICIALLY PROHIBITED, THE LIFEGUARDS
LET PEOPLE GO IN THE WATER IN AREAS THEY DEEM SAFE ENOUGH. NOT HERE.
THIS STRETCH, VIEWED FROM OUR TERRACE, IS CONSIDERED SAFE TODAY.
BUT TWO LIFEGUARDS FLANK THE OUTER EDGES AND WATCH CLOSELY.
TINY REPLICA OF WHAT WE'LL SEE TONIGHT.
ON DISPLAY AT THE FISHING PORT INSIDE THE COMMERCIAL FISH MARKET.
(SPONSORED BY THE FISHERMEN'S ASSOCIATION.)
AT THE JETTY NEAR THE PORT, FIREWORKS SET UP AND BEING GUARDED.

18 comments:

  1. Backwards and forwards every year; Our Lady must be simply exhausted.

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    Replies
    1. Spo:
      And think of all those poor hunks in sailor suits doing that dance with her hoisted over their heads!

      Delete
  2. What a beautiful setting for a parade!!
    It is all quite 'pagan' isn't it, Mitchell?....when you think about this. Maybe I think about it all too much!! lol And me growing up immersed in all this ritual. Must say though that I did enjoy it all back then.

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    Replies
    1. Jim:
      Shhhhh. Don't tell anyone about the pagan origins.

      Delete
  3. Well you have to admit she really gets around for an old gal!

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  4. ain't no such thing as virgins! ;-b

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    Replies
    1. anne marie:
      Oh, we've got a virgin on every corner and they're regularly paraded through the streets.

      Delete
  5. Sounds like it will be quite an event. If she floats, does that mean she's a witch?

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    Replies
    1. Wilma:
      Oh, I love your irreverence. You and I would get along so well... and we'd get in so much trouble.

      Delete
  6. There seem to be a lot of fiestas where you live. How great!

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  7. So it's her yearly dip????

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    Replies
    1. Willym:
      The seas were rough, so they didn't take her in very far, but she was still dipped.

      Delete
  8. WTF! Yet ANOTHER procession? (With fireworks et al, naturally!) Those denizens of Heaven must be saying "Just leave us alone and STFU!!!"

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    Replies
    1. Raybeard:
      Yes, another pagans-in-denial ritual. I love it.

      Delete
  9. wow the festival is similar top one in which I took part in Sicily. I am going to write about it next week

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    Replies
    1. Gosia:
      I can't wait to see it. I've never seen the Italian or Sicilian versions of any of these.

      Delete

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