Saints Day...............

When we woke this morning we started the day with our usual routine.  Dogs fed and walked. clothes washed, lunch prepared............and then the phone call

"Hola,  vais a venir"?
"Que"
"Mucho vino anoche"
"No porquet"
"Vais a venir a ver los coches"
"Veniros para mi casa"


So I yelled at Blane across the Finca

"Have a shower I think we are going out"

(I always say I think, because sometimes I do misunderstand on the phone and we turn up at friends houses, when they were just telling us something about their day or an event in a few days)
Twenty minutes later we  are showered and on our way to the village... where we meet our friends and proceed in the direction of the plaza. along with all the other inhabitants.

Turns out this weekend is the festival of San Cristobel  or as you may know him Saint Christopher.

Saint Christopher is the  Patron Saint of travel... which here in my village includes cars
There are several legends about him including the one in which he was crossing a river when a child asked to be carried across. When Christopher put the child on his shoulders he found the child was unbelievably heavy. The child, according to the legend, was Christ carrying the weight of the whole world. This was what made Christopher the patron saint of travelers.   According to the Roman Catholic web site he is a very busy saint as he also holds patronage for

Athletes, mariners, ferrymen, and travelers. He is revered as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. He holds patronage of things related to travel and travelers. He also holds patronage for archers; bachelors; boatmen; soldiers;bookbinders; epilepsy; floods; fruit dealers; fullers; gardeners; a holy death; mariners; market carriers; motorists and drivers; sailors; storms; surfers; toothache; mountaineering; and transportation workers.

Anyway, back to our Saint.   The plaza was busy busy busy, everyone dressed up, I had put a dress on thank goodness, so did not have my usual -dragged through hedge backwards-look.

Young girls brightly dressed

A lovely family anticipating

The two old Amigos!

As we took our seats in the square the noise started to build...  Car horns began to toot and the priest took up his position.

First came San Cristobel...........

The car carrying the Saint stopped in the Plaza, where the priest blessed with holy water and a prayer.

The the crescendo of noise grew as the cars started to drive through the narrow streets of the village, all tooting horns, stopping briefly  (not the tooting) for the priest to bless them and then they continued on their way.

Cars driven by the young, the old, children sitting on their fathers knees

The very casually dressed priest

Bicycles welcome

 Then came the BIG BOYS

Finally after probably 150 cars and 4 very large trucks the religious part of the days events were over, however as anyone living in Spain will tell you, no religious festival is complete without the obligatorily Drinks and tapas.

 Of which we had several............we had a great time.  The next major fiestas are in September when we have 11 days straight of partying............BRING IT ON