La Mercé is a massive festival. Rumored to have over 600 events, and that's not too hard to believe. Here are some of the key events that I saw. I'll have more to share on my next post.
My housemates and I started out going to a museum that was for free (there are a bunch of free museums this weekend). We got there, eventually, and got to see some cool stuff on the first floor about this whole festival, especially stuff about the parades. Apparently those different creatures, such as the dragons, used to stand for different guilds. And, while I missed the parade of giants, here's me standing next to two
We then went upstairs, where apparently the orginal focus of this museum lies... It's a modern art type museum, and this one was about kids. Let me tell you, it was the creepiest museum ever. It was about children and how they've evolved in society over time. According to one part of the English brochure, children are struggling to survive in today's world. It talked about the death of children, weird modern versions of fairy tales, and other stuff. Yeah... no me gusta. That's all on that.
As I mentioned before, there's stuff everywhere. Vendors, music, shows, etc. However, the main event on Saturday night was the Correfoc (Fire Run). Oh goodness. It was Kah-wazy. People were telling us about it, especially our RA, and told us that if we go, we need to dress up. Here's me (not a great picture):
And yes, sunglasses at night.You will soon see why one dresses like this. I wasn't told much about this fire run, but I learned quite a bit from experience. Here's a picture of the kid version, which started beforehand.
Basically, in the Correfoc, there are these "devil" people that run around with these sticks that hold these fireworks that spin around, shooting out showers of sparks. That may explain the presence of these:
It's kinda like the running of the bulls. Hmm... Apparently Spaniards love running with dangerous things. I was the only one in my group properly suited, so I went it alone. Here's a good picture of the "devils" not in action.
You get carried away with the crowd and quickly learn the ropes. As the "devils" run around, you grab onto them so you're right under the Giant Sparkler From Hell. This way you're away from the sparks. Everyone's jumping and chanting. Crazy stuff. Here are some actions shots. And yes, this was slightly terrifying.
They aren't the greatest pictures, but I hope the reader can forgive me. In the second one, you can see people sitting down. I soon realized that the "point" was to try to stop or slow these devils down. Of course, as we sat, they would shower sparks onto you. The people would also chant something that sounded like "no government" at first, but I'm pretty sure it's something else. And probably in Catalan like everything else at this festival.
These things were the most intense:
They came in all types of creature shapes. And yes, they targeted people.I'm glad I suited up the way I did (and had ear plugs). Some of my friends got scared in the beginning when they saw everyone else and me all decked out, and not merely wearing athletic shorts and t-shirts. Let's just say I don't feel like a wimp. I also didn't get out of there without burns. I got a couple small ones on my right hand. My sweatshirt (just a free one I got from school. It says "ACE" on it, which is this business honors program I'm in) has a few burns in it that I'm quite proud of.
This event was also the best Barcelona has ever smelled. Mmm... Like the Fourth of July... on 'roid rage causing steroids.
So, that was that. The rest of the night was a little more tame. Just went to this club that was pretty nice.
Today, Sunday, I saw the Matí Casteller (human castles or towers). It's appears to be a mild competition between about 5 groups.
They try to build a tower as tall as they can, and a little kid climbs to the top. A few of them did collapse, and it's funny because if it gets too shaky or scary, the kid comes down before he/she reaches the top.
It was pretty entertaining.
Well, there are more parades, concerts, and fireworks tonight. I'm going to get a little homework done now. I hope you all enjoyed this post. Take care, everyone! :)
Shirt of the day:
Uncool
2 comments:
Chad, you learned how to deal with fireworks with the many fun times in Avon. I think they beat our display we would have. Take care! Love, Pat
Haha I was thinking the same thing as Aunt Pat! Haha and why would someone wear a shirt that says "Uncool"? crazy Europeans
=]
ohhh does everyone and their moms have iPods there? just wondering.
Post a Comment