Travellin´ Light: Almuñecar

Our first stop on our whirlwind tour of the eastern side of Spain was here in Almuñecar. One of its claims to fame was that it was the first landing spot for the Moors who came and conquered Spain back these many centuries. It's on the coast, and has good hills to build forts upon. The hill was occupied by successive powers, the Romans, the Moors and the Christians.

This building is an early 20th century attempt to replicate the style of the Moors. It now houses the tourist information office and the gardens outside have a variety of fossils which are obviously found in the area.

This lovely facade is the ticket wicket and entrance to the local auditorium.

It's Semana Santa or Holy week and in Andalucia where we are now, the festival is celebrated in a very unique fashion. In the 1500's the priests decided that the citizens needed to understand the Passion of Christ, so parades of "Tronos" (which we might call floats), illustrating the events leading up to Christ's crufuxion and resurrection would do the job. Ever since, during the entire week of Semana Santa, guilds called cofradias parade these Tronos through the streets of their towns and cities, all dressed in unique fashion as penitents. Here in Almuñecar we were well positioned to see the parades close up.

Here a young man heads towards the starting area to take part.

I'll get to the parades again (and there will be three communities of events to show you) but for now, a little food for you. This part of Andalucia is also well known for offering free food (known as tapas), with every drink you order. (In other parts of Spain you pay for your tapas separately). We found this local place where the tapas are all seafood. The owner serves at the bar while in the kitchen, several women are cooking furiously. When you order your first glass of beer or wine, the owner yells primero, and in a minute or two he hands you a plate of small fried fish, hot from the oil. And yes that's avocado. If you have a second drink he yells segundo and yes, tercera for the third. I never heard a call for a fourth.

Here's Geordie inside. It was quiet when we arrived, but within a half hour the place was jammed three and four deep and there were people standing in the streets with their good and drink.

These prawns were much like spot prawns. After breaking off the heads, you can suck out the insides.

Geordie even dared to eat the little fishes with tails still on. We went both nights we stayed in Almuñecar and the second night was far more crowded than the first because people came up the hill in droves after the Tronos passed by.

I found these amazing bird of paradise like plants growing along the sidewalks. The plants are the size of banana trees and those flower spikes are more than a foot long.

And these flowers had burst into bloom from an almost decapitated set of branches with not a leaf in sight.

As promised, some of the intriguing objects from the tourist office garden. These appeared to be clusters of crystals rather than fossils, but certainly intriguing.

Here however is one of the fossilized shells - these were in profusion and each was about a foot across. This one was under glass hence the glare.

These smaller trilobites were clustered together, no doubt engulfed in some great upheaval and fossilized in situ.

Almuñecar was settled early but the great castle was started by the Moors, then built upon by the Christians. From the heights there were great views of the surroundings, naturally.

This tower had parted ways with the wall here at the entrance.

The walls were not only created by the Moors though. This section was described as the Punic wall and was in place centuries before the Moors arrived.

A view of the Mediterranean.

Arrow slits added by the Christian forces.

It's hard not to be drawn to the views.

As you can see, inland has a harsh landscape, sere and rocky.

There were some small sculptures in the museum attached to the castle. This little piece dates from the end of the 1st century after Christ.

As does this small sculpted marble head with its lovely face, described as the head of a warrior, possibly decorating the foot of a table leg.

Another of the tiny carvings - it's no more than 4 inches tall.

And this one which I chose because of the image of a young shepherd carrying his sheep - after all, as a knitter, sheep are important.

Almuñecar's sea front celebrates these small islets and the hill next the harbour. On top was some fortifications and a cross. I resisted the temptation to climb to the top.

These young boys were playing Spain's national sport - football, soccer to Canadians but it's futbol!

And Almunecar's central village is built in the hill below the castle. A street in the village.

And a gorgeous, exuberant wall of colour.

There was also a large food market with this large mural of some of the tradespeople's wares.

These plates had the colour and vibrancy of the plates we see in Mexico too.

A little dish of paella, seafood with clams, mussels, shrimp and squid.

Now we begin the preparations for the evening parades. Here is a Trono waiting at the top of the village to be paraded through the streets later in the day.

And right next to it, this statue of Mary who is shown always in great sadness at the loss of her son. Some of the statues paraded through the streets are actually quite old, and some have been created by very well known artists of their time. They are treated with great reverence.

It's a parade so there are musicians who play quite sonorous music as they march through the streets. These folk were warming up.

Roman soldiers are in evidence too.

And these are the Penitents. These robed and hooded people wear their garb to hide themselves so that they may show their penitence anonymously. They are expressing their devoutness in this way. Unlike the KKK there is no malice here.

Another group of musicians ready for the arrival of the Trono from the church.

And this group marched up to the church leading a group of penitents.

And so the parade begins.

Some are hooded in this fashion rather than with the long pointed caps, but most do wear the pointed ones. Young and old parade too.

There are sumptuous gowns and both men and women participate. It was not always so. Women have been allowed within recent memory.

Another tradition, a man representing Christ carrying his cross. This cross however has a wheel at the back.

Each Cofradia (brotherhood) has its emblematic standard, often highly embroidered.

And here you see the Trono being carried. Yes, these huge platforms which can weigh thousands of pounds are carried on the shoulders of the faithful. Here are four beams and under the platform are the rest of the carriers hidden from view. There may well be fifty or sixty people carrying the Tronos. And of course, the larger the Trono the more carriers there will be.

The Virgin makes her way downhill.

Before the procession started, the two Tronos faced each other, and that of the Virgini dipped in a bow. The watchers applaud whenever the Tronos are hoisted to the shoulders of the bearers. They do stop to rest.