Last Tuesday (September 24) was a holiday, La Mercè, and there was no school Monday or Tuesday. We returned from Madrid Monday evening in time for some of the festivities, which actually began on Friday, September 20. La Mercè honors one of Barcelona’s patron saints, our Lady of the Mercy. The festival is all about Catalonia, and this capital city really knows how to celebrate.
On Monday night, we arrived at Plaza Saint Jaume, along with thousands of others to hear some music and watch an amazing light show, really a short movie, projected on the façade of City Hall. This was followed by the appearance of giant puppets, some more than 4 meters tall, supported by an invisible person underneath a skirt. We watched the 9:45 p.m. show and puppet parade and then enjoyed a meal; it’s never too late for a family dinner in Barcelona, children everywhere at all hours.
No good puppet photos, but this is a similar one from the August Bilbao fiesta.
On Tuesday, Plaza Saint Jaume was packed again, this time for a midday show that was truly a highlight of our time in Barcelona. We watched the amazing “castellers”; “castells” is the Catalan word for castles, and castellers are the people who form the human towers that can rise several stories. Children, wearing helmets for protection, form the top levels, and we felt as if the whole crowd was holding its breath, as the final climbers moved upward.
Note the banner above the flag, “Atreveix Te A Decidir”, which translates into something like, “Dare to Decide” or “Dare you to Decide”, referring to the movement for Catalan independence. There certainly is a lot of related hype, be it protests, flags, banners, or simply peaceful support stations set up around the city where written material and verbal guidance are offered that highlight the cause.
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Thank you for the kind words.