It all started off at the Iglesia de la Inmaculada. This is where the floats emerged from, and where everyone formed up to start the procession.
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| San Carlos emerges. |
This is San Carlos being brought out of the Iglesia de la Inmaculada.
And here is his buddy, San Juan (who seems to be the star of the show).
Once they have come out of the church, they are then paraded through the streets of the town, like this.
Many people follow the parade, some line the streets and wait for it to come past, and some are lucky enough to see it from their balconies (which are normally bearing a special banner for the occasion).
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| San Juan on parade. |
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| San Carlos on parade. |
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| And it continues! |
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| Note the banners and spectators on the balcony! |
However, it's not just the floats which are in the parade.
There are also bands, and people representing the different 'cofradias,' a type of religious group which I do not know how to explain, but who are the ones who parade in Semana Santa (Holy Week, around Easter), too. I believe they are often based around a particular saint.
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| A band in the procession for San Juan. |
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| Representatives of the cofradías. |
So, all things considered, it is a rather long procession.
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| The procession in our street. |
There was a lot of this going on:
It then heads back to the Iglesia de la Inmaculada, where the Saints are to be returned to the church.
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| San Carlos on his way back to the Iglesia de la Inmaculada. |
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| The procession heading back to the Iglesia de la Inmaculada. |
But, wait... all of the lights have gone out! What's going on?
Ah, yes. The firework display...
This year, it finished with a kind of 'bomb,' the shock waves from which I could feel right through my body. For a minute, I really thought something had gone wrong!
The Saints, who have stayed out to enjoy the fireworks, then head back into the church, and it's on to the next part of the fiesta. :)
