There's a holiday held each year in the oldest neighbourhood in Alicante that I'd caught a mention of in passing once or twice (heard someone speak of it, read a plaque somewhere), but never got to see or knew when it was. Well I stumbled upon it quite accidentally this year, thanks to the internet! It's amazing the random things one stumbles upon in this virtual world...
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| painting on a wall depicting the emblems of the Barrio |
The Barrio de la Santa Cruz is the prettiest neighbourhood in town (basically the only one worth visiting!) with its traditional white houses piled on top of each other, narrow streets with plenty of steps going up (and down!) and flowers everywhere (at least in Spring). It's basically the old medieval/arab town, on the flanks of the Castillo de Santa Barbara and leading down to the Cathedral and the Rambla (one of the main avenues, which used to be a dry riverbed!). A small chapel -which legend has is built on the foundations of an old mosque- overlooks the neighbourhood, and one of the most interesting Holy Week Processions starts out from there on the Wednesday before Easter (I actually saw it this year, was too busy -still am- but do you think it's too late to write about it now?).
From May 1st to 3rd this neighbourhood (as well as many other towns in Spain and Latin America) celebrates the "Cruces de Mayo". Music fills the air, as does the noise of firecrackers and children playing and people talking. The residents decorate their streets with streamers and lights and flowers and set up Crosses covered with flowers.
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| my favourite in the street decorations |
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| Cross on a corner |
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