MANILVA SANTA ANA.

MONDAY 26TH JULY 2010

One “ Helluva ” Day that started at 8-00am and finished at 3-00am this morning !

The Charanga Band and fireworks starts the day with a bang; Santa Ana is the patron saint of Manilva and this is the next to biggest festival and carnival of the year, we met Mano and Anna up at Bar Rojas for drinks and tapas and were joined by some town councilor’s and the head of Manilva Radio/TV under the canopy of the Sanbrajo in the hot lunchtime sun; then it’s siesta time.

In the evening we had supper at Bar Rojas, Carlos,Ana Mari and Fabio joined us as the village got packed before the processions begin; they all dress up in their best dress’s and finery and parade up and down Calle Mar which is set up with stalls and later a very large bouncy castle; as the Mass ends in Santa Ana church the procession makes it way up to the main street lead by the Town Band with the Mayor and Councillor’,then the Statue of Santa Ana covered in flowers is carried on the shoulder’s of the apostolic’s,this year for the first time Paco,Lumy’s youngest son was one of them. The ladies of the Town Choir follow the tableau and also all the church congregation as they parade up and down Calle Mar in the late evening.

By now the village is bouncing and all the bars do a roaring trade in Tapas and drink; the six main one’s along Calle Mar all set up extra outside Bars and more tables and chairs all along the street as the atmosphere warms up,Manolo’s Sanbrajo was a big hit with the locals, The stage at the top of the street is set up in front of the old Town Hall with a large space for dancing as the bands start up; the two band’s perform until 3-00am in the morning and the crowds soon join in from the very young to the old; the music is loud and you can’t stop moving to the rhythms, the band in the pictures is a ten piece combo with male and female dancers and singers and are very good.

As we were jigging away Brian came along after work and joined us,Lilli is home in Finland for a long weekend, we ended up back at Bar Rojas at 2-30 this morning for the last drink along with some friends and regulars of Manolo’s and Lumy to end one “ Helluva ” day to remember. The pictures below give you a little idea of the evening but not the sounds. smells and atmosphere !!

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