Sometimes things do just fall out of the sky into your lap, in the shape of sweeties. This morning, as I lay in bed pondering where I should go a wandering to take my ‘street photo’ for the course, I heard the noise of drums and general festivities coming from outside. This is a rather common occurrence in Barcelona where there are festivals aplenty. After a third passing of what was clearly a parade, it finally dawned on me I should make a move to my 2nd floor balcony to take ‘aerial’ photos. Doh! I’m not very fast in the mornings. 🙂
I saw people in colourful costumes playing music or on horses and carts, throwing things at the few spectators observing from the narrow pavements. What was going on I wondered, as I saw the Colla Victoria disappearing into the distance.
The Sant Medir Colla Victoria, with the Catalan flag of independence behind and above
Of course I googled and discovered a parade of humble origins in my very own neighbourhood of Gràcia. Passing below my balcony as you can see! The story is that in 1828 the owner of a local bakery fell ill and being in dire need of a miracle he asked Sant Medir for help. He promised this Saint he would make a pilgrimage to his shrine in the Collserola Mountains if cured, which he was! The following year his family went too, then more and more people from the neighbourhood started accompanying him. He would throw sweets to spectators along the way.
Man in red picking up Sant Medir sweets
Nowadays Sant Medir is not very well known outside Barcelona but there are around 26 collas or groups participating in the festival.
I do wish I had enhanced photographic skills to do justice to the occasion and colours (plus those spindly trees are in the way but I don’t know how to photoshop them out) but I clicked away on automatic as well as I could! I also took two short videos to better share this event with you, one with music which really adds to the atmosphere:
And the other with women sheltering from the flying sweets:
If you’re interested, you can read more about it here (in English) or here (in Spanish).
Well, I always thought I was a lucky person but this really takes the biscuit, or the sweet shall we say!
Hope you enjoyed the festival sweet reader and till next time, when who knows what will happen! Maybe a recipe will fall into my lap!! 🙂
P.S. I’ve been thinking about what ‘Wide Angle’ means and on impulse tried taking a photo from the balcony with my i-phone. I have now learnt that it might have a wider angle than my camera. Oh yes, muuuuch wider! Well, next time I’ll know! 🙂
![WP_20150303_18_31_12_SmartShoot[1]](https://liliscakes.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/wp_20150303_18_31_12_smartshoot1.jpg)
lili's cakes 
Fantastic, love the fact you get parades a plenty on your street 😊
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Thanks! Me too, it was a very exciting morning! 🙂
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That was lucky! I love looking at where others live & watching the world go by… I’d be on your balcony all day long people-watching. (When I wasn’t making cakes of course!)
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Yes, I felt lucky and amused! 🙂 And I do like my balcony… though it can be quieter when there isn’t a festival going past..! Shame you weren’t here to appreciate it and the cakes too! 🙂
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What fun, Ms. Lili! A couple of years ago, my People went to Barcelona (without me) and stayed in Gracia. They loved it there. 🙂
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I’m glad to hear your people loved it here in Gràcia (Barcelona), Albert! It’s quite a small world really… And yes, it was fun watching sweets flying in the streets and seeing all the colours everywhere! 🙂
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Great photos!
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Thank you! 🙂
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A sweet festival sounds like MY kind of festival! Looks like you had a fabulous view!
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Yes, I definitely can’t complain about the view and it was a very cute and sweet festival! I really like the whole idea too! 🙂
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The horse carriage certainly makes the photo stands out. Makes me wanting to visit the city 🙂
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Thank you Bryan! You might not always find a horse carriage, but do visit – I think you would love Barcelona! 🙂 Your Chingay parade in Singapore looks amazing!!
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