Romería

Wow, first page of Popular for yesterday's blip -- a rare treat for me. Thanks everyone for your comments, stars, and hearts -- all much appreciated.

Today S went off on another strenuous all-day yomp organised by the local council. I got up in more leisurely fashion and had breakfast of fruit salad before going to Salobreña for the Fiesta de Nuestra Señora del Rosario. Today's main event was the Romería -- a horseback procession to the beach from the main square. It was the biggest procession of this kind I've seen: 50 or 60 prancing Andalusian horses, plus some motor-driven floats, a marching band, many women and girls in flouncy Sevillana outfits, and the ox-drawn cart with the BVM's statue.

At the beach there was an open-air mass; the riders didn't participate in this but took the opportunity to show off their beautiful steeds on the beach. Some went further into the waves than was advisable; their horses promptly sank into the soft sand up to their hocks and had to haul themselves out with or without the aid of their dripping riders. The sun was so bright and shadows so sharp that it was hard to get decent photos, especially as I couldn't be bothered to lug the SLR along. I took over a hundred, burned through one battery and started on the next. The small selection that passed muster are right from here. Spoiler: they are all of horses.

Eventually the heat drove me off to a bar for a refreshing tinto de verano, before I headed home for lunch and an afternoon on the terrace.