An emotional rollercoaster ……..

Now I must start with an apology …..but it is a girl’s prerogative to change her mind you know! I left you last time with the allure of knickers and religion on your return . Sorry to disappoint but there are no knickers Dear Reader this time, I could say we’re going commando today 😉 ( not me, you understand just this blog) but don’t worry, they’ll make an appearance at some point ! Look out for the following title …”A plethora of pants”!!! You will understand why they are not making an appearance when you reach the end of this liturgy !

However I promised you religion … a tricky topic at best but I need to talk about it . I have just read a beautiful book by a lady called Eva Olsson titled “Unlocking the Doors …A Woman’s Struggle Against Intolerance” Eva was born into a Hasidic Jewish family , one of six children in 1924 , in Hungary . It should be said that out of the six children , she and her brother were the only two who rebelled or questioned the strictness of their religion. For those of you unfamiliar with the Hasidic branch of the Jewish faith , they stick very closely to the teachings of their religion. How do I know you may ask? Well, when I worked in London ….you didn’t know I worked in London? Something else I’ve forgotten to tell you then .., I worked at St Bartholomew’s Hospital for two years after I qualified as a physiotherapist … Now where was I? I saw something earlier today that just suits me I think you’ll agree ….

“ I don’t have a train of thought. I have SEVEN trains on 4 tracks that narrowly avoid each other …..when the paths cross and all the conductors are SCREAMING. And then the drivers go on strike ( I added that bit, it seemed appropriate) ….🙈🙈”

When I worked in London I shared a house with my lovely friend Sue in Stoke Newington . This is a Hasidic Jewish area …..notable by the men and boys in long black coats, top hats and ringlets in front of each ear… and the women with wigs. I learnt from Eva that on the morning after their wedding, the Hasidic women have their heads shaved and must then wear a wig.

So back to Eva who will be 100 this year.…. when she was twenty she was transported to Auschwitz along with the rest of her family . Now I’m not going to talk about the horrors she and many, many others witnessed and endured during that most terrible time, but I am going to talk about Eva’ s incredibly tolerant and forgiving approach to those who caused so much trauma to her and those like her who survived the Holocaust .

Only this morning I saw a headline in the paper about another Holocaust survivor that warmed my heart .

The Natzis certainly did not win. Eva has spent years teaching schoolchildren and university students alike, against the intolerance of others. Imagine a world where we all tolerated and respected our fellow human beings despite religion rather than hating because of it ? Eva talks about there being only one race which we all belong to regardless of colour, creed, religion, sexuality and any other divisions we have manufactured, and that is the human race. How true! An example to us all. Thank you Eva, I am certainly a better person for your knowledgeable words.

She also clarified something that’s been bothering me for many years. I was brought up a Christian …Church of England as a matter of fact . I was taken every Sunday to Church by my parents …or should I say I was “made to go”! Now we have a Vicar on the radio in the UK ( for my readers in Britain, this is an international blog in case you were wondering 😜). the Reverend Kate Botley and she often says that people go up to her and say “ I’m not religious but……” Well Dear Reader , that was me until I read Eva’s book ! I certainly have faith ( which as she explains, is different to religion) and a spirituality and that’s it . I live by my belief that we should all do unto others as we would want done to ourselves. I have friends of all religions and none and I respect each and everyone of them for how they live their lives and follow their religion. For me, when I was growing up, I witnessed people don their Sunday best to go to Church, and that was that…..until the next week so in effect it turned me against religion per se.

I did tell you this blog was about religion…….and what greater symbol of the Christian faith than Easter. Sadly in the U.K. we focus on Easter eggs and the Easter bunny…it would seem the hot cross bun is our only nod to what Easter is all about ( at this point, I’ll refrain from sharing my thoughts on something I read about some bakeries removing the cross for fear of offending some religious groups ! Well that would make them hot buns ….and they’re not hot so why bother , then they’re just buns…….🥴)

Easter here in Spain is a very serious and moving celebration….

Easter begins on Palm Sunday with a procession from all churches ….

Everyone comes out to watch and join in, and the bands of each “barrio” or area of the town parade alongside ( I’m going to try and be clever and see if later on I can attach a video with sound so you can hear the bands …but don’t hold your breath)

On Maundy Thursday, the Pasos or Religious Statues are taken from each Church and paraded around their barrio before being taken to the main church .

On Good Friday ( haven’t established where the Good comes from yet because nothing really good seems to have happened then 😉) basically Jesus is crucified . Here, at 06.00 hours the penitents gather to climb and pay homage at each of the 12 stations of the Cross. I have followed them in years gone by…I have to say I was a little horrified when 5 of the clergy disappeared behind the first station to relieve themselves 🥴🥴🥴. So this year I left them to it , and stayed in bed !

Later in the day is the re-enactment of the Crucifixion and for the faint hearted , look away please ( I’ll tell you when to look again…)

Well don’t ignore them forever please , it’s a lovely bar ( and well worth a visit , as you will see shortly!!) but rather brings the re-enactment of the Crucifixion in this photo bounding into 2024. We know it is a re-enactment but let me tell you “ Jesus” was carrying a very heavy cross, and the Roman soldiers either side of him , were genuinely whipping him. I couldn’t believe the welts on his back – they were real . No photographic evidence- it wouldn’t pass censorship regulation…

In case you wondered the reality stopped at nailing his hands to the cross , but nevertheless the enactment was deeply moving , I had tears rolling down my cheeks – and was unable to speak for a good fifteen minutes ( yes, I know ….normally unheard of 🥴)

Fortunately, the DB …sorry? Oh, forgot! Some of you won’t know the DB…well, he is the Dearly Beloved and long suffering ( 😂😂😂😂) husband of yours truly ….(at this point Dear Reader, he’ll be reminding me of this photo that I shared many blogs ago …

……….anyway he sensibly suggested we visit the bar I asked you to ignore, for much needed sustenance…..so those of you who haven’t been looking, you can look now ….

Anyway eventually we wandered home …knowing we had 24 hours before the next emotional event ….the procession of all the Pasos throughout the entire town on Saturday evening…

I think you can see the dining chairs on either side of the street amongst the hubbub of people ….front row seats placed outside the homes of those who live inside. I cannot emphasise to you how important this celebration is here. Spain is a predominately Catholic country but I tell you people of all religions were on those streets, preparing to watch the spectacle that was about to unfold….

Now at this point , we were on our way to another suitable vantage point . However, the DB ( not known for his promptness 😉😉) and I, were stopped in our tracks …no point trying to get past this lot!

It is NOT the Klu Klux Klan …these are the penitents who lead the procession …now I have a very special Spanish friend and neighbour with a sense of humour . She sent me this …

I should say at this point, nothing is out of bounds here. One year there was a parade around the town involving all the Diocese of Valencia Provence. We were stood at a good vantage point to watch the whole procession. Beneath me was a man with a ladder propped up against the wall and seemingly in the way of the a procession. .. who was I to question ? Next Pasos to appear was Jesus carrying the Cross …..the ever present man with the elongated hook and pole raised the wires ( I do hope no- one is Heath and Safety conscious reading this …you’ll be turning a lighter shade of grey …) but …….and this was a big but …..the Cross still couldn’t pass underneath. What to do? Well , a bell rings to announce to all beneath to stand still and rest th3 statue on the sturdy poles provided. Man with the ladder leaps into like and props it against the Statue . Then a “ chosen one” appears , barefooted , reverently climbs the ladder onto the statue , and unscrews one of the arms of the Cross. He lays it down beside Jesus, and backing off, climbs back down the ladder which is then moved back to its resting place by the wall.

The bell sounds , all carriers respond , and in unison lift Jesus and the deconstructed Cross. The man with the hook raises the wires, and the procession continues until clear of all wires . The bell sounds , the statue is rested , the ladder returns , along with the barefooted chosen one and the Cross is reverently reconstructed so all can continue on their way ….only in Spain 😉

I told you that I found Easter very moving….Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez gets me every time …..just writing this blog has given me goose bumps and prickles behind my eyes…..

Now on Easter Sunday my favourite part of Easter is acted out ….when Jesus and his Mother are reunited and as the saying goes “ Jesus is Risen” This year I didn’t see it because I had other commitments but I have photos from last year which I’m going to share .

The bands play and the church communities all process to the centre of town . Firstly Jesus is carried proudly ….

Then Mary ….

Then they both meet …..doves are released and sweets are thrown in great quantities

It is only at this point that the joy in Easter is acknowledged- which like many things here makes perfect sense ( the Three Kings arriving 13 days after Jesus was born with gifts for a start, rather than a man with a beard, big belly and red suit climbing down chimneys with sacks full of presents on the evening of Jesus’ birth..) – and it is then and only then therefore that you should wish a Spanish person “ Happy Easter” …prior to that it would be considered poor taste.

I don’t know about you but I feel shattered – time to go and lie down in a darkened room I think ….or maybe in the sun 🌞 …difficult choices to be made here😉 I hope you understand now why the knickers were inappropriate….🤔

I’m going to leave you with a couple of weight related funnies seeing as I have been working hard ( and succeeding I’m pleased to say) to lose weight ……

Until next time Dear Reader ….who knows what it will be but I’m thinking the elephant with a withered leg may make an appearance ….or maybe even the Plethora of you know what’s !!!