Festes de Gràcia, 2017 — and we're off!
Day One:
8am: A group of eight of us assemble for coffee and pastries at La Corrala before setting off to Plaça de la Revolució de Septembre 1868 to catch the start of the parade which announces the start of the festes.
En route we caught a passing look of Carrer de Puigmarti.
Carrer de Puigmarti
8:38am: and the Trabucaires prepare to fire their very loud guns to launch the parade….
Trabucaires
And then…we were joined by…the Lord of the Flies himself…
Beelzebub
And, so to Plaça de la Vila — now transforned as The Little Prince square…
Plaça de la Vila during festes de Gràcia, 2017
While the morning correfoc reached a climax…
Then off to explore the streets…
Plaça Rovira i Trias
… picking up a few stragglers along the way. Now we were 10.
VW camper van in Carrer Providencia
But, before Carrer Verdi we lost two fainthearts. We were again 8.
Carrer de Puigmarti
After visiting every decorated street we wended a way home via Carrer Perill…
Carrer de Perill
…and a bar on Bailén before getting home for a shower, lunch and a nap.
6pm: And, four of us strolled out again to watch the cercavila.
Mean looking hombres from outta town looking to party
And here comes the T-shirt man…
…and the Castellers…
Castellers on Travessera de Gràcia and Torrent de l'Olla
11pm: And, so, after mazing and grazing around, and after choripans and empanadas at Plaça Joanic, the four of us ended up on Passeig Sant Joan to see A Contrablues and meet a few friends.
From the very first vibrato chords the band had all assembled in the palms of their sticky hands. A brilliant band who never fail to deliver.
A Contrablues on Passeig de Sant Joan
All in all a great day out in the 'hood.
