Romeria San Antonio de Padua, Granadilla de Abona

Bus Route: 470[Granadilla], Return: 470[Los Cristianos]

Where to start, I've updated the 'Los Abrigos' photo album with some photos of changes in the village and lifeguard (I think) training down on the beach. I have also added some photos to the
Granadilla de Abona photo album, of of the trip there on Saturday 9^th for the 'classic car rally' and other displays relating to the fiesta. The main event, the Romeria for San Antonio de Padua who is the patron saint of the municipality is in a new photo album. Just as Tenerife has the carnival season in February/March where events reflect the local character we also seem to have the 'romeria' season between March and October. There is also the celebration of Corpus Cristi, this year the 3^rd June, but tied to Easter, which makes June a busy month. I have just discovered that, although the Romeria is on the Sunday10^th this year the public holiday in the municipality is on Wednesday 13^th so I guess the romarias take place on the nearest Sunday unless you happen to live in La Otrava but more of that later.

Just like the carnivals these events have their own local flavour. There are competitions for the best 'float', the best dressed balcony as well as the festival Queen and many other titles. It follows that there can be a week of events preceding the main event, generally with a fiesta on the Saturday so if you are not luck enough to be around you can still find a party going on somewhere. In Tegueste the balconies has a food and floral theme here they reflected the traditional costume. There were also some imaginative window displays. The floats were completely different to those in Tequeste, either converted from buses or lorries. Beer, wine and soft drinks flowed along with meat, bread and potato on a stick to hard boiled eggs to bananas. A well balanced meal distributed freely if you can catch it. Each float had a group of dancers or orchestra in front as they proceeded around the town. No mean feat as it was a gloriously sunny day.

The service from the Iglasia (church) was broadcast over speakers and I discovered that the players accompany the service. After the blessing at approximately 13:00 hours (a common theme) the pipes and drums struck up a tune and dancers in white danced their way into the church. They remain there dancing as the statue of the saint is prepared and then precede the saint out of the church. I likened these to the 'morris men' we have in England. These dancers lead the procession around the town whilst the Saint was situated next to the road in front of the church to a rousing “Three cheers for San Antonio de Padua”, each 'float' then stopped in front of the Saint for the blessing. I have recorded the floats and their accompaniment, some of these were large groups, some small. Another use for a shopping trolley!

Animals featured strongly in this procession too which in all took about two hours to pass me.

The fiesta continued next to the show ground with all of the floats lined up, in some cases still dispensing food. The stage was prepared and soon the first band appeared. An abundance of amusements for young and old, more varieties of food and beverage stalls than one man can cope with, a lively show ground and dancing the night away against a backdrop of the tree covered mountains what more could you wish for. Well funnily enough I was double booked so off back to Los Abrigos at 19:30!

View my 'Romeria San Antonio de Padua' Photo Album