The third week of August Chelva, the village where we live, celebrates its week of festivities. Normally, our village has about 1200 souls, but during the celebrations there are 5000 inhabitants. People who used to live here and moved to the larger cities such as Valencia and Barcelona. Also those, whose parents ever emigrated to France looking for work. They all come back during these days. For many people the festival week is a reunion. Although we do not belong to the history of Chelva we feel incorporated in this community. We feel at home here.
Traditionally many Spaniards are religious and during the festival week the small statue of the Virgen del Remedio is picked up from a chapel in the mountains and in a procession brought down to the village. On Friday she is carried around through the neighborhood and also comes past our street. At the beginning of the video you can see the street with the painted flowers, where Helma drained the water for our garden, last month.
In the procession you see the villagers: The contractor, the electrician, the carpenter, the grocer, people who join us to joga, people of the supermarket, the mayor, and our Argentine friend the sculptor. You see him at the beginning of the procession carrying the cross-standard (and greeting me unobtrusive.) Many people we got to know and who have become dear to us.