Only in a Catholic country? (Terry)

We’re sitting at the 1812 Restaurant on the night before last (31/8) at an outdoor table enjoying tapas and beer and wine and generally watching the world walk past.  It’s a narrow street in the old city style – you can almost reach from one balcony to the other side.  It slopes down to the waterfront a mile or so away. Anyway, there’s this banging coming along the street.  A stick being thumped into the ground with some force, and a secondary, metallic sound.  It’s a kid of about 8 to 10 with a staff about 4’ long.  He’s bringing the base down onto the ground with a bang and there’s another sound as metal bits of the staff then also make a sound.  As he brings it down, he stops his walk and “proclaims” something.  He then begins his walk again, Left, right, left, right, shuffle, feet together, stop, call out, left, right, left, right shuffle, feet together, stop, call out.  Behind him is a smaller guy and this guy is carrying a Lego house or somesuch, all red and gold, about 12’’ square.  He’s doing the left, right shuffle too.

I was having trouble working out what was going on until I twigged that they were acting out a standard Spanish religious procession.  They were doing their own!  The guy in front was doing the Bishop thing, banging the ground and calling out the chant, the guy behind is carrying the image etc.  Amazing.

More amazing – we were in the main square last night (i.e. the night after) for dinner and a look at Cadiz by night and here they are again marching about one corner of the square.  Bishop-in-training is wandering about with purpose banging his rod on the ground and his acolyte is holding up a Rosary and following him.  Then they got tired of that game and went and sat down with their families and had an icecream.  It’s a hard life being a religious devotee.