Carnival in Morelia

Morel neighborhoods - one of the few places in Spain where you can snow, skiing and even see. There are winters when the temperature drops to -20 ° C, the mountain roads covered with ice, and movement in them is impossible. But we were lucky in these areas during the hottest time of the carnival, held every six years. Morelia, so far retained its medieval appearance is isolated, situated on a steep slope of a cliff. At its top is crumbling castle-fortress. On the night lit up with a spectacular light. Ventilate to escape the narrow streets toys and most importantly, those who are larger, the strength of a semicircle. The old houses around the 1,100-meter cliff was not crowded, most of the defensive capacity of the fourteenth century to go. And behind the walls of the city to the valley of terraces. At ten we went to the town clock. Here, winds through steep cliffs, narrow mountain road in the colorful snake crawls slowly from their vehicles with tourists going to the carnival. In this city, without haste, surrounded by a medieval wall length of 2.5 kilometers, not live more than five thousand inhabitants, and every year their numbers are declining. But there comes a holiday - and Morel back to life, full of thousands of visitors. The narrow streets these days are like subway trains during rush hour. All cafes and restaurants are full to overflowing. A cup of coffee is an impossible dream modest. With each minute of the arrivals of buses, cars and motorcycles. Begins to appear that the city does not have enough room for all concerned. But people are happy about the invasion, because one day the tourists returning from the shelves of all goods. A walk through the old goroduDo began in March for several hours. Why not spend the time to take a walk? We went through a big gate with two towers of San Miguel and went to the Basilica of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, in the fourteenth century on the foundations of a Moorish mosque. The temple is justly regarded as the finest Gothic structures in all of Valencia. At first sight - a large number of statues of saints, beautifully carved in stone. The spiral staircase leads to the majestic chorus only. Sound quality upper body built in the eighteenth century, and in the church, many valuable collection of paintings and ancient manuscripts. We went to church on the left side of the road, steep slopes, and went to the castle. It was not easy. Along the streets were cars waiting to celebrate Mardi Gras parade, and the promotion of the masses of people are looking for, see the wonderful character, just drag. He did not resist and saw one of them - they were packaged in plastic bags with shredded paper. It seems that all residents and guests to participate in a very tough fight: for the carnival of the church purchased 80 tons of colored paper! Enter the heart of the castle, pirate flag floating on a cliff, do not stop to admire views of the surroundings. She was in constant change, we have seen the city itself, clinging to the mountain, is the ancient aqueduct, old scenarios, it is now a parking lot "iron horse." The castle remained, we at Colon Square, located in the center of the sphere. From the Middle Ages, they only have the exact time, on the other hand, have no redress, without beginning. You only need the sun here in abundance in all seasons. On the balconies in most homes overlooking the square, we saw the dogs. You and the owners were preparing for the start of the holiday and took the best places to see if this walk. In Spain, overthrew the usual signs of the dogs. One is forced to remember the words of the superintendent of the hands "Diamond". "It has been assigned an apartment and hit the road" Apparently, freedom of quadrupeds here for most of the space is a living host limited. Along the way were the animals by the owner and must be accompanied with a belt. KarnavalPriblizhalos the beginning of the festival. People began arriving in the city center, the main road to the area and surrounded on all sides by a massive colonnade. Ordinary days, life is quiet here, it's only a weekend deal to offer visitors to buy products from local weavers and try a mountain honey. And on the main street parade has become the main stage theater. People reunited with their families, businesses, carried out with them, hammocks, umbrellas for sun protection, food, but more importantly - the bags of confetti. On the feast of the people left, including the elderly. By moving the feet, walked alone, based on a crutch in one hand and the other - on his arm is no longer a child, which are stacked behind a huge package of colored sheets of paper. Masses of people poured into the square, where exactly should be read by three in the afternoon on an ancient manuscript of the opening of the fair. In fact, we like a festival of Spanish-language saw - his first minutes, when the signal is given to the top of the party. Therefore, if the rider in medieval costumes, surrounded by a large procession in the middle of the crowd was moving, the entire region, thousands of people at one time after announcing the start of the celebrations stopped to blow the joy and shouts of approval. Orchestra played, and the first column of the carnival parade moved along Main Street. Procession of the Queen opened the festival, voted the most beautiful woman in the city, but even a great honor to be not particularly in vogue reshivshayasya among Spanish youth of lower lip ring. Behind her, the music, the relevant issues of the spine, medieval warriors and fairy elves. In addition, mixed - Disney characters and the Pope, Hollywood stars and Chinese dragons, primitive man and the demons, devils, forests and curious tourists. The audience greeted all the characters, in particular, but again, as in a column titled "Formula 1" past. Fernando Alonso, the team, "Reno" and "Ferrari" literally a storm of fun. All about street racing and in particular with the "Formula 1", sacred to the Spanish. Carnival was in full swing, but the air was getting impatient. People expected the beginning of the Battle of the paper. Children and adults were sitting in their big bags, passed to confetti poured by hand into the palm, fists in the narrow, joking with each other, but so far no one has dared to initiate a fight. And a handful of its first flight in the face of the guy who responded immediately, "Nahal". Maybe a few years ago, when the tradition originated, everything happens the same way. Someone responded to the insult of the colored papers by rain, and happy people got the idea. Costume train was still moving, but people had already started the fight. Many of you have your health, put medical protective masks, it was clear why: It was in this city - joy or sadness? All bags rubbed his hands full of paper and throw them in each. Confetti swirled in the air like snow, and hair, clothing and earth, fell through the cervix and into the bag. The legs gradually sank to the bottom of the paper. More confetti rained, the greatest thrill of the crowd under control. Those in the balcony, threw the whole bag over his head "accident" at the bottom. During this "world" men tried to throw streamers or something heavy on his feet, standing on the balconies. The blizzard of paper surrounded by a dense cloud. The process has become unmanageable: those who have exhausted stocks of confetti, he sat on his lap and began to dig the colored circles under his feet, picking up the filled bags and put back in the head by a neighbor. What, gentlemen, be curious tourists, we asked our Spanish friends, dedicated to a warm welcome, what it represents and how they call it? She shrugged in response to: Who cares, it's a celebration! In fact, in Spain, since it does not need a special occasion. We, of Russia, too, are big fans of fun, but arrange for the performance or at least know what we drink. So we decided to look for information on the history of Morelia. But he was little. The largest was a shocking story of how one day in the house of a poor woman came to San Vicente Ferrer. Unfortunately, they had no meat to feed the guests, as it should, and she cooked for him, his own son. When the Saints learned of the victim, lifted the baby. However, the child's hand was not a finger. Have you eaten, when his mother tried, enough salt. Given the modern history of mankind is just awful - and we decided that it is irrelevant to the modern gay parties. But then in the wall of a house, they saw a photo of the same plot. So - is not it? Friends Tomatina, tomatoes or out! The Spanish are invited to the celebration of the Tomatina Buñol in the city. To ignite the passion, it's like a carnival in Morelia, but the climax is different instead of confetti in the battle are the tomatoes. Every last Wednesday of August is a quiet place becomes a fierce battle. However, there are tomatoes in the fight just killed, but people are swimming in a sea of tomato sauce. For more holiday buying truckloads of ripe tomatoes, type A, and arms supplier to win a special invitation. When everything around us - the walls of houses, streets, people who dress in bright red - and pierce the eyes of the acidic juices, and tomato with drops of hair "blood" when the plants were lost, only then people send to the wells, columns and pipes. As usual, all Spanish holiday, complete with a fireworks show, a delicious dinner and dancing. Where does this "bloody" pleasure, and no one really remembers. Children from tomatoes to just start rich, if the cause was a dispute between two friends. History is not the answer. Yes, I think now it does not matter. The main thing is that the "struggle" has become one of the most popular holidays in Spain. Yes, I forgot to say that we have Tomatina. If the paper harmless Eddy Morel caused irreparable damage to our clothes, the color with patches of color, the tomato fight, we could go back and bruises. But fighting a couple of brands does not scare me, the city is waiting for August Buñol All Tourism and Leisure