Greatest Fiesta Of Soller On Majorca

[Sweper]

As some of you proparly know Majorca had a pretty violent history including invations of Vandals, Arabs Turks and other.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majorca

One of the biggest and greates Fiestas is held in Soller and Porto Soller where I use to stay. This was my first time I stayed i May and this Fiesta was new to me. I quote a text I found on the Net:

"Festa de Nostra Sanyora de la Victoria

One of the more entertaining festivals you'll see on Majorca family holidays, the Festa de Nostra Sanyora de la Victoria, is held on the second Sunday of May. Held annually to mark the invasion of a band of Turkish pirates, this is a celebration of an occasion when all the townsfolk, including the local women, rallied together in a battle to defeat the invaders. The real attraction of this festival is the mock battles staged between the 'heroes' and the 'pirates.'"

This was a huge and totally insane party with thousands of spectators and participants who were running wild all day long. I have never seen a drunk Spaniard before, closest is when they are having whine for lunch and dinner, but nothing like this. Some were heavy intoxicated! There were firecrackers, no, bombs detonating alla around and some of them had real shootguns firing real shells in the air. I hope it was blinds! The police were there, but did not do anything to prevent anything that happend. Only stopping cars at junctions.

After they invaded the beach, and got fought back by the inhabitants, the whole crowd marched about 1 km south to a historical bridge to defend. Thar was enough for me. Next time I will get drunk, paint myself black and take part of the Fiesta lol.

Pic´s are coming. I dont know how many per page I can post, without "spamming" I give it a try.

Some of them thought I was working for a paper and wanted me to take pictures of them lol.

More coming..

[Sweper]

Here we go!

One more..

[Sweper]

Cheers!

[Blairgowrie]

Great pics as usual Swepe.

[FoolTrottel]

Very nice pictures Swep, you apparently not only look like a professional photographer...

Next time I will get drunk, paint myself black and take part of the Fiesta lol.

Maybe try it out at Duxford?

[Streak]

Good stuff there.......The wife was lol when she saw the drummer.

[Sweper]

Thanks guys. It was rather difficult to get good shots at the beach because of the big croud. Used a 24-85 zoom lens which was to short sometimes and not wide enogh sometimes.

Streak, I actually did not notice the details until I viewed the pic´s back home

Cheers

[Sweper]

Arthur asked yesterday about the bagpipers. Intresting I thought even when I first saw them playing on the beach. Thought it was only Scottish Schotch drinking natives that used this instrument. The Balearic type is called Xeremia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeremia

Cheers