The end of Semana Santa; Burgos and Bilbao

Because my friend Bob Mayock was enthusiastic about Semana Santa in Madrid and other parts of Spain, I'd asked friends and acquaintances in Bilbao what to expect.    Their answers ranged from "It's fantastic!" to "Really, there isn't much going on" to " I've lived here 15 years and haven't seen anything". Internet research provided some information on past Semana Santa processions in Bilbao, but I wanted to plan something this year...how very American of me!
So when the opportunity to visit Tom on Easter in Burgos presented, and the diocese of Burgos provided online procession information including dates, times, routes and cofradías involved, I was delighted. Yeah, I thought! Burgos must be where it's at!
If you read my first post about Semana Santa, I know I was able to see the first procession in Bilbao (Passion Friday), and it was spectacular. I was astonished, and pleased that I'd be able to see the Palm Sunday procession before I headed off to Burgos to meet Tom. I had been told that the Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramos) procession in Bilbao was particularly beloved by children, because it featured the figure of Christ on a donkey, a borriquito, as the main float, or paso. Plus, this was another event sponsored by my parish, San Vincente Martír, and the procession went right past my house, so I could see it from the 6th floor terrace, where it looked like this:

The weather was cooperative; I didn't know until days later that processions were always cancelled when there is even a threat of rain. It makes sense when you see the floats, as they are decorated with statues, velvet and as many fresh flowers as those in the Begonia Festival in Capitola. After a bit, I went down and stood at the end of my street.

Palm Sunday, remember? These are palm branches.

My informant was right, there were lots of children, not just watching, but participating in the procession, too.

Not just small children, either. I liked these contrasting bracelets although she was trying to keep them under her gloves. Quite the modern touch:

Some of the children were so darn cute, and seemed to be having a lot of fun. It was still early in the procession though!

These may be the only photos I will have of Spanish children, as adults are very very sensitive about having their children's photos taken. I was roundly taken to task when I tried to take a photo of a teacher talking to a group of children in a museum. When children's photos appear in the media, their faces are always pixelated.

Finally, the little donkey passed by:

Here are 2 short videos of the procession:

I was feeling suitably impressed by the pomp and the costumes and the setting in Bilbao, amazed that it all seemed to appear without much advanced information. I thought that if this is what Semana Santa was like in Bilbao, it would even be more pompous, more colorful and, yes... holier... in Burgos.

But, as I already mentioned, it requires the cooperation of the weather, which we did not have. We did see one procession, which was almost curiously lacking the verve and impact of Bilbao's processions. A big contributing factor: there were few participants in full dress. Most people wore robes, but there were few cone shaped head coverings.

There were some interesting and unique touches, like several participants carrying crosses:

And these mace carriers that looked like something out of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass. Seeing them made me want to start yelling "off with their heads!".

Alas, the night of the largest procession, ending in a high mass in the beautiful-but-frigid cathedral, the weather wasn't cooperative. Thus ended Semana Santa for 2013. If it was a restaurant, it would have 5 stars; if it was a book, it would win the Man-Booker Award; science research, the Nobel prize. It's none of those things, it's actually better, because you, yes you, and me too, can see this every year. Come to Spain for Semana Santa. If the weather cooperates, you will be amazed.