Friday, August 28, 2009

Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened...

Like I said in a previous post, every Spanish town has it's own festival to celebrate their patron saint. ("Festa Major" - meaning "Major Festival".) Sitges is a little seaside town, about 20 minutes drive from Barcelona, who's patron saint is Bartholomew. Technically you could travel Spain for a month and get amongst a festival nearly every day for every little town you may happen to stop at.

August 23rd is the day of annual festival. The reason that we came to Sitges is because our friends, Sarah and Georgina met two Spanish guys from Sitges about 6 years ago, when they first travelled Europe. These two little ladies lived with Miguel and Alex in Dublin and have forever been BFF.

A posse of 11 of us rented a villa for a week in the town centre, and lazed by the pool, drank a lot, and relaxed. We were all in various stages of travel - some coming from London on their way to do some backpacking, some on their way back to Sydney, some arriving in Europe to start new lives, some en route back to London from New York, some just from Sydney and London to be with us. We were a mixed bunch of friends, some of us had known each other a while, or only met once or twice, some for the first time. We left firm friends after such an awesome week. On Saturday, we bought matching dark blue tee shirts, as is the custom for friends attending the festival together that read; "Diables de Sitges " - literally, the Devils of Sitges.

Miguel and Alex and their girlfriends and friends all had tee shirts made, as they do every year. Their's said : "FM09 - Be lost" - designed around the Sitges town flag in white and red. So everybody, young and old, families, and friends, walk around the main street together in matching tee shirts - for bonding reasons and reasons of practicality. When there are thousands of people in a small street, it makes it easy to spot lost little souls. Also, some groups of friends get their names printed on the back of their tee shirts.

Alex and Miguel have a longstanding tradition with their BFFs, breakfast in the morning together before making their way to the main street of the city to watch the parade and carry on. Then, once the parade is all over, everybody goes home for a siesta, and then meets for the fireworks on the beach and more party times.

Everything about this day was amazing, there was nothing but love, joy and pride in the air; pride for city and culture, love for new friends and old friends and general togertherness, joy for being gifted with such an awesome day, and most of all - crazy fun times.

When everybody left the Villa on Wednesday, George, Tim, and Steph and I stayed, as we got one night free in the Villa. The feeling of emptiness and sadness that washed over me was something I had never felt before - I couldn't believe one incredible week had passed with such a big gang of us, and it was all over - it felt like a mega bad hangover was just setting in. So we... I mean.. I... tried to drink away the emptiness. Needless to say, that didn't quite work.

I left Sitges yesterday, and came back to Amsterdam, with hope that an experience like that wouldn't be isolated, that it would happen again some day soon, and in the meantime, soldiering on and focusing on making my own way, with a new sense of vigour and spirit.

Just arrived - eager to create some chaos, but waiting quietly to get to our Villa


Sitges, palm trees, beaches, sunshine, friends ... a recipe for bliss




Pretty much where we were all week... poolside







Casa Lola

The lifeblood of the holiday


Hanging outside the Villa









George: Feel my Chin!
Me: No! Gross!
George: Cmon Rani, I was going to pluck a splinter out of your infected foot - NOW FEEL MY CHIN!!
Me: Ewwww.... ok.... EWWWWWWW

Ridiculously good time - Ridiculous.


Drinks by the pool on the second night before dinner


The best bar by the beach- "Picnic" - obviously Life is a picnic in Sitges

Paella

Sangria



Breakfast of champions - beer, toasted turkish bread, rubbed with tomatoes and then topped with cured meats .... aaaaah!



Doing what I do best, I suppose...


Team photo - Toros and Kangaroos

Ezequiel: If I ever see any of you Kangaroos drinking water today - I will be angry!

Basil is the plant of happiness



The girls that started it all - Sar and George



Gucci and Tim


The main square


"Wave your hats in the air - wave 'em like you just don't care!"





Luke and Ezequiel rock on...



George, Kate and Gucci getting psyched



Me, Sergio and Gucci


Tim and Kate give Sitges the thumbs up...



Luke, Kate, George, Tim, and Sar and me


A few of the Sitges Toros - Sergio, Pepe, Alex, Jorje, Oscar

Get amongst it!!!

Me, Sar, Lauren, and George - Diables De Sitges... WOOOHOOO


The Parade starts - stick dancing



Ezequiel and me vamp it up...



Fireworks, fireworks, fireworks...



More fireworks - watch your head!



The little street gets hectic







The gorgeous girls of Sitges - it was hard to spot any locals that weren't beautiful


The stunning Gemma





Kate and I feel the love


Ezequiel and Alex


Miguel and Jorje







All photos are courtesy of Ezequiel, Kate, and Sergio's facebook photos.

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