The streets are strewn with flowers.

It must be another fiesta in Spain and as I walk to Altearte for the book club evening I see that the streets are covered in flowers.
I don’t know what to do, so decide the diplomatic thing is to find another street to walk down as the Spanish ladies seated by the road side look rather formidable!
The book club was interrupted by the sounds of the huge Church bells, pealing away calling all to the Corpus Chrisiti service. Linda mentioned that she had walked down the flower covered street untill the old ladies had shouted after her that she should have respect for the flowers, she apologised and moved off the road, only to be told that she should be sorry! All this took place in Spanish, so I’m glad I took an alternative route, as I would have been none the wiser.

The book club broke up early as the noise from the Church became too loud and insistent and we all decided it was time to have a look at what was happening on the streets.

Altea Church

I have not been inside the Church before and it is lovely, now as the service had finished I had the opportunity to look around.After the service then a procession took place. La Mare de Déu del Consol (“Our Lady of Solace”), is easily identifiable by its picturesque blue and white domes, tiled with glazed ceramics.
It is beautifully kept and a lovely sight to see settled in amongst the cobbled streets and on the old town square.

Communion procession heads the celebration for Corpus Christi

The young people of Altea who have taken Holy Communion are the leaders of the procession.

It is the young people of the town of Altea who lead the way. They have taken their Holy Communion in the last year and looked amazing in their outfits.
Their proud parents and Grandparents flanked the parade. The Mums in particular had taken the opportunity to dress in their very best outfits, including high heels. The streets are cobbled and strewn with flowers that get slippy underfoot, these ladies are much braver than I am as I now wear flat shoes all the time!

The dignitaries at the Altea Corpus Christi procession

The band

The flute players

Next come the Church leaders, the Altea Mayor, Magistrate and Councillors of the different local parties.

With the band playing music as the whole parade walked through the small streets, it was a lovely sight to see.

Those children with their proud looks, have the future in their hands and I wish them all well. I wonder if we are teaching children across the world the skills they need to succeed in the world. We teach them to read and write, do we teach them how to communicate and achieve their full potential? 

This was the one day that I’ve not carried my camera so the pictures and video were taken  on my very old mobile phone, sorry if the quality is not as good as it should be!