Spanish Fiestas

On my latest holiday to Spain, the timing was perfect to experience some traditional Spanish fiestas!
There were two fiestas while we were there, both full of music, dancing, food and fabulous costumes.  Scroll through to see lots of photos, including a few snaps of what I wore (which paled in comparison to the amazing finery that the local ladies were decked out in!).

The 3rd of May is the Day of the Crosses (Dia de la Cruz), celebrated across many towns in Spain.  Various localities within each town compete with an artistic cross display, and of course each is accompanied by a street party.  The main town display in Nerja was in the square outside El Salvador church, right outside our apartment.  From early in the morning I watched as the cross was erected and mounds of fresh rosemary and thyme strewn around it.  The scent was wonderful.

Armed with a map from the tourist office detailing the location of the other crosses in the town, we wandered the streets, coming across some rather lively street parties!  Later in the day, the main square was packed with dancers all waiting for their turn to perform.



















For the occasion I wore a vintage dress (late '70s/early '80s) by San Simone London, with gold polkadots and gold ric rac.  The tiered skirt and sheer sleeves said 'fiesta' to me!



Over the following two days, a Folklore Festival (Dia del Folklore) took place.  This included a fantastic castanet rendition on a street corner, and a big event in one of the town squares later that evening.  Many different music and dance groups performed, and there was a local food and drink tasting afterwards, featuring produce such as Ajo Blanco (a white soup like gazpacho), sweet Malaga wine, and baked sweet treats.  You wouldn't believe how fast some of the elderly Spanish people moved when the buffet was pronounced open.











My outfit for this festival was a vintage style tea dress by Pretty Retro.  It's my second, you might remember the green leaf print one I have too.  I added some flowers to my hair, not to be completely outdone by all the fancy costumes around me.



It was really wonderful to experience these two festivals, it certainly was a lot of fun and made for a memorable visit back to Nerja!

Linking up with: #iwillwearwhatilike, Visible Monday, Passion for Fashion, Fancy Friday