Spring Break in Spain–Day 1: Malaga

We I woke up on Friday morning I could hear Luke in the hallway saying, “Matt, we’re going to Spain today!!!”  All the kids were pretty excited.  We’d been talking about it for a while and their Spain notebooks with pictures of each place we’d go definitely worked at getting them anxious for the trip.

We left our home on Friday at 1:30 – just after lunch, final packing, a little cleaning and picking up Ryan from a NJHS Service project.   We drove about two hours to the Frankfurt-Hahn RyanAir airport, parked and took 6 kids and a serious pile of luggage in to find the check-in counter.  RyanAir has some strict luggage regulations so we purchased two ‘checked bags’ which could weigh 35 pounds each and then had each person carry on their own small suitcase to put in the overhead compartment.  It took us some time getting through the line, checking in the two car seats somewhere else, getting through the metal detectors and over to our gate.  RyanAir doesn’t assign seats so it’s really like herding cattle to get everyone onto the plane and into their seats.  Luckily the Chuggs were up ahead and were able to ‘save’ seats for us… which was no easy task.  Getting 15 people all sitting together is something of a miracle. 

Traveling with 15 people is like putting on an ongoing musical for everyone around.  Purely entertaining.  Both Geneva and I are used to the looks.  5 and 6 kids respectively is a large group for traveling – but 11 kids -- laughing/crying and running around – and even when completely well behaved – is just asking for attention.   

Ryan, Carter and Jake sat together  across the isle from Katie, Emily and Hanna.  Our BIG boys and our BIG girls.  Little Cole, Jared and Geneva sat together across from me and my plane buddies… Megan and Josh.  They colored and talked and giggled and listened to music. They are cute together.   Chris’ plane buddies were Luke and Matt.  Our youngest four haven’t been on an airplane since we flew to Germany two years ago so they were pretty excited.  I’m sure Luke and Matt don’t even remember it since Luke was younger than Matthew is right now when we moved here.  That’s just crazy.   

Luke sat by the window and when we took off he said…”  A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!!!  WE’RE FLYING!!!!  Dad, this is a little bit scary.”   They watched movies on Chris’ IPAD and were as good as gold.   As our plane headed into Malaga Luke said, “Dad, I see a white cloud with letters on it.  the letters say SPAIN.  This IS the world of Spain.”  He was so excited.  When our plane landed and the ‘fasten seatbelt’ sign went off Matthew stood up on his seat and looked around.  Spotting me he quickly said, “Mom!  You’re home!”  This is what he says to me every time I get home from somewhere while he’s in the house waiting for me.  I guess over the course of the 3 hour flight he had forgotten that I was on the trip too.  We got everything off the plane, grabbed our strollers and headed for checked baggage while Chris and Jared ran ahead to figure out the rental car.  While the kids used some pent up energy I noticed that they were in rainbow colors and put them all in a row.  Entertaining for everyone around.

Ryan, Hanna, Katie, Carter and Josh, Jake and Luke, Emily and Megan.  (Emily is definitely gaining on Katie but in this picture she’s on her tippy toes.) 

The Tour Bus

With all of our luggage and a trail of kids pulling them all we followed Chris and our car rental guy to the van that we rented for the week.  We followed him through the parking garage and then up and outside where our van was parked.  Our van does not FIT inside the parking garage because it’s well… BIG.  We were in shock  when we saw it.  In order to have a van that fit 8 people we had to pay big bucks but we had no idea the van would be a ‘tour bus’.  It would fit 9 adults comfortably.  It was taller, wider and longer than our Odyssey and just plain ‘bus-like’.  I looked at the car rental guy and said, “Um, is this going to be hard to park?”  already knowing the answer.  He laughed out loud and said, “Um… Ya”    The Chuggs chuckled seeing us in their rear view mirror.  We called it the Big White Beast or the Milk truck and Chris actually liked driving it.  The front window was huge and I enjoyed driving in it as well –after I calmed down about being so close to the other cars on the road and the edge of cliffs and stuff.  It ended up being the perfect tour bus for our travels in Spain.

Semana Santa in Malaga

It was 10:00ish at this point but we didn’t have any time to waste.  We headed straight downtown hoping to catch a glimpse of the Easter Procession which occurs on Easter weekend each year and is such a part of the Spanish culture.   We drove around and found a parking lot big enough to fit the beast and were quite excited.  We woke up a few of the sleeping kids and then tried to avoid paying a gypsy man to ‘WATCH’ our van while we were gone until Jared urged us to just pay him so he wouldn’t do anything to the van.  Jared served his mission here so we relied on his language, knowledge of the area and cultural education for the entire trip.  It was fabulous.  Thanks Jared.

We walked full speed down the street and found the crowds assembled all around the procession route anxiously awaiting the procession. 

“Semana Santa is a tradition which is repeated year after year; a time when the devout and curious join together to participate in the procession and converge on the streets and squares which take on the ambience and mystique of an open air temple.

The skill and expertise behind the parades rest with the religious fraternities and brotherhoods. They have the responsibility of maintaining the statues as well as coordinating the penitents and musicians. Sometimes up to two thousand members of a brotherhood take part, some carry candles, rods or banners depending on their level of seniority.”

 

The "costaleros" who carry the weight of the floats and their sculptured representations of the biblical scene are directed by the overseer or head of the group who ensure that the float is carried with maximum seriousness, grace and tradition. To be able to survive the long hours and distance carrying the heavy "thrones" the costaleros have a cushion, known as the costal, which prevents the direct contact of the wood rubbing against the skin.

I was so fascinated about these men carrying the heavy ‘thrones’.  For this particular ‘throne’ I didn’t really have time to catch a picture of the front.  We were RIGHT in the front along the road and these ‘thrones’ take up the ENTIRE width of the road.  We were trying to get out of the way as they passed.  The men were shoulder to shoulder the entire width and length of the throne.  With each slow step they swayed back and forth.  Every so often they lowered the throne a foot and stopped in silence to rest before carrying on.   I heard some may carry the throne or participate in the procession in order to pay for their sins.  I was fascinated seeing the blindfolded man as he walked past.

“The thrones are followed by "nazarenos" dressed in tunics, hoods and masks and women dressed in traditional costume.  The entire scene is alive with color and sound, thanks to the polychromatic variety of tunics, hoods, ensigns and banners.   Emotions are stirred by the slow rhythmic beating of the drums and processional marches and the swaying paces of the bearers.

Even if you are not part of their religion, it is difficult not to be riveted when the floats come by, the atmosphere changes from a party parade to a reverent hush over the crowd. For some of the Spaniards this week represents a fun filled fiesta time, for others a week of ritual and reflection. Without a doubt, Holy Week in Andalucia is a tradition that is an integral part of the culture and appropriately reflects the spirit of the people.” 

It was so fascinating – very mysterious, and unusual – but culturally interesting, nonetheless.  

 

In the picture below the hooded men carried lit wax torches. It seemed traditional that the Spanish kids run up to these hooded men asking them to drip wax onto their own growing ball of wax. It took us awhile to figure out what they were doing. Some kids had quite a large ball while others were just starting theirs.

    

This picture is a little smoky because this girl was in charge of rocking the incense back and forth.

Of course the Mary float was the biggest, brightest and most elaborate.

I think it was midnight by the time we decided to head back to the vans.  Chris handed out Magnum bars to share which was the first of what seemed like a daily occurrence on our trip.   It was a fabulous first night.  Chris drove while the rest of the family slept the hour to our big rented house.