Postcards from Spain

The summer holiday is officially over now that the brunette half of the blog has also returned in Brussels. Autumn is here and like in every year we are not only preparing to celebrate our birthdays (yeah it's Libra time) but we are also getting ready for the next challenges and the new experiences that we hope will bring us one step closer to our dreams.

But before talking about the next season and our plans for the fall, the brunette half of the blog wants to share with you some memories from an amazing event organised annually in the Community of Valencia called "Las Fiestas de Moros y Cristianos".

I go to Spain every year to spend some days with my family, to enjoy the Spanish hot weather, the Spanish fiestas and the delicious Paella Valenciana. I guess Spain is by far my favourite destination for holiday because there I always manage to disconnect from my world, to relax, to gather my thoughts, to laugh loud and have fun with my beloved ones.

This year for the first time, I witnessed the local holiday of the "Moros y Cristianos" in Villena, a small town in the south-east of Spain, a place full of history and charm. "Las Fiestas de Villena" as they are named by the locals are among the most important events of the year and they last for 6 days. During these days, the city never sleeps. Unforgettable parties and fabulous shows are organised both during the day and the night.

The heart of  the "Fiestas de Moros y Cristianos" is represented by "La Reconquista", as it is named by the historians. "La Reconquista" has been a long period of war and fights between the christians and the muslims who have invaded the territory of the Iberian Peninsula in the Middle Ages. In the end, the christians won and Spain and Portugal became independent from the Islamic Rule.

During the "Fiestas de Moros y Cristianos" the locals dress up as muslims and christians and they march along the streets of the city accompanied by a local band playing medieval music. In the first day, the festivities are opened by the locals dressed up as muslims evoking the old times when the arabic people from North Africa invaded the city and conquered the Castle of Atalaya. In the second day, during "Cabalgata" the locals dressed up as christians open the ceremony as a sign of the "Reconquista" and they are followed by the others disguised in contrabandists, pirates and muslims. Every year, special costumes with feathers, fur, metallic helmets, and armour are designed for each parade, transforming the event into an unique, fabulous and unforgettable experience. Below you may see some of the photos I took. For me it was an amazing experience and I hope I will get to live it again next year.

Love,
Laura&Elena