Fire, Brimstone and Full Moon

Full Moon on Sunday June 23rd fell on the Festival de San Juan here in Palma, Mallorca. Now full moon is always a big deal to us and the Festival is always a big deal here in Spain, and when you put the two together--it is a BIG DEAL !!! And we crossed to Mallorca at this time so that we could be here to experience it all together. Two years ago we were here at this time without knowing what the Festival was (check out the blog post 6-26-11) and were taken totally unaware by it's magnitude. Not this time. We came fully prepared for the fire and brimstone that would rain down on our heads as we ran from devils chasing us with torches of fire.
Note the hair all tucked up under hats so that it doesn't catch on fire....
                                                                                             

It all starts rather innocently, with a mellow celtic concert in the park below the Cathedral. Lots of people dancing in that River Dance circular sweet sort of way. Then as it finally begins to be late enough after sunset (10:30 or so), all of the lights go out in the park and all hell breaks loose!!!

Many, Many and we mean many devils with big cave-men type clubs lit with fire begin to emerge out of the darkness and begin to taunt you and chase you and if you are brave enough, invite you to dance with them. The Festival is centered around Summer Solstice and the concept is to dance with the devil and the darkness and then to wash your sins away in the ocean at midnight, to emerge clean and ready for the light of summer. To understand it is one thing, to experience it is another. Only in Europe, or perhaps only in Spain could something so insanely dangerous and exciting take place on such a large scale. As if the devils weren't enough, literally fire and brimstone (fireworks) rain down on your heads. And all of this goes on to the beat of primal drums for over an hour--until midnight.

Of course, these pictures can't even begin to show you what we are trying to describe to you.

What a sight of the full moon above massive fireworks, smoke and devils raining down all around us. At times there was so much smoke that we couldn't even see her. Notice the little dot in the center of the picture--yeah, that's Mother Moon.

So these are just pictures of a dragon spewing fire, fireworks above and all around us with smoke and masses of people dancing and running in and out of the fire.

Okay, maybe you get the general idea, but probably not. It truly is not for the faint of heart and must be experienced for any understanding as to why anyone would subject themselves to this kind of adrenaline exhausting activity. But yes, we did it again and left totally exhausted and smelling of smoky fireworks. It was well after midnight and we were just too tired from dancing with the devil to drag ourselves over to the beach for a moonlight dip to wash our sins away. In fact, we decided that we like our sins just fine and will just keep them....

A great YouTube Video of the Festival de San Juan in Palma, Mallorca in 2011 (the year we were here last time) is: www.youtube.com/watch?v=20n-L8jDAC4

Backyards

This is our current backyard as we are anchored between 2 islands off of Cannes, France. We were here 4 years ago and wanted to re-visit once again, so here we are.
We love how our backyard is constantly changing and ever new. Of course, everyone's backyard is always changing (new leaves, grass, etc) but perhaps it is not so apparent as ours is, living on an ever moving vessel on an every moving ocean.
We are also reminded once again, as we are every summer when we come back to the boat, of the transient nature of everything. Living outside and so close to Mother Nature, we witness moment to moment the changeability of the weather and elements all around us. In Tucson home, protected and living in a solid structure, we seldom notice the subtle differences happening outside around us. Here it is evident and necessary to notice. And with the awareness, we are reminded once again the futility of becoming attached to anything, as all things have an inherent nature of change. So it is only natural that a big part of our practice, living on the boat, is non-attachment and "being with what is", without a story as to "how it should be". And with deep appreciation, we commit moment to moment to the ever changing, ever present "Now".....

Paris....Ou La La !!!

After becoming somewhat tired of the cold, windy and rainy weather and being "stuck" in port at Cannes, we decided to take that long awaited trip to Paris. With all of our travels (before one another), neither of us had ever gone to Paris. We had the good sense to know that it was just "too romantic" a place to go alone and without your one great love. So we boarded the fast train and enjoyed the lush, green countryside all the way to Paris.
We did do the "touristy" thing and walked around in awe of the magnificence and beauty of it all. Our hotel was just 200 yards from Notre Dame and easy access to everything. We walked miles and miles every day and got proficient with the Metro system. We overate croissants, pastries, bread and beef bourginion with lots and lots of wine. We walked the Seine hand in hand as all lovers should, and we loved every minute of it!!!
We even did the "Parisien" thing and went to a cabaret (Le Crazy Horse), although we can't show you pictures of that (if you know what we mean), and spent a lovely night at a jazz club watching the locals swing dance. The French, whether they be Parisiens or not, have been nothing but friendly, helpful, generous and playful. And if they do have a somewhat superior attitude, we get it---they do seem to have it all.
Soooo, this was a truly fairy tale, once in a lifetime, dream-come-true trip to Paris!!!
Ou La La......
                                                                                     

Notre Dame...magnificent and well worth saving, which is what Victor Hugo  (who wrote "The Hunchback of Notre Dame) helped do after it was in such decay and in danger of being demolished. Quasimodo, Esmeraldo and we thank him....

 

Our hotel was lovely but had an elevator the size of a phone booth and we laughed hysterically every time we got in it.  

The sign in it said maximum 4 people, 650 lbs. but clearly was not meant for the average American.  We  were only 2 and couldn't conceive of even 1 more person!

The focal point is the Eiffel Tower in the background with 2 happy people in front of it.  We didn't want to stand in line for hours to go to the top, so just appreciated it from below. 

An Egyptian monument erected in the square where the majority of the beheadings occurred via the guillotine.

L'Arc de Triumphe at night at the end of the Champs-Elyse'es. Wonderful strolling and late night drinks and people watching...

The Louvre is beyond huge and overwhelming and sensory overload happened quite quickly. But we did see the masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa.

Every man's fantasy!!

Close to our hotel on a bridge over the Seine there  are thousands of locks locked on to the bridge. Tradition has it that lovers put their lock on and throw the key into the Seine to lock their love forever. And so of course, we had to do it too.

Enough beauty and romance with Notre Dame in the background, time for a little debauchery.....

Paris.....Ou La La !!!!!!