alisonboston.com

Barcelona’s biggest festival of the year la Mercé is on this weekend. It started with a parade of dragons in the street, interspersed with marching percussion bands, raising the energy in a way I’ve only imagined!

Each district is represented. I caught photos of 7 dragons before I was swept up by the energy and had to start banging tin cans together and marching along with them.

The festivities continue with free concerts in the street every night, dance and acrobatic exhibitions on the beach and after all the official events have finished each evening the locals gather in the squares to party and make music until the cleaners come and literally sweep them away.

Today the museums are free, the sun is shining (it rained yesterday but did not slow us down one bit!).

It seems the only thing that puts a damper on events are the police who tolerate people selling drinks and beer in the street, but confiscate drums! I learned last night that a Morroccan woman had her drum taken from her on Friday evening, and that other immigrants have had their instruments taken. I’ve also been told that it is illegal to bring a drum into the park…

next day:
Maybe I spoke too soon. Last night I saw a security guard take someone who was selling beer in the street. He had a six pack in the open and a plastic bag with more. The security fellow took it all and led him away. The man who was selling was black.

I’ve also seen a woman - a grandmotherly type - selling beer from a shopping cart.

It looks to me like certain things are tolerated, while others not.

Perhaps it is more a combination of the person selling and the zealousness of the security guard than an actual enforcement of law.