The Feast of the Assumption
16 August 2007 | Povoa
Sue
Before we left we saw the festivities for the Feast of the Assumption on 15th August. The day before the procession, as we walked along the cooler shaded backstreets near the marina, we noticed lots of women working at wiring flowers together. Of course the next day all was revealed as these were made into huge flower arrangements to display the statues of saints on for the procession. In the fishing harbour all the boats were decked out with colourful flags as well. The town was heaving with crowds so it was a good job we set off early to find a suitable place to view the parade. The heat was oppressive with not even a hint of a breeze and I have no idea how the men, dressed in suits, managed to carry the heavy statues from the church through the streets for hours.
In the evening we were perfectly placed on our boat to watch the impressive firework display on the harbour wall. It was all very pleasant except for those maroons which were not pretty but just ear-splitting and they lasted for the whole fortnight leading up to procession.