Wednesday, January 6/2010

Epiphany. The holiday begins gloriously sunny. When we wake up it's 13 in the shade but by mid-morning when we go down to the beach for the festivities it's hot - we check the little travel thermometer from our spot in the full sun by the petunias opposite the end of the pier. Forty-two in the sun - over 107 Fahrenheit!

The focal point is the parade. The red-coated band is nice, and the gold-crowned archbishop impressive enough, but the militarism, from dozens of cadets to soldiers with fixed bayonets, seems distressingly incongruous. The parade moves, carryiing a sacred icon, from St. Lazarus Church, traditionally considered to be the second burial place of the Biblical Lazarus, down to the pier, where the waters are blessed in commemoration of the baptism of Christ, and a cross is thrown in the water for the young men to dive and retrieve. It's prudently attached to a string lest they miss it in the sand. Maggi laughs and says "Oh ye of little faith."

We meet up with M&M and Maggi and I gather some of the aromatic eucalyptus-like leaves that have been strewn on the pier to take them home. Then we wander along the front, enjoying the crowd - children with ice cream or candy floss and animal-shaped balloons, stalls selling sweets or jewellery and toys, tourists and local families in carnival mode.

Back to our place for lunch. We're ready for cold beer and have some meze style snacks. Our holiday meal.