Ah, Sunday. Sunday proved to be a very fun day as the Erasmus group had planned to attend the Brazilian Festival. We made our way to a nearby subway station (although this one was above ground, so I guess it was just a way station) and then walked about a mile to a parkish area.
Despite the fact that the festival had technically already started (at 3), it was disappointingly empty - A huge stage and some 10-odd food and drink stands barely attracted maybe 100 people, who tended to cling to the shade trees near the edge of the open plaza.
We waited around for quite a while, talking (always in Spanish) and passing the time, and at one point a woman came around selling little gooey coconut deliciousnesses. I have no idea what they were, but they were the sweetest and most mellow coconut wreathed in the silkiest caramel-esque paste I have ever tasted, and at E1 they were well worth the price.
As the sun was getting low, the festival actually began in earnest, and the once-empty square was now brimming with people, but we nonetheless made our way to a comfortable spot in the middle of it all and began some ridiculous dancing. We kept this up for hours on end, from around 7 to around midnight, to the the various rhythms of diverse Brazilian tunes.
To me it seemed very odd that Brazilians would have such a huge showing in Madrid. I don't know whether it's the linguistic and cultural proximity of Brazil to Spain, or whether it's a testament to the growing world influence of Brazil, but regardless, something brought at least 10,000 people to the park that night for a wonderful show. Hats-off to you, Brazil!
No comments:
Post a Comment