We have arrived in pineda de mer on the first day of a five day fiesta. After dinner we steped outside the hotel to find half the town standing in, around and opposite our neighbour the church.
The church bells are famous on trip advisor, many a complainant mentioning the constant (every 15 minutes) ringing of the bells from 8am til 8pm)
The church was outlined with lights and the small stained glass window was lit from inside. We joined everyone else, staring hopefully towards the church when Vikki remembered reading in the itinery that the church bells would ring at 9pm... No shhhh Sherlock.
Lo and behold 9pm on the dot the church bells began to ring out a melodic tune, we all clapped then another tune and we all clapped again. Some 7 tunes later the collective effervessance had worn off (I nearly put in an academic reference beside that phrase haha... Old habits die hard) and we were about to move off towards some bar somewhere, when a group of about 12 young people arrived carrying drums of various sizes and shapes. The crowd cheered to see the drummers.
The sound of a refs whistle and the drummers were off, drumming and swaying and moving slowly forward in the direction of the town square.
More and more people joined our flash mob. We stopped when the drummers stopped and started again as they started, clapping and cheering at the end of each tune , eagerly awaiting the next.
Due to the nature of our lifestyle we have not been able to take part in any pride events, music festivals or circus conventions in the last few years, preferring to use our respite to recharge our batteries somewhere that we cannot be drawn into answering the phone or emails. Instead we are experiencing something alltogether more real and inclusive than any of the above, oh and it's free for anyone to enjoy, and enjoy they are! Whole families are out enjoying the fiesta, it's magical and I could never do it justice .... You must come and experience for yourself!

We arrived at the town square where we had see council workers hanging fire crackers earlier in the day. Anticipating loud bangs we carried on past the cultural centre where a group of people were gathering on the stage. To our right we could see bright lights and fair rides.
The whole region must have descended on this small town of pineda de mer for this festival, either that or they had heard we were here and they wanted to take a look. (Yes we are causeing quite a stir among the locals and Russians as they try and work out vikkis gender and our relationship ... Are we mother and son/daughter... Friends.... Or are we Lebanese?)
I shan't go on about the fiesta but instead I shall lists the high points

Fireworks
Fair rides
Street market
Bands
Singers
Drummers
Happy people
Alocohol
No drunken revellers
How does that happen..... Everywhere you turn there are people drinking alcohol, even we are joining in... But no drunk people???

On Our walk back to the hotel we noticed council workers on most side streets waiting with their street cleaners to go to work clearing up the firework debris.... We looked at each other and said in unison.. 'That wouldn't happen in England'.