Don't try this at home!

Before leaving Barcelona today for Seville, I wandered over to the Cathedral and Placa Jaume. My timing was impeccable as I arrived right as they were beginning a performance of a peculiar local custom. It is human pyramid building on a very impressive scale, participants officially known as Castellers. The age and size of the Castellers decreases the higher up they go and  a small child of maybe 4 climbs all the way to the top and makes the sign of the cross before quickly climbing back down. I think it was equally as impressive to watch how quickly and precisely they desembled. I had a rear view seat, so to speak, and saw how they managed to climb up and down in very precise ways. 

In addition to several different tower formations performed to the music of an accompanying musicians, there were also a few dances with wooden sticks that looked potentially dangerous if one wasn't precise, and a few dragon/demon/bird costumes donned by a few performers . All in all, very entertaining!

I walked a bit further when it was finished and noticed that a church service was starting at St Jaumes church. A choral Eucharist was being beautifully sung by the nuns and priests. The acoustics of the church were spectacular and their voices resounded perfectly in the church. I stayed until the sermon began because I knew that I wouldn't understand any of it. 

It was time for lunch and I spied a vegetarian falafel place nearby. The shopkeeper made the falafels to order and you got to add all of the fresh salad fixings that you wanted. A little bit of heaven! Now I am just finishing packing up my backpack before I head to the train station to go stay in Seville for the next 5 days.