As if three years were nothing, as if three years could vanish in a breath. Cross port he held his breath as the porters lifted the Virgin of Carmen to deposit it on the roof the New San Ramon and thus put an end to the long wait forced by the covid. The Ship of the Virgen del Carmenon a wharf again crowded by thousands of people, he returned this Tuesday, July 12, 2022 to the tourist city with all the emotion contained since the month of July 2019.
The city lived, on a cloudy day and with a little less public than expected in the early hours, the long-awaited return big tuesday the July festivities. A long-awaited boat that for some starts at dawn, when families and groups of friends reserve a place on the dock to enjoy a day of celebration and excitement. This day has recovered its most familiar essence in recent editions and this Tuesday was no exception.
Early risers enjoyed from the flowery reveille at seven in the morning, the mass on the pier, the hot chocolate and the XXIV Children’s Fishing Contest. After a quiet morning and afternoon, with plenty of room for everyone on the dock, the grim reaper show did not disappoint. For 75 minutes, dozens of brave men, including four women, tried to reach one of the four flags which are placed at the end of a wooden pole about six meters long, completely smeared with grease, which hangs horizontally over the water on the pier.
It was a cucaña with several novelties: change of mast and type of fat, and an extra flag as a tribute to Anthony the lollipop, as explained by Iván, the organizer of this traditional game who, 25 years later, once again tried his luck at the grizzly. The first two flags were achieved relatively quickly. they got them Pedro The chicken, a veteran, and Jairo, a young man who was making his debut in the grizzly, along with his father. The last two took a long time, between cheers to the Virgin of Carmen and many falls and blows without consequences. Another veteran, Omar, won the first prize after 50 minutes, and when he got out of the water he stressed that “This is not a party, it is devotion”. At 75 minutes, another participant achieved the last flag and took the opportunity to toast with a beer, without leaving the water, with the crew of a nearby boat. because this tuesday almost thirty boats of all kinds filled the old dockwhere many zodiacs were seen, some outboard boats and dozens of floats from Porto who enjoyed the party from the water, despite the fact that the sun did not dare to shine.
This year the Virgen del Carmen recovered her most traditional dress, “the really Carmelite”as underlined the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Carmen. Also recovered from her processional throne were “the beige hangings, which characterize the Virgin so much and had not been used for many years, as well as the old banner, made by the Convent of Franciscan Conceptionists of Garachico».
This religious Brotherhood, with Santiago Manuel Rodriguez Maldonado As an older brother, he celebrated three anniversaries this Tuesday: the 103 years of the constitution of the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Carmen, dated August 26, 1919; the first centenary of the Porto embarkationwhose origin has been established, for the time being, on Tuesday, July 12, 1921 (an event that could not be celebrated in 2021 due to Covid), and the centenary of the birth of the sculptor of the current carving of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the portuense Angel Acosta Martin.
The most solemn moments came after 5:30 p.m., when the mass began in thea Parish of Our Lady of the Rock of France, completely packed with the public and local, island and regional authorities. There, the mayor of Porto, Mark Gonzalezimposed the baton on the honorary and perpetual mayor just before the porters entered the temple, singing the hail sailorto raise the Virgin between applause and cheers. With the characteristic ups and downs, reminiscent of the movement of the sea, the image left the temple to the rhythm of the “ay, ay, ay” of the “beautiful serenade”. It was around 6:45 p.m. the queen of the seas he returned to the streets, as in July 2019, and there the first boys, girls and babies appeared who, hoisted by their relatives, sought the blessing of the mother, with the national anthem playing in the background.
The return of the Virgen del Carmen and San Telmo to the streets began a leisurely tour through the crowd, with flower petals raining from windows and balconies. Songs repeated over and over again, long live the Virgin, signs of fervor and devotion, and many tears of reunion. In The Point of the Windthe porters showed the sea to the Virgin, another exciting moment for which it has been necessary to wait three years due to the pandemic.
Shortly before 8:00 p.m. San Telmo, loaded by a majority of women, arrived at a crowded dock, now yes, as in the best days of this party. At that moment the offering began in the form of songs from the balconies of the buildings that border this emblematic corner of the tourist city. A tribute to the mother with thunderous cheers to the Virgen del Carmen, and sentiment with an Andalusian accent. The crier of the Great Holidays of July 2022, Chago Melianmoved everyone again with his voice and his Ave Maria dedicated to the most beloved images in the Port.
San Telmo entered the sea at around 8:15 p.m. to embark without difficulty on the I will sponsor. And thus unleash the first splashes of water and joy. The crowd parted and formed a corridor for the porters to carry the Virgen del Carmen to the deck of the Nueva San Ramón. rang before Blessed my Guanche landin the voice of Chago Melian. At 8:30 p.m., the image finally touched the blue deck and the pier burst into jubilation to chant again, three years later, the long-awaited “nothing happens, the virgin is on board!”, in the middle of a curtain of water and emotion. Thus began the most awaited maritime procession by Puerto de la Cruz.
The Great July Festivities continue
After the big day, the July Festivities will continue until the end of the month with outstanding events such as the Festivity of Our Lady of Carmen, on Saturday the 16th; the Embarcación Chiquita on the Day of the Fishermen’s Guild, on Sunday 17; the festival beer 2022, on Friday 29, Saturday 30 and Sunday 31, and the concerts of Pet Shop Boys (this Thursday the 14th), La Oreja de Van Gogh (the 16th); India Martínez (day 20), or Lola Índigo (day 21).
