Easter week surprises in Barcelona and Venice

Wandering Barcelona’s Barrio Gotico is always a pleasure. The narrow streets and colorful facades, the late night tapas bars and people-watching on Las Ramblas - all make for memorable hours. On one trip my partner and I hadn’t expected to participate in ancient religious rituals, but locals led us to some of the most memorable encounters ever.

As we walked the streets of the Bario, we noticed a common theme. Adorning backpacks, purses and briefcases and overflowing from street carts on most every corner, were small, elaborate twists of palm fronds. Nearly everyone on the street, from business men to school children and women with baskets of groceries, carried them. It turned out that Palm Sunday in Barcelona is celebrated with special blessings and these lightweight sculptures were special guests at the party.

We woke early on Palm Sunday to visit the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, one of the oldest in Spain. While standing in the back of the church, we were swept up in a vision of piety and ceremony that was centuries in the making. The Archbishop was presiding over the Mass and organ music echoed through the chamber. The pews were packed with devotees, each holding a palm frond reverently.

That became significant moments later when the doors opened and the crowd emptied out to the plaza just beyond the steps of the church. We waited with them guileless but knew something was about to happen. First, altar boys emerged, holding the large, Cathedral doors open. To our surprise the Archbishop followed them out into the sunshine, still dressed in colorful vestments and his tall mitered hat.

Suddenly the plaza was a sea of rustling fronds as the crowd excitedly started waving small and large woven branches. It was a hushed and thrilling moment. The Bishop raised his hand and even though his words were Latin, it was no great task to translate his blessing. Smiles covered every face as he finished and returned to the shadows of the church. As the crowd dispersed, we felt blessed in many ways for his attention and for the unique opportunity to share that seasonal ceremony with the locals.

A week later while wandering in Venice, spirit again surprised us. St. Mark’s Square is one of the most famous plazas in the world. The canal is festooned with colorful gondolas and flocks of pigeons fly through the air in tight circles. During Easter week, Venice is filled with Italians, as it's still early in the season for most international tourists. One early evening after dinner, we wandered into the Square to enjoy the café orchestras that played there each evening.

A different kind of music floated across the plaza. A crowd was filing into the Basilica San Marco and we drew close. The dulcet sounds of a children’s choir filled the air. As we stepped inside there was a night mass underway but instead of the expected glaring orgy of light and spectacle, there was an unfamiliar glow. Every chandelier was lit by candlelight as they must’ve been in centuries past. Not one electrical bulb was on. The altar, the chapels, the stained glass windows - all were softly sparkling. St. Mark’s famous, Byzantine mosaics glinted, their mitered edges catching the flickering light like faceted jewels. It was just one of the breathtaking Easter week surprises we'll cherish forever.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons