A Different Palm Sunday

and some fantastic basketball, too!

This is “Semana Santa” or Holy Week here in Spain and it (naturally) began with Palm Sunday. But unlike in the States, Palm Sunday is done here in “reverse”: YOU bring your palms, done in elaborate weavings for public sale, in stores and from homemade stands in the street, TO the church for their blessing, not the other way where you receive the palms from the church.

This is my little amazing palm, handmade to resemble 3 roses. Very interesting - looking forward to how Easter is done.

Sunday night was also a special sports opportunity: a classic showdown in basketball between the eternal rivals, Barcelona and Real Madrid - “barn burner” does not translate well but it definitely was! I was given VIP treatment by my old and very good friend, Joan Roca, who is the Director of Competition for the Spanish basketball league. Here it is called the “palco” but it’s the equivalent of being invited to a suite, complete with pre, half-time and post-game snacks, though the seats are in the general seating area, just sectioned off from the common folks!

The game shifted back and forth and the atmosphere was incredible - a supercharged “March Madness” sense with a “student section” of crazy fans who did not stop banging drums and singing songs the entire game!

(see video attachment)

The biggest difference is that your ticket got you to see a basketball game - there are no vendors clogging the aisels, no non-stop selling of something on a screeching scoreboard, two little benign dance routines during a time out, a feeble t-shirt toss, and that’s it - 95 % basketball, which is all the entertainment a sports fan could ask for.

The game is rougher and tougher here; even though it’s called a “Eurostep” there seems to be a lot of uncalled traveling violations; free-throw lane violations are also common. But the “game”? FANTASTIC!

(see second video attachment)

Barcelona had a chance to win the game with 2 foul shots, down by 1 and 0.8 seconds left - they made one and then won it easily in overtime. Awesome game of real basketball, electric atmosphere, interesting Palm Sunday all around.

Adios amigos y amigas!