Travels with Marti--Ireland,Italy,Cuba,..across the country: The beginnings of Easter in Sorrento

Hi all,

I am going to work backwards in my blog of the things I want to share. I have the honor of being here at Easter; though I am missing terribly being with my grandkids for Easter. This is the first time that I haven't been there coloring Easter eggs and making cookies with them. I even go to church with them after the Easter egg hunt.

But onward with my blog. The first thing I have found fascinating here ( and unfortunately I don't have a picture) is that everywhere in the stores before Palm Sunday are decorations made of what we call colorful Jordan Almonds. The almonds have been formed into different decorations. Almost looking like a floral arrangements with the almonds representing the flowers.

I believe, if I understood correctly that they take these to church on Palm Sunday. Then they can be eaten. Unfortunately I was in Rome so didn't see it.

After Palm Sunday there are processions every night here in Sorrento. One of the most important for the area happened in Meta Monday night and didn't learn of it till it was too late to go. There every two years they reenact the event called La Via Della Croce. They have about 250 actors that act out the scenes starting from the Last Supper, Jesus's betrayal by Judas, the olive Garden, the Sanhedrin, the Praetorium, the Roman Soldier, the Holy Woman, the Crucifixion, the Sepulchre and the hanging of Judas.

Below coming from the laundry mat, we ran into this procession happening. I ran home to get my camara so I am not exactly sure of the order and this is as they are coming out of the church but I think: marching into the church, the band comes first then men dressed in black and white, the Madonna, the priests, and the the town people.

This is just beginning of the processions. On Thursday at 3AM the procession, I am told will be dressed in white (like KKK) and will go around the town looking for Jesus. Then on Friday night at 8PM they will be dressed in black as they have found Jesus and he is dead. The town lines up all the streets (16,500pop.) and silently watch as the processions continues by.