Ash Wednesday concludes the celebrations of Carnaval in Valladolid. We were eating dinner at Las Campanas when a special gentleman stopped at our table to comment on Adri’s pink hair and how pretty she was. As we were leaving the restaurant we noticed the time, it was 8:30, disappointed we had missed the final festivities we decided to head to the hotel and swim. Our friend caught us and told us not to leave yet, it was just beginning and he pointed around the corner down the street.
We could hear the wails of a mourner, crying in the night. He explained it was the Queen of Carnaval pretending to mourn the death of Juan Carnaval. She was followed by a mock funeral precision, coffin and all. Some of the mourners had a hard time faking their cries which became giggles. Once the group reached the town square the coffin was set down.
A narrator read the role of Juan Carnaval and his coffin was set ablaze. After much soaking and the coffins refusal to burn the crowd began to laugh and the organizers tried to break the top in so it could burn easier.
With the top shattered the fire was able to quickly take hold. The frame of the structure was quickly exposed and the coffin engulfed quickly crumbled.
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