Next carnival starts in Vallehermoso today

Vallehermoso's carnival poster. Festivities begin today and go on until the 21st 

The Pope Said Goodbye To The Sardine

Each community in the Canary Islands ends the carnival festivities with the 'funeral of the sardine' when a large papier-mache sardine full of pyrotechnics  is burnt and pushed into the sea, accompanied by the wailing of 'grieving ladies', i.e. men dressed in women's clothes who 'cry their eyes out' as the sardine dies and carnival ends. This year Valle Gran Rey had an Egyptian sardine and even 'The Pope' attended its funeral last night.

Hot samba rhythms are always part of the carnival in the Canary Islands and each town has their own samba school. The one above came from La Palma island to attend the funeral and they were amazing.