September 3
The cacophony is just non-stop. Today is the big day - although I couldn't really tell you where it all begins or ends. I know that 9 PM tonight the Facchini (the men who carry Santa Rosa) will officially transport the machine, but in the meantime, the city has been celebrating this for days - with promises of that continuing into tomorrow, too. People have been dancing in the streets (surreal moment: it is 1 AM and I can't sleep because some band is singing the entire soundtrack to Grease in Italian), sleeping in the streets, holding onto seats, playing loud music, Church bells, and those drums.
I took this photo yesterday - parade round 1. Historical figures.
Round 2 - Historical figures plus police enforcement.
The mini-machine holders from September 1
The Sister Clares - this is the group that Santa Rosa wanted to be a part of and at least 20 minutes worth of other historical figures. All very serous; no smiling.
Some real clergymen walked by later and someone blessed Alex and Eleni.
The Facchini - arm in arm as they will be tonight (with 5 tons on their shoulders?!)
After the 2nd parade, I took this photo from Neil's school. We'll be there tonight to see the parade from above.
This morning the party was still going on - people drinking and singing! Occasionally you hear a yell "Santa Rosa!"Eleni and I took a walk through some of the craze to the Saturday market and bought some beads. Alex and Neil went to forage for food.
Walking back, we saw people sleeping on the streets - holding places by building up reinforcements of chairs and people defending territories. It is intense. 
It's 4 PM now. We're leaving for our party in a few hours and I hope we'll be able to get out the door!
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