Parade????

Just returned to Alcalá after a trip to Segovia with the program. I was completely beat from the trip, seeing as we did a lot of hiking through the streets. Segovia is a hilly city! My legs killllllll... I passed out on my bed and only just awoke to sounds of drums and chatter of a crowd. I assumed something must have been going on in Plaza de Cervantes, but the drums got closer and closer. All the sudden there was a parade on my street! I ran to the balcony of the apartment to get a better look. The main attraction being a glowing statue held up by 20 men dressed in military outfits. Behind was a marching band... WHAT? Also, lights had been strung across my street and were lit like Little Italy during Christmas time. It was surreal. Was I still dreaming? I ran to get my camera and instead ran into my host mom. We went back out to the balcony and watched for a minute and she explained that it was a parade honoring the Virgin de Val or something (it took awhile for me to understand she was saying virgin. It sounds very strange in Spanish. Another moment my host mother thinks I am tonta.) The "float" the military men were holding was a glowing statue of the Virgin. The float was also surrounded by various important looking people, some from the church. The parade went right by my building. Crazy! I am going to investigate more. I think the celebration is all weekend. I would put up a photo or something, but my camera died. SOON!