Las Fotos

Besides the wind, the day was perfect. Which explains why over 300,000 people dressed in traditional Aragonés clothing and brought flowers to offer to the Virgen. The poster behind me is the logo from the advertisements for the Festival.
This is the giant wire structure where all the flowers go, with the Virgen del Pilar on top.
On Monday, the next day, there was more regional dress in the Ofrenda de Frutos - the offering of food. There were groups from every autonomous community in Spain. Above, the group from Castilla la Mancha.
The Andaluces - that's the region of flamenco and bright colors, and these typical dresses.
Children dressed in the Aragonés style.
The parade of frutos lasted 2 hours, and the Ofrenda de Flores began at 7:30 and didn't end until 4 or 5 in the afternoon!!

Fiestas

They still haven't ended: the sound test for the stage outside the colegio's window is going on right now, and the resonating bass is filling the school. But for us, the vacation is over, and today is our first day of classes after five libres.
I still haven't uploaded all of my photos, so I'll post those tomorrow. However, the ladrones are more rampant during the festivals due to the influx of about 700,000 people to Zaragoza (doubling its population). The crowds were so great that walking down Independencia, the main avenue of the city, was practically impossible, and the best calamari restaurant had a 30 minute line (they also have the best papas bravas for those of us who don't eat seafood).
The parades of religious and historical significance and the free concerts, both of the popular singers and the traditional jota, were awesome, the food was incredible (churros for breakfast!), and I have discovered the deliciousness of almendradas...and how to candy orange peels and make a chocolate tart.
Photos to follow!