Santa Barbara & Old Spanish Days Fiesta

My eyes, they be like (-_-).

^{River IslandÂ dress + Romwe leggings + F21Â chain necklace + Dr. Martens pink boots + T-shirt & Jeans backpack}

Shamis and I made a trip down to Santa Barbara one Thursday afternoon. We’d originally gone there with the intention to catch the Sketchbook Project 2012 tour on its United States leg, but since Shamis wasn’t free on the weekend when it was scheduled to go down to Los Angeles, we went up to catch it in Santa Barbara. When we got there, we were confused to see so many roadside vendors selling wonderfully-painted eggs.

I queried the first stall that we came across, asking why it was that there were so many decorated eggs, and the husband replied that it was for the Old Spanish Days Fiesta. They spend an entire year making these eggs for the annual fiesta. These eggs are filled with confetti and cracking one over someone’s head brings good luck. I was appalled at the idea of those pretty eggs he and his wife had on display until he mentioned that people usually collect the better-decorated ones. Whew!

I also couldn’t believe our luck in catching a festival right when we got there. :D

These were some of the ones on display at their stall- cleverly-disguised strawberries, Batman, Superman, and Mickey Mouse.

IÂ fell in love with their Snow White ones. They were so precious!

Indie-looking, child-like drawings on confetti eggs. This style holds a special place in my heart.

Minions (Despicable Me).

Angry Birds, MikeÂ Wazowski (Monsters, Inc.), and Nemo (Finding Nemo).

Mermaids.

Solid-coloured eggs are sold for cheaper, at about five for a dollar. These were the ones that people would buy to crack on other people’s heads.

A collection of eggs that I got from the festival.

The streets were littered with confetti down so many blocks, so I could understand why this restaurant posted this sign.

Shamis and I got lunch at Pascucci, a quaint Italian cafe that belied a much more spacious interior than its front led us to believe.

I couldn’t stop eating their garlic bread. They were so delicious that I asked for a second basket after guzzling down the ones in the first. Luckily, the bread was free-flow.

My pasta was delish, aside from the shrimp being a tad too salty for my taste. But my pasta was just about perfect with the texture and yummy sauce. Shamis’ order was a bit of a disappointment though.

Our waitress was incredibly friendly too, and we both marveled at her long grey hair which she tied at the back.

Stomachs sated, we crossed the road to the Mercado de la Guerra, where the heart of the festival was:

Flags above the beer garden.

Handmade mermaid plaque.

Shamis trying on a hair clip.

We sat down to watch the performances on the stage. The live music accompanying the colourful dances were pretty electric, and not just because we ended up seating right at the front. There was a young woman who did a solo dance and the both of us were admiring the muscles in her arms.