An intense day

I'm posting on Sunday in catch-up mode. Our Saturday didn't start as planned.
As we got to the outskirts of Les Saintes Maries de la Mer, the location of the events we're interested in, we started to hear reports of trouble: shots being fired, possibly some casualties.
Inevitably rumours swirled about for some time. However, after a while we were able to continue as planned; it turned out that this was a very contained spat, the men involved were arrested and injuries were reported to be genuine but minor. Phew.
The rest of the day was spent following the celebrations for Sarah, patron saint of gypsies. Some of us squeezed into the church, where photography was allowed during the 2+ hours-long mass. It was enormously moving to witness gypsy families from all over Europe taking part in this with deep commitment. At one point a musician led the congregation in singing 'Halleluiyah' - the song by Leonard Cohen. I don't think I was the only one who welled up at this; somehow it fitted the proceedings perfectly.
After that some of the group went onto the beach to see the procession, as Sarah's statue was carried there from the church, and taken right into the water before being returned to the church. This reflects the legend about Sarah: her role in accompanying two of the Maries who were with Christ at the time of his death, and travelling here afterwards by boat. Sarah is black-skinned; in the legend, she originates from Egypt. So in the context of Christian imagery, she is unusual to say the least.
I took a look at the crowded beach, took stock of my own fatigue and the intense sun overhead and retreated to a cafe. Two glasses of fresh orange juice later, I was ready to go out and watch the procession as it returned from the beach.
No photos of all this yet: they're all in the camera. I'll upload some in a collage when I get home. In all the intense goings-on, I didn't remember to take any phone shots.
So it's that moment of rest, with the orange juice, that's my reminder of the day for now.