LOOKING UP AND DOWN

It's been Fiesta time (again!) here in the valley, and it's a couple of photographs from the one in our neighbouring town that I want to share for HELENA'S weekly photographic meme- LOOK UP LOOK DOWN.

LOOKING UP

the banners strewn across the Car Park of the local Church

LOOKING DOWN

the dresses worn by the teenage girls (Festeras)......the youngsters of the town have the opportunity at ages 5 and 18 to take a major role in the Fiesta...the Festeras all wear white, while the Festeros (the boys..though there are never many!) wear black and white. They  have to parade twice daily, but every night they party hard..it's a bit like a week-long Prom!

These are the five-year olds..how cute are THEY?!...they also parade twice daily. The little outfits are seemingly very expensive, but it such an honour to be asked to take part, that entire families rally round to make sure the cost is covered.

Hope all's well  in your little corner of Blogland!

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

LOOKING UP AND DOWN

You may remember that I mentioned that this week sees the start of our village's Summer Fiesta......

LOOKING UP

These are the lights which have been put up all along the main street of the village

(I also have to say that what REALLY stands out to me in this pic, is the cloud.....it looks like an ultrasound scan picture of a baby in the womb!)

LOOKING DOWN 

This is the Programme of  Events for the celebrations...and although it says they started on June 14, that's only the ringing of the Church bells at 10pm each night for a week beforehand! The festivities start for real tomorrow night.

I am going to spend the next three nights with Boo sitting shaking on my knee...she HATES the fireworks and firecrackers!

Linking up with HELENA'S weekly photographic meme 'LOOKING UP AND DOWN'

Hope things are good with you and yours

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

HELLO WEEK

This week I'm saying:

HELLO to a cleaner, cooler dog!

From THIS

to

THIS!

HELLO to the last week of KEEP FIT until September (it's getting uncomfortably hot and there's no aircon in the room we use)

HELLO to the start of FIESTA in the village

HELLO to having joined JENNIFER's online class PROJECTS THAT WOW!.....I will confess to having scrapped nothing yet, but I'm enjoying the prompts and have a photo all ready to go!

HELLO to getting a post written about my Scavenger Hunt finds

Hoping you have some fun things to say HELLO to, this week! 

Thanks for dropping by!
Take care of you
Alison xx

SPORT? CULTURE?...I DON'T THINK SO...

The summer Fiestas in the villages around us are well under way...our own village's one was at the end of June. Being such a small village, our Fiestas are pretty 'tame'....lots of music, children's activities, dancing, religious parades and some fireworks...three or four days and it's over.

This week it has been the turn of the biggest village in the Valley. Being a bigger village, it has a longer Fiesta, with more activities. I had been over there doing a bit of shopping this morning, and heard music coming from the village square, so went round to see what was happening.

The Square was entirely surrounded by metal bars (like a huge cage) and covered in sand... and there had been seating set up....

When I went to investigate further I discovered this poor, young bull being 'baited' by the 'brave' young lads from the village..it was so hot, and the poor animal just wanted to be left alone

so they kicked at it....

....ran at it, and waved things at it, just to get it moving.

The bars were wide enough  lads from the village to squeeze in and out of, but not for the bull to get through..the crowd was loving it....but me?...I just thought it sad and horrible.

This isn't 'sport'...'SPORT' is what is happening in London just now....this is just having fun at some poor animal's expense. Admittedly, it could be dangerous (there were lots of Ambulances and Police in attendance) and I'm sure those involved had huge adrenalin rushes, BUT it wasn't 'sport'. It left me with a really bad taste in my mouth, and I didn't stop for long. I know it's part of the Spanish 'culture', but it's a part I neither understand or enjoy.

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

AND WE'RE OFF........

......on the 2012 SUMMER SCAVENGER HUNT organised by RINDA. In her latest post, there would appear to be about 40 of us playing along...I participated last year, and even though I had to cheat  be somewhat inventive with some of my entries, managed most of it. 


The items we are looking for are as follows:


1. A pier
2. A clothesline
3. A border
4. A roadside stand selling something
5. A train
6. A historical landmark
7. A person playing a musical instrument
8. A person dressed as an angel or a statue of an angel

9. A fountain

10. A horse

11. A shadow

12. A maze, labyrinth, or trail.

13. A library

14. A person playing with a ball.

15. Someone dancing.

16. A bride.

17. A church, chapel, cathedral, mosque or temple.

18. A movie poster

19. An outdoor stairway

20. A swing hanging from a tree (or a hammock)
21.  A picture of you standing with something that symbolizes your nation

It has been Fiesta in our village for the last few days, and when we went down to watch the festivities a couple of nights ago, I managed to get my first few photographs.

SOMEONE PLAYING A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT  (7)

There was actually a whole Marching Band of people playing musical instruments!

There were also stalls selling balloons and toys for the children, so this gives me A ROADSIDE STAND SELLING SOMETHING (4)

Now there are only 19 to go!

I am off to Barcelona tomorrow for Kirsty's Graduation, so am hoping to catch a few pics there...I'm also hoping to meet a special someone before I return home on Sunday..that might be a late entry for STORYTELLING SUNDAY over at SIAN'S BLOG! 

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

Fiesta!

It has been the 'Fiesta de San Juan' in Spain this last few days....it's basically a celebration of the beginning of Summer. It appears to be mainly a coastal event, with huge bonfires being lit on the beaches and the setting off of fireworks.

As it turns out, San Juan de Bautiste (St. John the Baptist) is the Patron Saint of our village, so we have had Fiesta here too. There are copious amounts of bell-ringing at all  hours of the day and night.......

  the village Brass Band, marches round the streets (playing the same tunes for three days!)......

the good and the great gather at the Church.....

ready to process through the streets with the shrine of San Juan....

The rest of the village then join behind, and walk the length and breadth of our tiny village, before coming back and starting to party late into the night (early into the next morning, really!).

At the end of Fiesta, there is a spectacular fireworks display, the following pictures of which do do them no justice whatsoever ........

So there you have a quick peek  at Fiesta in Alcalali.

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx