‘For last year’s words belong to last year’s language, and next year’s words await another voice’ T.S. Eliot (1888-1965)
With the birth of the New Year I am pleased to report that our mild weather has continued from the Christmas period and we are, once again, enjoying our lunches al fresco. An anticyclone has been credited with bringing us a warm airstream from North Africa and freakish January temperatures of up to 24ºC. Consequently, nature is confused and the landscape is again changing colour, this time with swathes of chrome yellow flores de campo (wild flowers) adorning the vineyard terraces. The local almond trees were sprouting their pale pink blossom during the first week of January. Meanwhile, inland Spain and just 20 kilometres (north) along the coast, snow has been falling; in the inland areas this has caused some upheaval with the transport and infrastructure systems. However, its an ill wind… and the bonus is that the local ski resort of Teruel (just 1hr. north of Valencia) has done better than most alpine resorts. Towards the end of January, it has been reported that Alicante has had its biggest snowfall for twenty years. There has also been significant snow in areas of the Murcia region. How has our area escaped these wintery conditions? Well Spain is notorious for its micro-climates and with the ‘peninsular effect’ of our local coastline we are usually able to enjoy a more comfortable winter climate than the areas around us.
New Years Eve was a very enjoyable Anglo-German affair for us this year. This was followed up on 2nd Jan. with a concert by the Bohemia Straus Philharmonica Orchestra with soprano – Simona Prochazkova, at the Palau Altea – a most impressive and futuristic new arts centre in Altea. This was a fun evening of excellent music enlivened with complimentary cava, a conductor who burst into song with an opera aria and three very badly behaved bass players! It really was a unique evening’s entertainment.
Meanwhile, back in traditional Spain, 1st January (Dia de Anno Nueve) is something
of an anticlimax for the indigene who on this day ‘Descanso el Resaca’ (rest
the hangover). The major event is 5th January,
‘Noche de Reyes’ or ‘Los Reyes Mogos’ (the Magic
Kings) and generally known as ‘The Three Kings’. This is
the big pressie giving occasion – rather than Christmas –
which all Spanish children look forward to,
leaving pressie-lists for the kings rather than for Santa.
All over Spain this involves colourful processions of the three kings entering all the towns and villages, throwing handfuls of sweets to the waiting children lining the streets. The slight variation along the costas is that they arrive by boat to the seashore and cabalgata (ride) to the main square where a live nativity scene is enacted. The baby Jesus in this scene is actually the youngest baby of the town/village! Of course, as with any other local event of note, the event is fortified with huge firework displays.
The following day is ‘Dia de Reyes’ & traditionally begins with breakfast of the ‘Roscon de Reyes’, a family sized sweet, ring-shaped bread bun topped with icing or cream. The bun (which can be the size of the table itself) depending on the size of the family present – will contain many surprise novelty presents and one bean. It is good luck for the year if you get a present – if you get the bean you have to pay for the roscon! This is the day on which the serious Christmas presents are opened and is, of course, another national holiday.
The next event of note on the Spanish calendar is the festival of Sant Antonio on Sunday, 21st January. This is the day of the ‘blessing of the animals’. On this Sunday the faithful are accompanied to church by an assortment of animals, everything from baby hares (ok – leverets), parrots and tortoises to goats and horses were presented to the priests for blessing this year. Regular readers will not be surprised to hear that the day is again celebrated by the consuming of a special cake – ‘Rollo de Sant Antonio’.
Back to more mundane seasonal activities; this time of the year the campo landscape is characterised by the lazy trails of wood smoke emanating from the small bonfires of vine prunings, as the viñeros tidy and prepare their vineyards for the coming season. More next month…
Chris Garwood
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View my other journals
2007
January / February / March / April / May / June / July & August / September
2008
March / April
