More Village Celebration!

More Village Celebration!
February 13, 2007

This one caught us by surprise. It is a little
disconcerting to hear
fireworks that sound
like they are right on top of you as you

This one caught us by surprise. It is a little disconcerting to hear fireworks that sound like they are right on top of you as you take a shower in the morning with a window open in a tiny tub. I wondered if it was just someone fooling around, left overs from the Three Kings or a new celebration as we took our time waking
up on a lazy Saturday in January serenaded by explosive sounds.

When we heard the band, clomping of many horse hooves and chattering of a crowd, we ran to our balconies to see what was up. There were lots of people dressed up in Andalusian Flamenco type clothes and were barefoot, the priest in red robes (who Mozart thought was a king), a huge statue being carried high with candles and many gorgeous Andalusian horses and riders bringing up the rear in this procession thru the streets.

It was yet another one of our endless beautiful sunny days (what a great place to do winter!!) so of course we had to go out and investigate. Mozart and DaVinci darted out quickly while I gathered up things and got ready. We soon found out that it was the Saint Sebastian Feast day, the patron saint of the village and celebrated here every January 20th. This being Spain it was time for more fireworks, procession, flamenco and a street party. I love it!

It would be fair to say that Fiestas form an integral and important part of Spanish culture as each day in the Spanish calendar is a feast day honoring a Catholic saint, thus celebrating such days is a regular part of life. In Andalusia alone there are are over 3000 fiestas celebrated throughout the year! The sense of fun, along with the enthusiasm and togetherness that such events generate is one of the great attractions of Spain for many. Participating in these celebrations has been a highlight for us to share and experience some of the traditions and values that give the region as well as the country, its identity.

What makes it particularly special, is we KNOW all of these people doing the flamenco, walking in the procession, playing the flamenco guitar and singing, riding along on horses,setting off the fireworks etc.
We see them everyday as we walk around our village and participate in life here.

They are parents of kids that are in school with Mozart or the lady at the grocery store or the man working on construction or a restaurant owner/waiter. Yesterday I may have seen a woman using the main fountain to mop the street or someone whitewashing her house and today I stand next to  her as we clap to the flamenco music and cheer “ole” to the dancers. I see people I know riding along on the most beautiful horses in the world.

So we really enjoyed our day soaking up the culture of our little village. The more I see and hear flamenco, the more I love it. I adore watching Mozart and even younger children doing the flamenco along with the adults and big kids on stage. The soulfulness of the music touches the heart even if one is not fluent in Spanish. I love the dancers who are pros as well as watching the children at different stages of learning
as they preform.

I love the earthy and attractive faces of these hard working people and their sweetness and joy. Unlike Americans typical image of a Spaniard with dark hair, skin and eyes, many have lighter colored hair and blue, green or grey eyes despite being here for generations. There are also some beauties with dark hair and eyes and light skin a  la Penelope Cruz types.

We enjoyed watching lots of Flamenco in this perfect white village and mountain setting as we sipped the local Sangria which is very different than Californian or Mexican Sangria. Flamenco seems to take me on
a journey that is primordial and archetypical. I have never been to a bull fight, but I feel its power and attraction in this dance. The Spanish guitar and passionate vocals are hauntingly familiar to something inside me and entrancing as the hot sun radiated warmth that made one forget that it was January.

The horses here are just exquisite and always a treat to see them or the large donkeys clop, clop thru the narrow streets of our village. We have seen them a lot, but never so many all at once or with the riders in costume. Wikipedia says this (and more) about the Andalusian horse:

The Andalusian horse or Spanish horse is one of the purest breeds of horses in the world today. Andalusians have been used for all manner of riding horses, and were the preferred mount of kings over many centuries. Archaeological evidence in the Iberian Peninsula, modern day Spain and Portugal, indicates that the origins of the Iberian Horse date back to at least 25,000 B.C. in the form of its primitive ancestor, the Sorraia. Cave paintings in the Iberian Peninsula dated from around 20,000 BC depict portraits of horses and activities related to a horse culture. They move with a high, elegant action, which makes them particularly suitable for Haute École (or High School) Dressage.

It is not everyday that you can sit at an outdoor cafe in Europe overlooking the Mediterranean sea and
wave to friends going by on lovely Andalusian horses! There were meals available where we watched the flamenco dancers, but we moseyed down after a while to a favorite outdoor cafe where we could still hear and see the music plus view the village and mountains along with the sea.

We sat near Mozart’s Flamenco teacher and also one of her Spanish classmates from school and family. How could I resist the yummy local gaspacho and more Sangria as we relaxed as the sun took its time setting?
A colorful hang glider with a motor zipped around in the sky above enjoying the magical ambiance. Mozart practiced  flamenco steps to the infectious music between courses and whispered secrets in Spanish and giggled with  her friend. We heard people talk to the local men going by with the fire work paraphenalia
as they passed.

The fireworks started in the morning, continued all day and were still going strong when I went to bed at almost two, along with music and dancing in the streets. We were inside watching the “Sound of Music” (Mozart is learning one of the songs on piano) in bed early in the evening when it got really loud. We put the laptop on pause and rushed out to our terrace and saw some spectacular displays that really were just above our heads.

I have seen many fireworks in my life including the celebration in NYC in 1976 that celebrated 200 years and once from a boat, but this one beat them all. What a sight! It was not as extensive as some that I have seen, but I have never seen them closer. The contrast of our ancient roof in the foreground and the unexpectedness of seeing them so close just added to the sensation and pleasure.

Yes, indeed, another interesting and joyful day in paradise!