Happy New Year!
New Year’s Eve was noisy and busy at Casa Campana as we let the new year in with a fiesta. Jim and I would like to wish all friends, family and guests (past, present and future) a wonderful 2009.
On the 5th January we had the usual Cabalgata (procession) of the 3 Kings. The procession seemed shorter than usual. This year we were lucky enough to see it from Fran’s roof terrace snaking its way through the Matrera Gate and up, up, UP into the heart of the old town. One float for each King and then 3 more dotted inbetween with local kids dressed up as fairies, spiderman(!) and Mickey Mouse. The floats are pulled along by tractors, which only just fit the narrow streets. I worry the huge wheels will crush a child in the surge to grab sweets (certainly there are some professional sweet grabbers there and they won’t let anyone or anything get in their way!) This year I located Joe and Maggie on top of a sherry barrel. This was a good move: 1) Maggie can hide behind Joe (she’s terrified of the Kings); 2) they are high up (the Kings see them and throw them things directly) and I don’t need to bear their weight!; and 3) the tractor wheels can’t get them.
The kings generally throw sweets (jelly ones, so they aren’t too hard when they rain down on you), cuddly toys and footballs. Well this year we did well: 6 footballs (one covered in leather), 4 small cuddly dogs and a few kilos of jelly sweets. Unfortunately, I am the only person in Casa Campana who eats the jelly sweets. Ahhh!
We hung out in our usual spot and I was delighted to see Blas there (see photo above). Blas is a neighbour of ours and it is always reassuring to see him walking the streets with a fag hanging out the corner of his mouth. This year like the 4 previous ones he was in his spot awaiting the Kings. I wish now we’d taken a photo every year, because he is ALWAYS in the same place. Long may it continue.
While we got plenty of gifts, local people were complaining about the lack of gifts being thrown. Certainly once the procession had passed there wasn’t anybody left on the streets or drinking in the bars like previous years. The street cleaners passed by scraping up the trodden jelly sweets and we went home.
Emma