Fiestas Patronales

This year the fair went by almost without my noticing. I was making last-minute reservations for places to stay in France and cramming for my exams. Needless to say I wasn't in much of a mood for fiesta so the Feria de San Pedro came and went without much more than a few tintos de verano and one or two sevillanas. However, after a summer of travel and relaxation, I was ready to jump in with both feet for the local holiday celebrating La Roda's patroness: La Virgen de los Llanos.

Festivities began on the 7th when townspeople and the different brotherhoods offer flowers to the Virgen in the church. The small procession to the church was filled with colorful flamenco dresses, combed-up hair topped with flowers, men dressed in corto on horseback, and delicious smelling flowers. I donned my own ruffled flamenco dress, put on my biggest earrings, stuck a bright pink rose on my head and dashed out the door to join the representatives of San Pancracio in the procession.

The city cut traffic on the main street for the remainder of the evening and all the bars overflowed out onto the road. A stretch of about 50 meters was full from sidewalk to sidewalk with people, tables and chairs. They set up a trampoline and bouncy house for the kids and a stage for live music performances as well. As always is the case with local fiestas, you see everyone! Every few steps there was another person to kiss and say hello to. At one point a couple of my youngest students (dressed in the most authentic flamenco fashion) came shyly over to the table where I was sitting with a group of friends to say "hello".

Service was terribly slow...I don't think anyone expected there to be so many people. Many times when there's a local holiday, people pack up and head to the beach for the weekend; but for whatever reason it seemed that most everyone had opted to stay in town, and all of them were having dinner on the main street! I finally gave up on the food we had ordered and headed towards home to eat the lunch leftovers in my fridge. I didn't make in more than about 30 feet, however, when I was stopped by other friends and ordered to sit down and eat with them (they already had their food). At the end of the night I wound up with my brother and sister-in-law and some of their friends over ice cream at around 3:30-ish am.

It felt good to get out of the house. It's been quite a long time since the last time I was out and about with everyone...and feeling up to having a good time. Spending the evening out with different random friends, having conversations that ranged from the typical town gossip to upcoming road-races and American traditions, was just the medicine I needed. It was a nice reminder that I really am a part of this community.

Of course, being that I'm no longer accustomed to going out much, I was pretty tired the next day. Nevertheless, I had to get up early because I had a class at 10am so I got up and went for a run to shake off the stupor from the night before, showered, ate a huge breakfast and got ready for class. My ten o'clock ended up not showing so I took advantage and stepped out of the house for a minute to grab some churros y chocolate that the neighbors along the main street were offering free to everyone! After a small glass of good, thick chocolate, I was feeling much more myself and headed back home for my eleven o'clock class.

...And in typical Spanish fashion my day didn't end until two in the morning! It seems that chocolate is a great way to get going in the morning (who knew?!) and after my first tinto, I was ready to take on the day (afternoon, evening and night!).

We spent mid-day at the Leiva bar where they had hired a professional "espetero" to come and grill up fresh sardines just like they do on the coast. It was a hot day and if you closed your eyes, the smell of grilled fish could almost fool you into thinking you were in Malaga. Too bad we didn't have so much as a lousy swimming pool nearby to cool off in.

Once again we met up with my brother and sister-in-law and their friends--what a fun group of people. Really, every time I spend time with my sister-in-law I realize all over again how much I love her! We ate plenty of grilled sardines (my hands stank for the rest of the day!) and drank our weight in beer and tinto. Around six-ish I excused myself from the group we'd formed singing sevillanas, and headed home for a nap until the Virgin's procession around town at nine o'clock.

The procession was beautiful as always. Unlike Semana Santa, when trained costaleros carry the heavy pasos through the streets, in last night's procession volunteer townspeople carry the Virgen. At the end of the route, when the Virgen had made her way back to the church, there was a visiting choir group waiting at the church door. They sang a beautiful song a capella and later performed on the main street. Unfortunately, the street was so crowded once again that we ended up going elsewhere to eat and missed the show! But my bacon, cheese hamburger that took an hour and a half to make its way out of the kitchen was worth it. ;)

Once again, it was a late night... all this, and it's only Friday!