A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR
TO OUR READER(S)!
Here on Fraggle Rock we are returning to normality with the kids back at school since Monday and the very slow removal of the seasonal decorations around town and in shops, bars and restaurants.
At Blue Rock the theme has been "Ice". Claire and her helpers made plastic ice cubes with intricate enclosed card snowflakes, only to have a couple whipped from outside overnight! Thereafter they were taken in each night. Inside was a model fisherman in arctic dress with snowballs and a seal; and as you see there were plenty of frosted twigs!
It was here that we spent the early hours of 2011. We had seen in the New Year as guests of Mike and Liz. We were at a very full Casa Manolo, and enjoyed some excellent lamb, a great deal of El Coto Rioja, some cava and grapes at midnight, and the company of DJs Snowy and Sammy. We missed the Chilean rock band in the Plaza, and there were - once again - no council fireworks, but we just had to stop off at the Rock on the way home. There we joined a jolly Brit party. This included Boat Mike, who at 2 or so in the morning decided to buy and share a Cadbury's selection box causing raucous behaviour over the finger of fudge! This may or may not have anything to do with the fact that Ruth limped home with a pain in knee and groin, that kept us at home most of New Year's Day, so that we missed Chris the Fish's huge stuffed and salted tuna.
Sunday the 2nd was a watershed day for all of Spain! There had been virtually no prior publicity, but the start of the smoking ban did - on the day itself - make it to the UK news - heralded as one of the strictest in Europe! When asked about it the previous night the guy at Manolo's said they had not received any paperwork so would not be taking any action. Ruth had it as her theme for the show on New Year's Eve, playing such goodies as:
- Every Breath you Take
- Smoke gets in your Eyes
- Give it Up
- Virginia Plain
- Roll it to Me... you get the idea, and with Al and Val the proprietors away in UK, there was also The Other Man's Grass, and Don't Bogart that Joint!
The British and Irish bars are sticky to the rules (no smoking in any enclosed space), but the hunch was that the local bars would get way with it; but no!! The news on the streets is that within hours a Majorero owner had been fined 9K euros. So far, so good then, and it has been a joy to go into our favourite music venues and not suffer.
The final seasonal event was, of course, Kings! This year procedures for their arrival on 5th were changed. They were not on the 11am ferry, and they were not to be seen touring town during the day. In the afternoon we were at home when there was a tremendous noise from the ferry port, signalling the arrival, and they then scooted off to the villages. We managed to escape from Dr Kirstin's (pre Goa jabs!) just in time to see them perform the innovative ritual. At 6.30 or so (just after sunset) four small boats came round from the harbour to "Wai Kiki" beach. In turn a king was tranferred to a smaller boat and taken to the shore. Each was helped ashore by guys in shorts with bare feet, a flare and some fireworks were let off and he did his traditional sweet throwing, kissing and posing. The camels had been brought down to the beach by the Corintia, and the procession set off from there (thus making the route considerably shorter than previously). We found a pole position for viewing it at the amusement arcade bar, and took the traditional lousy night-time photos! Otherwise the participants were the same except for a new horse-drawn cart. We skipped the kids' presentation to the kings in the Plaza, and went for a meal at the wonderful Wok! So too did an enormous number of others, including tourist smokers who were politely asked to go outside, and locals who weren't!
Ruth did an extra show on Kings' Day and the theme was "Stars" to acknowledge that they were - allegedly - astrologers. This was great fun and the audience participated in suggesting tracks which reference the "difficult" signs of Cancer and Capricorn. The latterwas solved by Kid Creole! What a clever lot they are!
And the weather over the Festive Season has been magnificent!