Orange Polka Dot

Catalan Festivals: Festa de Sant Sebastian in Matadepera

Carrying the Pine Tree to the Village | Photo: Miquel Badia

A festival in which men carry a huge pine tree on their shoulders, hang a cured pig's leg (jamon) from the top and try to climb up 27 meters/ 88 feet to get it. That is what sold me on moving to the small mountainside village of Matadepera outside Barcelona. I am not joking. I am a sucker for cultural festivals. I couldn't pass up the chance to live in a place with such a unique and strong (in more than one way!) tradition. And it happens tonight. 

Climbing for Jamon | Photo: Miquel Badia

The Festa de Sant Sebastian. A 113 year-old tradition in Matadepera, Catalunya. The men of Matadepera hike up a mountain and hike down with a 27 meter (88 feet) long and 1900 kilos (4188 pounds) pine tree on their shoulders. Last night, villagers carrying torches marched and drummed through the village with a bonfire grand finale. No, not the British word for flashlight. Real, flaming torches. I told you the Catalans like to play with fire, right?! (seach my blog for diablos and correfoc)

After the tree arrives to the main plaza of the village, there will be music and dancing until 5 AM. During the following week, men will work with axes to remove the tree's bark resulting in a splinter-free climbing surface. Next, the tree will be planted with the aid of a crane. In the past, the tree has been manually lifted and planted. We've got some strong men here! But due to an accident a crane is now used. I have heard that the group who organizes this event plans to return to an improved manual planting method next year. 

Preparing the Pine Tree | Photo: Miquel Badia

Watch this great video that shows the tree being brought down to the village, preparing to plant it, planting it and, of course, climbing it. 

 

The people of my village stretch this festival to 10 days with a 76 page program agenda! I've told you that Catalans take their festivals seriously! On agenda is a medieval fair, a farmer's market, a gastronomic fair, concerts and dances. Of course, there will be gegants and a xocolatada (delicious hot chocolate and cake - free!) . The climbing contest to reach the jamon will be on Saturday, 19 January 2013. Jamon is quite expensive, might be worth having a go at a climb. 

Reaching the Jamon | Photo: Miquel Badia

:: More Information :: 

• Official Program Agenda from the Ajuntament of Matadepera

 

Barcelona Festivals: Three Kings Parade

Images from BCN Ajuntament

Tonight is the most magical night in Barcelona - the parade of the Three Kings - Los Reyes Magos. My favorite night of the year. A night where you relive the whimsy and wonder of being a child. 

 
My children (girl & boy in cape) and their friend on the way to parade 

In Spain, Los Reyes Magos are bigger than Santa Claus. And thank goodness, The Three Kings haven't been commercialized to death here. Or at least, in comparison to the commercialization of Santa in the USA. During the holiday season, children write letters to Los Reyes Magos. Throughout the city, there are royal mailboxes to collect their letters. Although, my children prefer to deliver their letters to the royal post during the parade. Near the royal mail floats, people reading lists of addresses throughout the city for the Kings to make gift deliveries. During the parade, young children can surrender their pacifiers to royal collectors as a right of passage. 

Each King has a royal entourage with costumes and music that represent homeland of each king - Melchior from Europe, Caspar from Asia and Balthazar from Africa. Royal attendants toss tons of candy to the children along the parade route. 

Next up, is a float with some sort of Mr. Sandman, reminding the children to be in bed early if they want the Kings to deliver presents. The final section of the parade, the coal factory float, is the last reminder of what happens to children who have been naughty or don't go to bed on time. 

Words do not do the beauty of the parade justice. And my pictures do not either. But you'll get the idea. 

:: More Information about Three Kings/ Los Reyes Magos :: 

• 2013 Los Reyes Magos Parade Information 
• Watch the journey of the Three Kings to Barcelona
• About The Three Kings on OrangePolkaDot and 2010 Parade

 

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Life In Spain: New Year's Eve

Grapes of Good Luck for New Year's Eve

When the kids realized today is New Year's Eve, they begged me to go buy the Uvas de Suerte (Grapes of Good Luck). "Ok, sure, now let me finish my cafe con leche." But there was another important question - would they be allowed to stay up late and bang pots? "Of course. It is New Year's Eve. Who cares what our neighbors think!"

Once properly caffeinated, I drove down the hill to our village and bought our supplies to celebrate New Year's Eve. A bunch of green grapes, so that we can each eat one grape at the twelve strokes of midnight. I couldn't find any Pinky or Champín, the Spanish versions of Martinelli's non-alcoholic bubbly. So, we will let them have sips of cava. Heck, it wasn't that long that there were bottles speficially marketed to children. 

 

We will also be nibbling on one of the two cured pig legs (jamon de pata negra) we have received for Christmas. And it wouldn't be a Spanish style party without some salty potato chips and green olives stuffed with anchovies. We have a huge pile of polvorones, various turrón and chocolate-covered almonds for sweet treats. 

Fortunately, my kids didn't request that I buy them red underwear. Although, I will be searching for the pair I bought at the Sant Cugat market stall specializing in red New Year's Eve undies. 

Red Panties for Good Luck | Sant Cugat Market

What different New Year's Eve celebrations my children experience compared to mine as a child. No Times Square ball drop. No Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve dance party. But there will be noisemakers and pot banging.

Curious about the 12 Grapes of Good Luck and red panties? Check out one of my older posts about Spanish New Year's Eve traditions.

• Spanish New Year's Eve Traditions

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Life in Spain: Bread Delivery

Guess what I am doing as I type? Munching on a toasted fresh baguette topped sobrasada de Mallorca. But guess what is even better than that? And beating sobrasada is tough. The baguette was delivered fresh and warm to my door! 

Yes, you read that right. Fresh, warm bread delivery to my front door. The highlight of my week, actually began a few days earlier when I opened my mailbox to find Mundopán's brochure. My heart skipped a beat as I read about their new bread delivery service now available in my mountainside village. 

And today, I fell in love with Mundopán. While I was having my cafe con leche on our front patio, a girl from Mundopán rang at the gate. As she handed over my free trial toasty baguette, she explained all the logistics of home bread delivery. 

Bread Delivery Box | www.mundopan.es

I don't even have to be home to receive the bread. Mundopán will install a thermal bread mailbox with a lock next to my regular mailbox, so the bread can be delivered at anytime and will stay warm until I retrieve it. I can have 19 (!!) different types of bread (including gluten free), a variety of pastries, eggs and coffee beans delivered daily or at any frequency I wish.

I think this will be a must for the weekends. And it will definitely go on my list of reasons why I love living in Spain. You have to see this tv news report below, the announcer says that Mundopán solves one of worst problems - arriving home from work for the mid-day meal (the most important) and you have not bought the daily bread. Not quite my problem. I wasn't buying bread daily because it isn't a cultural habit for me. But now that they are making it so easy... Well, let's just say, I may need to increase my gym visits. 

 





 

 

El Mosquito Tigre

 

The other day while talking with a neighbor, I was warned about "el mosquito tigre." That night I told my husband that "there are mosquitos during the summer and I guess they are quite ferocious because they say they are like tigers." Well, looks like I better enroll in my Spanish refresher course sooner rather than later. It turns out that the type of mosquito my neighbor was talking about, was in fact "el mosquito tigre." (AKA: The Asian Tiger Mosquito or Aedes albopictus)

A tiger mosquito??? What?? Sounds worrisome to me! Especially when you consider that our new home has no window screens! And I found the little bugger in my kitchen yesterday morning. We live across the street from Parc de Collserola, so I imagine we'll have other visitors. 

Turns out it is fairly common for windows to be sans fly screens here. I would love to know why? Even if you don't have "el mosquito tigre" to worry about, there are still flies and less exotic mosquitos. Perhaps I am just another paranoid American? But, c'mon really, aren't flying insects in your house a tad bit annoying? 

I think I may have found a solution. While browsing the aisles of my local hipermercado Eroski, I came across a large display for DIY insect screens (in English) by Tesa Tape.  

 

Tesa makes screens that one may install onto a window frame, similar to replacing a screen slider door. There is another type that you can apply with an easy on and off hook and loop tape. This allows you to detach the screen and lift it to access the outside of the window (like to water flowers in a window box). You can even hang strips of screen that are bottom-weighted so that you can walk through a screen door (think screen door a la beaded curtain). Now, I need to figure out how to "MacGyver" screens to fit my slider windows that have roll-down shutters on the outside. 

Seems like a much better option, albeit more work-inducing, than the common solution used here - plug-in mosquito repellent with suspicious ingredients. You plug in a little device that emits a repellent vapor for mosquito protection. Read small print on the back of the box, and you will find a logo of a fish dying out of water that says, "bad for the environment."  Currently, we are using these plugs (along with citronella candles and lotions) that emit an ultrasonic noise, undetectable to humans, that sounds like a mosquito predator. The theory being the mosquitos will stay away from the noise out of fear. So far so good, but I'll also be installing screens.  

• Wondering if "el mosquito tigre" lives near you? If you are in the USA, you can check out from Chester G. Moore at Colorado State University on Exotic Mosquitos in the USA.