La Vida Alcalaína

It is hard to find good news about Spain these days.  Unemployment is over 20% and still rising , a third of people who are in work are on temporary or part-time contracts, and public sector workers have had their pay cut by 5%.  Petrol, gas and electricity prices are rising way ahead of inflation.  Zapatero's PSOE government (Spanish Workers' Socialist Party) is moving inexorably to the right - albeit at a reluctant canter rather than a gallop - in an attempt to reduce the public debt and pacify the IMF:  freezing pensions, selling off public assets, making it easier to sack employees, cutting unemployment benefits and raising the retirement age.  The right-wing opposition party, the Partido Popular (PP) are well ahead in the opinion polls despite repeated revelations of corruption, a leader totally lacking in charisma, and a noticeable lack of policies . Zapatero smiles disarmingly as he canters to the right, and Rajoy gazes into space while trying to think up an economi

A collage painting of some of my favourite places in the town.  Not to scale, and definitely not in the right places!  If you would like a copy of this in poster format (30 x 45 cm)  please email me .

We were watching the news last night when we saw a very strange thing.  Hundreds of people had dressed up their pooches and pussycats in fancy costumes and were lining up to get a priest to sprinkle holy water over them.  Then in today's paper I saw an alarming photo of someone riding a horse into a bonfire.   It turns out that 17 January is the Feast Day for San Antonio Abate, the patron saint of domestic pets.  People throughout Spain take their pampered pets to church for " The Blessing of the Animals " - cats, dogs, rabbits, mice, pigs, ferrets, donkeys, even goldfish.   Following a ritual sprinkling, the faithful are given  panecillos del Santo , lucky buns made from a secret recipe which is supposed to keep them fresh for a year. SAN ANTONIO ABATE Like most Catholic ceremonies this has pre-Christian roots; it dates back to an ancient Roman fertility rite to honour the gods Cerere Terra, when a pregnant animal would be sacrificed, and beasts of

There is no shortage of colour in an Alcalá winter.  And right now, the colour is largely orange.  The naranjos (orange trees) in the Playa are laden with fruit, squashed oranges lie rotting on the the pavement, the greengrocers counters are piled high with five or six different varieties, and people are selling the produce from their huertas on street corners and door-to-door. The fruit we love today is an ancient hybrid originating in Southeast Asia.  Both the bitter orange, Citrus aurantium,  and the sweet one, Citrus sinensis,  were being cultivated  in China by 2500 BC.  The Romans first brought them to Europe, but their cultivation died out here after the fall of the Roman Empire.  However they were planted across North Africa,  the Moors introduced them to Spain, and by the 12th century they covered an area from Sevilla to Granada.  The Spanish in turn took them to Florida, and the Portuguese created vast plantations in Brazil, which is now the world's leading producer of

Tonight Melchior, Gaspar and Balthasar will parade through the streets of Alcalá dispensing sweets by the sack-load to the children.  The Three Wise Men, los Reyes Magos , come here not on camels but on the backs of elaborately decorated lorries, preceded by the gloriously raucous Alcalá silver band.  Having filled their pockets (and occasionally carrier bags) with sticky  caramelos the children, who have already written out their requirements and posted them by special delivery, will go to bed early.  They will leave their shoes out by the door, often accompanied by some carrots for Balthazar´s donkey, and await the return of the Magi during the night (without the band this time).  Good children will find their shoes full of presents next morning; bad ones will find a piece of coal. ROSCÓN DE REYES Tomorrow, 6 January, is the Feast of the Epiphany, when the Three Wise Men supposedly discovered Jesus, Mary and Joseph in a stable in Bethlehem and presented their gifts of gol

Last year the Mediterranean Diet  was designated by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Spain, Greece, Italy and Morocco.  It is characterised by a daily intake of olive oil, cereals, pulses, fruit and vegetables, with a moderate amount of fish, dairy produce, eggs and meat, accompanied by wine or infusions.  The Cultural Heritage bit also applies to the skills and traditions associated with the production, preparation and consumption of these foods: ... the Mediterranean diet (from the Greek work diaita (δίαιτα), or way of life) encompasses more than just food. It promotes social interaction since communal meals are the cornerstone of social customs and festive events. The system is rooted in respect for the territory and biodiversity. It ensures the conservation and development of traditional activities and crafts linked to fishing and farming in the Mediterranean communities ...  Women particularly play a vital role in the transmission of expertise, as well as knowledge of