I love to read things about other areas of Spain and compare what occurs and having the added bonus of photo's is wonderful. There will always be people who are not interested at all but I think that most people on BE are interested in Spanish festivities, what makes Spanish people tick, the food and customs.

Keep posting even if it is only for me.

Rosemary

Hi Sam, just had a peek at your picsmarvelous ,I,m so pleased you have had such a wonderful time.Do not think for one moment that no one is interested,I am for sure,I am so looking forward to participating in some of the Fiesta,s myself, they remind me of the carnivals we used to have has kids many moons ago,sadly these don,t happen anymore,we used to dress trailors up and all wear costumes ,have brass bands etc. but these days in the UK it goes against all the health and safety issues etc.
Its wonderful that the children in Spain can enjoy these festivities and have the wonderful memories to take into their adult -hood.
For a small village they pull out all stops to make the occasion a really joyous affair,its brilliant , and the costumes are so colourful .
The pic with yourself and that gorgeous fella is lovely, oooooooh lucky you
I will agree with Rosemary ,this should be on the main page.
Thank you for finding the time amongst all the festivities to take the pics and post,very good..........

Thanks JDR for moving this thread.

Rosemary

Great thread Brisca! Thanks for all the lovely pics ..

You're very welcome Anabella

Did it make you miss home??

Have just got in jdr...................................

Thank you very much for moving this thread; much appreciated

Just a thought Anabella.............................

Have you seen the other thread called Fiesta time? (which is in Siesta time!)

You might like to have a look here:
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=478202

Hi Sam! Great thread, and I really enjoyed your pics! They really are SO colourful aren't they? Have you managed to catch up on any lost sleep yet? Lol! I got your pm Sam thank you, a pleasure as always. I will reply soon. I am working late shifts this week, and always feel as though I have more time to do the things I want. Talk soon!
Love Chris XXX

A little, I love all the traditions in Spain and Fiestas in small villages are fairly similar.. the jotas, band, I always looked forward to the sack racing as a child.. but funnily enough I miss living in England more than I miss living in Spain.. after all I left Spain 12 years ago.. I don't know where home is anymore..

Do you mind me asking where you're from in Spain?
I'm guessing maybe Aragon, seeing as I had to look up what "jotas" were (other than the letter J!)

Where did you live in the UK, and what particular things do you miss about it?

How long have you been in the US?

Not being nosey; just interested

Hiya Chris

Glad you liked the pictures

Don't go working too hard..................they don't deserve you, you know!

xx

Well Anabella........................you got me thinking, so I did a bit of a Google!

Thought some people might be interested in this?
(My dictionary said a "jota" was an Aragonese dance, which got me thinking)


Spanish regional music: Extremadura and Aragon

Aragonese culture finds its roots in Celtic, French and especially Moorish influence. Instruments include rattles and the guitarro, a unique kind of guitar from the Baroque period. Rarely used as a solo instrument, the guitarro mostly has five strings and Alexander Sanchez has recovered one of the earliest examples from Zaragoza. Early music in Extremadura is characterised by a melancholy sound and by the predominance of the zambomba drum which -intriguingly - is played by pulling on a rope inside the drum. (How I wonder?). Perhaps the sadness of their folk music reflects the fact that this is traditionally Spain’s most impoverished region, many of its people leaving for Latin America, and taking their musical traditions with them.

It’s Jota music that unites these otherwise very different regions. Originating in the southern part of Aragon this dance music with its changing tonalities and complicated repeated rhythms is popular across Spain. Played on tambourines, castanets and flutes, the music also uses the human voice as an instrument. The Jota Zaragozana is fast and danced with raised arms, whereas in southern Aragon the music is slow and elegant. In Extremadura the Jota is played with triangles, castanets, guitars, tambourines, accordions and zambombas.

In Spain I am from Leon but lived in Valladolid (I was in Leon every weekend/summer visiting my grandparents). When I turned 20 I moved to England on my own and I lived in Solihull for 11 years. In England I was a member of the ramblers association and what I miss the most is that, walking in the countryside (the Costwolds, Wales, Peak Distric, Lake District, Scotland.. amazingly beautiful countryside everywhere you go) also M&S (the food and the per una clothes in particular), tv programs like Friday night with Jonathan Ross and Top Gear, the gardens in England are out of this world and you have the best flower baskets! I missed those in springtime, the pubs, the British accent, going to the opera regularly in Covent Garden and the Alexander Theater (in Birmingham).. working as a hairdresser I also miss doing funky stuff, here people are very conservative for the most part so I get a bit bored, in England everybody wanted to look different and here everyone wants to look the same .. From Spain I miss my family but I don't miss living there anymore..

I've been here almost a year and I am really looking forward to my holiday coming up soon I'm going to England and Spain (10 days each)..

Colorado is really beautiful, people are very friendly, it's very safe, sunny every day (I really missed the sun in England), and there are four seasons (which I love). I love being here but when you have lived in several places a part of you feels always restless and wonders if maybe you should be somewhere else.. I'm sure most people on this forum understand/relate to this..

It's ok to be nosey.. when you are surrounded by Spaniards it rubs in, doesn't it?

It certainly does!!

Thanks for that lovely reply Anabella.

I've been through Valladolid once (only on the coach, going to the airport there!)
My Spanish teacher in the UK was from Madrid, but also had a house in Leon.
My ex-husband's family were all from Staffordshire and the West Midlands...............................so I reckon we've got some tenuous links there

Actually, one thing we've definitely got in common, is our love of walking
I belong to a senderismo group, and we go walking every Sunday (apart from days like today, when we were all at the fiesta last night!! )

We go all over Extremadura, and as you probably know the scenery is really spectacular and diverse.
Yes, all those places you mentioned are wonderful for walking - providing it's not tipping it down with rain of course!
Have you ever been to Dartmoor or Exmoor walking? That's the part of the world I'm from; and again, fantastic walking and scenery.

I really miss being able to go to Covent Garden too
It used to be one of the highlights of my year to go to a show.
My friend and I used to love sitting in a pavement cafe and just watching the people go by
I could watch the street entertainers for hours too!

I can't say I miss the UK shops particularly. When I was there last month, I found myself quite horrified at the amount of choice there was in supermarkets; I actually found it quite obscene!

I can't say I'm a big fan of Spanish TV; but equally I haven't found that I miss British telly either!
You've obviously got a good sense of humour though, if you like Jonathan Ross and Clarkson!!

You surprise me that Americans aren't too funky with their hair!
Perhaps it's a stereotype, but I always thought the Americans were a bit "way out!!?"
Maybe not in Colorado, eh?

I hope you have a wonderful time during your holiday in the UK and Spain
Which way round are you doing it? I hope you're planning to finish up in Spain, and get some decent weather before you return!!

Lovely "chatting" to you.
Take good care,
All the best,
Sam x