The actual day for San Juan (Saint John) is 24 June. However, this year we celebrated it on 28 June.
The fiesta starts out with a mass in the San Juan ermita (chapel) across the street from Colin and Margaret's house.
Following the mass, the people from our Peña (club, group) assembled at Colin and Margaret's to use their "Peña Room" and cook a seafood paella. A paella (pie- ā-ya) is similar to the cajun's jambalaya in Louisiana (where I came from). You cook whatever you happen to have on hand, in a pot with rice - sausage, beef, pork, chicken, or seafood. You can either combine the various foods together or make it with just one type of food - this year it was just seafood (my favorite!).
(Every time I have a paella or jambalaya, I think I've died and gone to heaven!)
The cooking started around 2:pm - after the people had time to go home and change into some comfortable clothes.
This year, Rosi and Maribel were in charge of cooking the paella.
We are getting ready to eat.
Colin is opening the wine.
Everybody is ready to eat!
The meal started out with a salad, olives, pickles, boiled shrimp, wine and soft drinks.
Then came the paella!!
There was plenty and there were only 12 of us.
Rosi and Maribel serving the paella.
Jordi and Manolo
Francisco, Joaquín and Rosa Marie
(Francisco is the son of Joaquín and Rosa Marie)
Lola, Pablo, Rosi and Maribel (standing)
Maribel and Rosi - our two chefs today.
They did an excellent job - the paella was fantastic!
Colin, Margaret and Lola
Then came the cava (Spanish champagne), the dessert (a pastry) and an after-dinner drink (usually scotch), followed by coffee.
It was a leisurely lunch. It started around 3:pm and lasted until almost 8:pm.
Hona (o-na) is Colin and Margaret's doberman. She was very well behaved today. When there is something going on in the yard, Hona is kept on the balcony that wraps around 3 sides of the house. Most of the times, she barks a lot because she wants to come down and be part of what ever is going on. But today, the only time she barked was when there were strangers in the street in front of the house.
Floyd and Lola in Colin and Margaret's yard.
The band started playing around 8:pm and ended near 11:pm.
The band plays on the street in front of Colin and Margaret's house.
Everybody in the village is invited to come and dance in the street.
For all who come to the festivities - whether to participate or just listen to the band - in the back of the van, there is cava, soft drinks and pastries - provided by the Ayuntamiento (town hall).
Antonio, the Mayor, serving the cava, and his wife Nieves serving the pastries.
This is Ferran, the baby son of Carlos and Elena
Lola and her friend, Joaquina.
"Pep" and Maria Antonia
Mercedes and Carlos
Everybody - of all ages - has a good time!
But eventually...... "All good things must end."
(Lo siento [I'm sorry] for the quality of this last picture. I will try to get a better one. But I thought the church tower looked really nice from the ermita.)
~•~ The End ~•~
About Me
- Floyd W. Buhler
- Torre del Compte, Teruel, Spain
- I am a retired Government worker and now live in Spain. I worked for the U.S. Government for 32 years. My job was working with computers, training the people that used them, solving any problems they had and even held training classes. The last 19 years of my Government career I spent traveling the world to U.S. Embassies, working with and training the people there. I've worked in most of the Embassies in Western Europe, Sub-Sahara Africa, Central America, and South America. It was a stressful, frustrating job -- but I loved every minute of it. Now that I'm retired, I really miss the people I worked with in the various countries. They are a fine bunch of people and an asset to the U.S. Government.
Bell Tower of San Pedro's Church
One of the Village's Streets
Lo Lonja below City Hall
San Roque Arch
The Matrraña Valley below
San Juan Ermita
Old Train Bridge
THE END
