We didn’t start the fire…but we sure love putting it out

It’s been a pretty chill week here in Alicante for the most part, but this weekend, there have been shenanigans galore! First of all, I had my first experience with authentic gelato.  Walking the streets late at night with a bowl full of dark chocolate, orange, and cayenne pepper gelato, couldn’t have made me feel more European.   What was perfect about this weekend was the fact that I had it completely free.  I was able to finish up my interviews for my paper, as well as relax.  The double eye infection still has yet to subside, but now I have a cold on top of everything.  While I wanted to go out, it just simply wasn’t going to happen this weekend.  However we did make it out to see the Gay Pride parade Saturday night!  Even though the parade was 5 floats long, it was definitely a cultural moment.  Spain legalized gay marriage in 2005.  Being a predominantly Catholic country, this was huge!  I’m not about to get political, but take that fact for a second, and look at the U.S.  Interesting, no?  Anyway, off my mini-soap box. 

Yesterday, being Sunday, everything was closed.  This however did in no way indicate that were no “goings-on” in Alicante.  No, no, no.  Because last night was the final night of the festival de Las Horgueras in San Vicente!  It was awesome! What is this festival you ask…well, here let me show you!

  

We hopped on a bus to San Vicente and wandered around the city until we found our friend Lorena. Lorena lives in San Vicente and was able to show us around the small village.  After dropping our stuff off at her place (as we didn’t want it to get wet) we headed to town hall to watch “la cremá” of the first horguera at midnight.  The event started off with a presentation of “la belleza”, kind of like a “mistress of ceremonies” of sorts.  Then the night erupted in fireworks and firecrackers, and the horguera was set ablaze.  One of the highlights for those who watch the burning, is getting sprayed by the firefighters appointed to put the flames out.  After numerous shouts of “Agua, agua”, we got what we were asking for.  The fire burnt the horguera to the ground, making the sprinkling of water quite refreshing.  I only got sprayed a little bit, but there were some that had it worse than others.

Rosie and Statue of Liberty Horguera

Fireworks!

Putting out the blaze

After the horguera was burnt, we decided to head back home.  We found bus stop 24N, the night bus that was supposed to take us back during days of fiesta.  However, little did we know the night bus didn’t run on Sundays.  After an hour of waiting, we finally realized our beloved night bus was never coming.  So what were 6 stranded Wisconsinites to do? Call a taxi, that’s what.  First, we needed to accomplish two things: 1) we need to find a number for a cab company.  San Vicente, like Green Bay, isn’t a place where you can simply hail a cab. 2) We needed to be near a solid address to give to the cab driver.  Bus stop number 24N didn’t qualify.   After thankfully receiving a number for a cab company from one of the locals, we proceeded to walk down a main street until we saw a street number.  We called for two cabs (as the cabs only can fit four) and waited.  Five minutes later cab #1 arrived and we were homeward bound.  By 2:30 I was in bed, still with a double eye infection and a cold, worried I wouldn’t make it to class the next day.  However, interestingly enough, I felt better this morning.  Even though my left eye looked a tad worse due to the fact that I was sprayed with water in that eye, I felt slightly better than poop.  In addition to all the San Vicente activity yesterday also happened to be the day of my patron saint Santa Julia.  Apparently it’s kind of like a half-birthday, where you say “congratulations” but that’s the extent of the celebrating.  Still, it was kind of cool being congratulated for a day I had no idea about.  <3 Cultural moments.  Can’t wait to go to a chocolate factory tomorrow and a fish auction (ew, smelly) on Wednesday. Then we’re Madrid bound on Friday morning!  It’s going to be a jam-packed week, and all I can hope for is that I’m healthy enough to enjoy it!  Keep calm and burn baby burn!