Burn Baby Burn~~Spain~~ Day Six

Our day started with the Dwarf and Giant Head Parade...
a bit of a let-down after last night's parade gala!

The Dwarf Heads were obscured by the crowds....

Most were there for another firecracker competition display...

After the parade and firecracker show we made our way down to the beach...
we passed more sculptures, doomed to their fiery demise tonight

My beach boy....
walking in the surf of the Mediterranean Sea
(I still can't believe we are actually here!)

Ron and Mike body surfing....

and then they decided to swim out to the buoys!
Can you see the yellow buoy and two dark heads in the sea...
that's them...
they still think they are in their 20's
and they proved that they still have "it"

After spending another day in the sand, surf and sun
we made the sweaty trek back to apartment
for our much needed siesta....
tonight's festivities don't even start until MIDNIGHT!

We left for dinner around 9pm...
here is where we ate last night
(it was too dark for photos)

We are having the time of our lives....

We choose our restaurant tonight because of their
white linen tablecloths and friendly staff....
not for the free wine....really!

Our waiter was extremely helpful and friendly,
at one point we think he suggested he and I become partners...
(we think he meant in operating a restaurant...
but since my Spanish isn't the best... who knows what I said "yes" too!!
Alas, this is the last photo taken by my trusty Casio camera...
It decided to protest my 500+ photo-taking abuse
and stop working...
so the rest of the night I only had my trusty iPhone
to capture the night's adventure!


We joined the masses in the main square

The show started with the famous fire crackers...

Next were the flying, falling HOT embers!
I was hit in the head by a 4 " long smoldering "cracker"
The people on the rooftops hurried to the opposite side
of the roofs to avoid the heat and the dropping ash!
So CRAZY!

Here is the TV shot of the main square's sculpture going up in flames

During the melee to flee the falling ash
we made our way to the adjacent street
just in time to
see another flaming pyre!

After viewing the burning of a few more,
we needed cooling down.. so unlike the majority of the crowd
who chanted "agua, agua"
to get the firemen to turn the hose on them...
we settled for visiting our favorite gelato shop!


As soon as the fires were put out
the city's street cleaning crew were in place
to wash the streets..
very efficient and orderly in this chaotic celebration!!

Here are the remains of one of the sculptures...

Fireman checking the embers...
he then turned his hose on the crowd...
we left in a hurry!!

It was now after 2 am so we wandered back
to our neighborhood "monument"
and arrived in time to watch it burn...

Mike and Claudia sitting on the curbs...

Ron and I joined them in the gutter!!!

The Bomberos (firemen)
arrived--so the party was about to start....


Waiting in anticipation for the fuse to be lit...
note how close the apartment buildings and crowds are standing
to the soon to be fiery pyre
The smoke from the EXTREMELY loud
fire crackers...

the flames...

people in the apartment building hanging out balconies...

Burn Baby Burn

still can't believe they did this 91 times
all over the city!!

Now the firemen start hosing down the flames...
and then as the crowds chant...
"AGUA, AGUA"
they turn the hose on us!!

We were a bit too tired and too old to
participate in the wet t- shirt contest
so we backed away from the crowd and the spraying water

and made our way back to our apartments and waiting beds
which we grateful dropped into...
smelling like smoke, with ash falling from our hair
and our hearing muted from the fire crackers!
A good time was had by all!!

Mediterrannean Sea and International Parade --DAY 5--Alicante

When Mike and Claudia were looking for an apartment,
one of the requirements was that it was within 5-10 minute walk to the beach
Since Claudia would be home all day, they wanted her to be able to
spend her days in the sun and sand....
well, it was over a mile walk...downhill...to the beach
and over a mile walk UPHILL going back...
but it was the Mediterranean Sea...and so worth the walk
We spent the mornings and afternoons on the beach..
here is Ron and Mike getting our gear set up--

We had one umbrella --so we took turns sitting in the
shade and swimming !

Here's Claudia and I eating a pastry from
the local Mercado...

I ended up not taking too many beach photos...
since this is Europe...
a lot of optional swimwear attire...
or lack of swimwear attire I should say...

but here are a few that are "family friendly"

I do have to say that it was all very casual--
and most who were top-less should not have been,
but they didn't seem to care that they weren't "model material"
so maybe that's a good thing!

After spending most of the day enjoying the sun and sand
we hiked our way back to the apartment and
arrived SWEATY and hungry!

Mike and Claudia fed us well,

and let us do our laundry and use their
"drying line"
outside overlooking the courtyard
Afterwards we participated in another
Spanish tradition....
the Siesta
which we understand and appreciate all the more
with the high temperatures and no air conditioning

Ron was so exhausted that he even slept
through the serenade by the
neighborhood marching band

We woke in time to return to the city center for the International Parade...
My IBS started up, so Mike and Claudia held our place along the
parade route while Ron and I went in search of a banó! (TMI?)

We returned just in time to see Brazil....
and these are the PG-13 photos...

Even at this time of the evening...it was hot,
so water breaks were happening in between the dancing...

On the beach I tried not to take photos of the
top-less bathing beauties...
but when you see them on the street...
dancing past seniors and children
you just gotta "capture" the moment!!

Now, Brazil was VERY tame compared to the Argentina and Tahiti "dancers"
which I have not included in this family friendly blog....
in fact I think I deleted them...
(or maybe they are just on Ron's computer!! haha --jk)

Next came the caballeros on their
amazing Andalusian horses...
they had them prancing..

and posing...

and whipping their manes around...

and lest you think that this was an adult-only parade...
they added the dwarfs and giants to the repertoire!
(we will see more of these in tomorrow's parade, so I just included one photo here)

Here is Ron... making sure he has a good view...
he is smiling... and I don't think it's because of the
above mentioned characters..
I think the Tahitian float just went by!

The Flamenco dance was on display....

and some country ( we often couldn't read their signs)
with brilliant-colored scarves

You knew you were not in USA when some countires
passed out pastry samples (without wearing gloves)
and bottles of wine to the crowd to "sample" !!!

The parade lasted over 2 hours again and
finished up at 11 pm--
the streets were lit and filled with families


We joined the crowds and found our way to
100 Cerveceria Montaditos restaurant
(100 sandwiches)
where we tried a few...
and then made the hike back home...
stay tune...day 6th is the Crema of the Monuments...
FIRE FIRE FIRE!!