Thanks to Sak Noel's number 1 hit of Summer '11 "Loca People", a particular image of the Spanish fiesta has grown in the minds of us Brits as some sort of crazy, giant rave, with hot, sweaty people spilling out of over-full bars and dancing in the streets until the early hours. Fortunately for me, I have been able to live this elusive experience, and I can confirm is is definitely not your typical "free-entry-before-11pm-leave-your-dignity-and-go-home-after-two-hours" Klute night out. The Spanish are somewhat notorious for their ferias and festivos; originally instituted by the Church, each Spanish city and town have their own "Bank Holiday" in honour of their patron saint's day. It varies in each town, as every Feria has its own traditions and meanings for the population, but from what I can see, it is basically an excuse for a huge party. The economic crisis has only slightly dampened the festivities: I heard that Valladolid's annual ten day festivos have been cut short by only a day or two and our very own Plaza Mayor has been converted into a music festival stage. Last month, I was lucky enough to attend La Feria de Malaga for a day. Recommended by almost every young person who has been, it was definitely worth the 8 hour drive down.
Arriving on a (fortunately) cloudy day, the temperatures were still reaching 40 degrees, and I have never been so grateful for Salamanca's non-humid climate. We were met with the sight of a sea of people, many of whom had come from all over Spain to experience the legendary all day party. Although it was a Saturday, every shop in the centre was closed, many of the windows boarded up to protect their property from clumsy, drunk partygoers. On the other hand, every bar was open, offering delightful ranges of alcoholic drinks. As it was still only 4pm, we decided to go steady, find somewhere with air conditioning and food that didn't look like it would give us food poisoning, or come with a free shot. After an unsuccessful search, fighting through crowds and escaping from dodgy cafes for about an hour, we ended up in McDonald's - I now know the reason behind the name "Happy Meal".
Normally I don't like huge crowds of drunk people, the reasons for this are obvious - stranger danger, pickpocketing, fights, trampling, the list is endless...But one thing I did realise was how safe I felt. I don't know whether that is me maturing and realising that Roger was exaggerating in his speeches of how to avoid dying in foreign lands, but it did seem as though everyone just wanted to have a good time. I "went with the flow" as the crowds carried me through the streets, following the music and drums and flamenco dancers. Despite queuing for an age for the bathroom and being hotter than the sun, I can say I am definitely glad I got the chance to see it.
I barely had time to recover from this crazy, city-wide party when the Ferias de Salamanca started the other day. For the past week, casetas have been popping up in every Plaza in the centre, and a huge stage has appeared in the Plaza Mayor. Although I was excited, having never been before, I did not realise the scale of these ferias until last night.
As a lover of all things to do with food, this is my idea of heaven.
Early in the evening, all the casetas open, offering a deal of a drink and their own pincho de feria , giving you a chance to wander around and sample everything that Spanish cuisine has to offer.
Then, from 11pm begins the concert in the Plaza Mayor. Last night the DJ Carlos Jean almost instantly filled the Plaza, with huge crowds appearing from nowhere, and turning the space into a music festival.
Although I am now a huge fan of the caña con limon, one thing I have missed while being here is cider. However, last night we found some, supposedly too strong to drink straight from the bottle unless you pour it from a great height into the glass.
I think it's better if I just drink it as normal.
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