Recuerdos

My future sister-in-law and I have decided to take it upon ourselves to help perserve the Irala and Saelices families keepsakes, their recuerdos. Most of their pictures are in photo albums that are thirty-something years old and the pictures are falling out and there's no record of when they were taken nor of who is in each one.

We hope to surprise my future in-laws at Christmas with a wonderful, complete photo album and family tree. It also means we will have scanned and saved all of those pictures on a disk that can be treasured for years until technology comes up with a new format to save them on.

So far my fiance has not been very helpful at identifying people in the pictures. Which makes me all the more happy that I've taken this on now when his parents and grandparents are still around to help out if needed. My grandparents are all either gone or slipping away and all their memories and knowledge are lost forever. It would be a shame if that happened in this family too.

I couldn't tell you who is in each picture but I think each one is lovely and special.

Wedding attendants

Flamenco dresses

First communion

Guerras Cantabras

Two thousand years ago the north-central coast of Spain (Cantabria, Asturias and part of Leon) was inhabited by Celtic tribes. Roman troops were sent to conquer them in 29 BC and the war pursued until 19 BC when the barbarians finally surrendered.

Every August/September there is a reenactment of this war in Santander and surrounding Cantabrian and Asturian areas. They began last weekend with the disembarkment of "Roman" soldiers in Santander and a parade of different Roman regiments. Next weekend there will be another parade in Santander with Cantabrians too.

During the week in Los Corrales de Buelna there are Roman circuses, theater and other shows. A whole town is set up, half based on a Cantabrian town and the other half on a Roman town. People dress up according to whether they are Romans or Cantabrians for the week and spend their time socializing, eating and drinking. It really is a treat.

Eurovision 2010

Come every spring Spain is usually busy choosing it's contestant to the Eurovision contest and I always find myself rather fascinated with it. It was first held in Switzerland in 1956 to help pull back together Europe after so many wars and was set up by the European Broadcasting Union (like a European-wide PBS).

Now, to start with, Eurovision doesn't seem exactly confined to Europe, since participants include Russia, Israel, Turkey, Morocco, Georgia as well as most European countries. Although I guess you could dispute whether they are European or not. And other northern African countries are also welcome to join.

Each year, each country chooses its participant and song. Now of course, the song could not have been commercially or publicly broadcast beforehand other than during the selection process so you're never going to see great artists like U2 play there. Spain has chosen its participant on several occasions through Operación Triunfo, which is kind of like a mix between Big Brother and American Idol. Now popular request usually decides who is going to represent Spain.

During the contest there are semi finals and finals and this year 39 countries sang last night at the finals. You'd be amazed at all the talented people out there. And I really enjoy watching these European countries battle it out to the end, but in a peaceful and loving way. Nowadays viewers send text messages voting for their favorite songs (and obviously cannot vote for their own country) although in the past there was a panel.

Spain itself has only won once and tied another time although they have come in second place several times. Spaniards in general aren't as enthusiastic about the whole thing as, let's say, Swedes and more Eastern European countries. They claim that each country tends to vote for its neighbors or political allies, which would be a lot easier for the old Russian and Slavic states than for the Western-European ones.

However Spain has a history of choosing quacks and weirdos with whom the general public oddly enough feel identified. Such is the case with Spanish TV and movie stars who stand worlds apart from their exaggeratedly beautiful and wonderful American counterparts. But this year's artist was a really talented young man from Alcalá de Henares who frequently sings on the Gran Vía, Spain's version of Broadway. Although his song was more appropriate for a children's program, it was really well done and he dignifiedly represented Spain.

Spain's Participant

Eurovision Official Website
Eurovision on Wikipedia

Free concerts at the University of Alcalá de Henares

I must admit that I probably fell in love with Alcalá de Henares because of the nightlife and college environment. But now that I'm pretty much over that phase, it's a really great cultural center with lots more to offer than long drunken nights.

This month, for example, a free concert is held each Saturday evening in the courtyard of one of the college buildings. Each concert features young adults studying classical music.

Last night I went with two friends to listen to a pianist and cello player play in the courtyard of the Humanities building off the Cervantes Plaza. The building in itself was built in 1610 and has served as the University archives and military barracks as well.

Like most places, there was an older audience for the most part. Some grandchildren were dragged along and they sat through the performance surprisingly well for a country that doesn't usually discipline its children. But I think it's a great shame that my generation doesn't show much interest in continuing these traditions. Especially here in Europe, where classical music was born and refined.

It was so inspiring and peaceful (although way too cold for the middle of May!) that it made for a great night. We then took a walk around the Cervantes Plaza and watched the storks settling into their nests on building roofs in the area. They were setting up a free rock concert for later that night and teenagers were practicing their gymnastic and free-styling skills.

No Easter bunnies here...

Holy Week celebrations in Spain have always seemed to me to be somewhat more appropriate for Halloween. I always get this eery sensation that the dead (not Jesus) are going to raise from the dead and walk the streets at night - a far cry from Easter celebrations back home full of lillies, eggs and bunnies.

Funeral processions weave through the streets every spring and although I've seen it so many times, it's just not easy to get used to. A death march is played on the drums; smokey incense fills the air; people walking in lines, sometimes barefoot, wearing chains on their feet, holding candles or large crosses or whips, and usually with their heads covered with a centries-old costume that was later copied by the KKK; carrying on their shoulders heavy statues of Holy Week protagonists dressed with real hair and clothes.

And come Easter Sunday everyone usually forgets the ending of this celebration and file back onto the freeway to return to Madrid without having gone to mass. No joyous end (actually if you get stuck in traffic you're probably cussing out God rather than praising his name). No happy children or trumpets or bunnies. Everyone is basically pooped.