The land of the midsummer fires

 Admit it! You thought today was going to be another desperate attempt to eek out content from a small sewerage substation or some less than interesting facts about the National Road network.  This might have turned out to be the better object.  Instead, we have a whole new Autonomous Community and Province to enjoy!



Let us start with the Autonomous Community of Valencia.  The origin of these fine people goes back to 1238 James I decided to extend the Crown of Aragon and take land from Zayyan ibn Mardanish.  The Region had a certain amount of local autonomy until the War of the Spanish Succession saw the Bourbons decide it was for the best if they centralised everything into their hands.  The current Autonomous Community was established in 1982.






Currently about 5 million [people live in the VAC [Valencian Autonomous Community].  The population has been rising a steady 5-8% since 1900, except for larger rises in the 30s, and particularly the 60s and 70s - around 20%.  The 2010s, by contrast, saw the lowest rise since the 1910s, of only 1.2%.  




Politically the voting peoples of the place support the Popular Party,having a little under two thirds of the Deputies in the Spanish Congress, Deputies in the Cortes Valencianas and local Councillors.  The PSOE have roughly under a third.  In the national parliament the Bloc Nacionalista Valencia have a member, as do the Union Progreso y Democracia. Greens and Esquerra Unida.





We will have time to dwell on weighty matters later but, as it is the time of this, we should mention the Fogueres de Sant Joan, which is currently going on in Alicante.  Think of these as the traditional St John’s Eve fires - such as was a feature of  Pre-Reformation England.  This year they are from 20th to 24th June.  This is one of those spectacular dressing up and setting things alight dos which I can’t do justice to in a few lines, so look at the website.  https://www.hogueras.es/

Tomorrow we will plunge deeper into the land of the paella.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Much a do about something

Image
  In North Lincolnshire there is an OS square which is all but empty,  In a single corner stretches a few metres of power cables to spoil the virgin whiteness.  Today’s walk is not so blessed with flat calm.  We will see trees.  We will see ups.  Views are compulsory.  Houses aren’t.  Let's talk about Asturias in the years from 718 to 757. In 711 the full force of the Islamic tide swept from North Africa into Visigothic Spain. At the Battle of Guadalete King Roderic and much of the nobility were killed and the Iberian Peninsula collapsed before the all conquering crescent.  The thing is, Asturias is a long way from the main body of Spain. It is a bit wet and more to the point lacking the plunder which was the way of paying the Army of the Conquest.  The Caliphate’s hold on Asturias was tenuous to say the least.  Enter  Pelagius. Pelagius has many myths swirling around him and a very butch Victorian statue in Gijon.  Accord...
Read more

In which a Roman Bridge and a Funeral Parlour are reviewed.

Image
  We are rising again. We are rising 20 of your earth metres today. We will be 818m above the level sea. We are about at the highest point in the Cheviot Hills. We cross the Rio Porma and into Villarente and Puente Villarente. Both these twin settlements, lurking along the roadside, have generally grown in size since 2000.   https://www.turismocastillayleon.com/en/art-culture-heritage/great-routes/way-saint-james/puente-villarente First we must cross the Roman Bridge. Coyotuco is back with a five star review: A beautiful BRIDGE with a lot of history but it is not PEDESTRIAN. For pedestrians they have made a PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY right next to it. We are passing by the Artesanias Luyma so let us gaze at their ceramic goodness. Let us wonder  https://www.artesaniasluyma.com/categorias/pereruela/ While we are here and we are passing the Tanatorio Camino de Santiago let us visit this 39 reviewed funeral home. It gets an average of 4.9 stars.  https://www.antamontalvo.es/esq...
Read more

Mini Pieces of Supposed tuna

Image
  Pina de Ebro has something for everyone who enjoys the architecture of Spanish pueblos.  It has the tiny lanes, on which houses have been rebuilt for generations without a care for the needs of the modern motorist.  We have the pathways which have been tiled over but once were dirt tracks.  We have the modern suburban developments of low rise houses and 80s hopefully aspiring shacks.  First all, however, we have a park. One thing we noticed, especially with a small boy in tow, was the number of parks with interesting play equipment.  This is because, in Spain, people seem to like children.  This does make them a semi-public property and people feel free to indulge them with sweetmeats and pass comments. ‘I think sucking thumbs makes children look ugly’ said one elderly woman.’ My Spanish for ‘well desiccated prune face, no one asked you’ deserted me.  The play equipment is in the Plaza Pilarin Artigas.  Honestly I’ve looked and was giving u...
Read more