Breathtaking!

There are moments in life when you've got to stop and smell the roses... or just sit back and admire the fireworks! As I write this I'm watching a 20'+ fireworks display out over the bay of Alicante, with the castle in the background. It's gorgeous! It's the first night of a 5-night competition that starts the day after Hogueras... so still plenty to enjoy! One of these nights (probably Monday) I'll go downtown and watch it from the beach where they're launched. Lie down on a towel and see colours above me, enjoy the sounds an smells... Can't wait! :o)

Speaking of Hogueras, I hope you're not tired of the subject since I've got plenty more to write! But I'll space the posts out a bit more, in part 'cause I need the time to select and edit photos and I need to put together and edit the videos from the Cremà last night. -Wow! Gorgeous series of white "palmeras" right now! breathtaking!- I've also got friends arriving Monday for the week so I'll prepare a few posts this weekend in advance 'cause I doubt I'll have much time for the computer next week. I plan to be too busy with beach and fiesta and football celebrations! (yes football, Spain just made it through to the next round!!! 2-1 against Chile! CAMPEONES! CAMPEONES! OHE! OHE! OHEEEEEE!!!!)

Oh sweet! They've got these new spaghetti-type fireworks that I saw last year for the first time that actually somehow manage to go up and down several times before they dissipate! :o)

I'm going to stop there... words can't describe what I'm seeing!  The other contestants will have to work hard to beat this one! Spectacular grand finale! ;o)

Hogueras y la Polvora a la Nit

Now don't say I never do anything for you! Monday night I stayed up and headed out just before midnight to catch a bit of one of the Hogueras competitions on video for you. It's called "Polvora a la Nit", or "Night-time Gunpowder", and takes place on 5 consecutive nights in different neighbourhoods of town. It's basically a firecracker/fireworks competition. A night-time mascletà with fireworks added in. Lots of noise and pretty colours! :o)

Monday night's was just a few blocks from my parents' (and so close to me as well), so I bravely decided to face the rain (well, drizzle anyways) and drove over to catch the action on my cell-phone (only "video" capability I have as my camera is a wonderful DSLR -great pix, no vids!). I missed the beginning because parking was more complicated than I had originally anticipated due to the rain... but I started filming 2 blocks away and made my way as close to the barriers as possible (so jumpy images at the beginning).

Click to play! And if you're at your office you might want to turn the volume waaaaay down... ;o)

That beginning's got quite a good beat to it, wouldn't you say? My dad says he closed all the windows in the apartment (3 blocks away) and still couldn't hear the movie he was trying to watch! And the dog hid in the bathtub... :p

Alicante Summers

So, was really starting to wonder about what this weekend's post on Alicante summers would be... when all of the sudden the answer made itself known right outside my window (thanks to a party at some dude's house across the street):

FIREWORKS!

Definitely an integral element to the Alicante summer, you can't avoid them anywhere in this province! And even less here in town where we get our regular dose of fireworks, local neighbourhoods adding in an extra dollop, the occasional party that decides to launch a few... and then every weekend you hear some booms! from some town close by (and sometimes you can make out the lights). The closest city (Elche) actually has an hour-long fireworks show on the night of August 14th, all set off by local people from their rooftops (I'll try and go next year, I've been twice and it's neck-cringing and amazing!).

Of course the biggest and the best are those that jump start the summer at the end of June, a lovely 5-day competition (of minimum a 20' show) at the Playa del Postiguet downtown. I saw 3 out 5 nights, one from home and two from the beach (boom! noisy when you're right under them!)

Here's a shot from the rooftop of my building:


Not bad eh?! I remember one year a friend and I got all geeky by trying to calculate the distance based on the difference between how long the light and sound took to reach us (or something like that). It is a bit odd to see the lights and then a second later hear the boom! boom! BOOM!

They're much more impressive when you're at the beach:


It so much fun down there these nights. Just fashion yourself a sand couch, cover it with your towel, and keep a bottle of wine and some jamón serrano and queso manchego handy and you're definitely in for a delightful and explosive evening!



Look ma! It's raining fire! ;o)


This is the signature firework in this region, a "palmera" or palm tree:


Hmmm... sound effects are needed for this post, don't you think? Ok, so here go two fragments for you!



This one is part of the series that were launched from a sandbar and so it looked like they were exploding out of the water, very cool!