Coronavirus Lockdown Spanish Edition - Day 13 - Life goes on... online!

So nothing for days 11 & 12 simply because I was angry and in a foul mood on Tuesday, and yesterday just so, so tired...

Much better today! I guess we're all going to have our ups and downs while being locked up, more than normal. To be expected.

I wanted something cheerful today... to celebrate that tomorrow's Friday so it's almost the weekend! Need to find ways to mark the different days of the week other than work yes/no. So I'm planning a "movie night" with the friends I usually go to the cinema with. If it works out I'll report back.

We've all be finding ways to do things with other people online. The simplest is work related. I'm spending the mornings all this week (and half of next) in lengthy Skype meetings with my colleagues in Vietnam to see what the situation is like in their universities, and to talk about how our project is going and how we can continue moving forward (within the Covid19 limitations).

Olympic fragments and aquatic delights

Woah! I'm still feeling a bit of an Olympic hangover... can't quite let go of those crazy intense two weeks! I saw waaay more TV than was good for me (including watching both Opening and Closing Ceremonies until their ends in the wee hours of the morning). At times I even had two events going on simultaneously (usually when tennis was involved): one on the TV and one streaming live on the computer! :p

Googlympics

Did anyone notice the changing "Doodles" each day during the Olympics over at Google.com? Two weeks of Olympic Sports in Doodles! And some of them were actually games you got to play with your arrows and space bar... old school fun! :p

I thought they were quite fun and saved all the images (had to be a bit creative to get the interactive ones) and here they are! Just click on the first one and then the arrows to go on to the next to get them in a larger view than here below.

Olympic Excitement

THEY'RE FINALLY HERE!!! 

By "they" I mean the Olympics, and by "here" I mean London... well, and on our TV/computer screens! ;o)

Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE the Olympics? No? Well I do! Since as far back as I can remember. The Opening Ceremonies are always thrilling (my clearest early memory is the lighting of the torch in Barcelona'92... with a flaming arrow! And then watching Spain win Gold in football). I'm constantly amazed when I watch the gymnasts -how do they do that?!?!?!-, thrilled with the divers, mesmerized by the synchronised swimming, excited by the team sports, my adrenaline starts pumping with the speed of the swimming and running and I'm simply moved in each medal ceremony I watch (no matter whose anthem is playing). I love having the chance to see sports that are never given any air time. And I particularly enjoy them when I'm living in a time zone that allows me to enjoy as much of the events as possible! This year it's more special because thanks to a wonderful blogger I'm able to see some of the goings-on backstage, through the eyes of one of the volunteers! ;o)

The Olympic Fever is a widespread phenomenon I think... Some of the kids who live in my complex have been playing at "synchronised swimming" in the pool! Not too bad either!

Football Fever hits a HIGH in Spain!

During the month of June temperatures were slowly increasing throughout Spain, and I don't just mean the ones measured by an atmospheric thermometer (although I'm glad that particular heat wave finally cracked!). There has been a wave of RED spreading across the country... It started out on June 10th with an immediate impact on all segments of the population, including its youngest members:

The intensity increased over the next couple of weeks, invading our supermarkets...

and even taking over the streets at times during the Hogueras:

The climax hit us last night, on July 1st, as we prepared for the possibility of entering the history books...

Volvo Ocean Race sets off from Alicante

So last Saturday the magnificent sailboats participating in the Volvo Ocean Race set sail from Alicante. Their nine month trip around the world started out on a gloriously warm autumn day with magnificent winds, deep blue waters and a very scary sky. Watching them zipping over the waves in Alicante Bay was mesmerising, and something of an adrenaline rush!

I've been meaning to write about the Volvo Ocean Race for a month now... but October was an incredibly busy month what with extra work hours and helping out with the Volvo's environmental education project (remember that beach clean I told you about?). Damn! I hate being late to the party! But this was a big deal in Alicante and I'm not going to let it disappear in the haze of post drafts waiting to happen. Better late than never, right?

Volvo Ocean Race trophy, winners inscribed on the bars

First things first! What is the Volvo Ocean Race? For those not involved in the world of sailing and regattas (which would be me! Never heard about this until it started in Alicante), it's a round-the-world yacht race (used to be called the Whitbread Round the World Race) that takes place every three years, typically departing in from Europe in the Fall (Oct-Nov) and then heading round the globe with about 8-9 stopovers until the final destination about nine months later. The 11-member crew spend up to 3 weeks on-board between each stopover, working round-the-clock in 4h shifts. Talk about intense! I got to see inside one of the sailboats (was asked not to post pictures of the interior, sorry!) and there really isn't much space to do anything down there other than sleep (in hanging cots that can be tilted closer to the hull if the boat is leaning too far to one side), work the navigation post or prepare a feeze-dried meal. Even the toilet is just there for show, typically they just use the bow of the boat, as in the sailing days gone by of the 19th century... More on the history of the race on Wikipedia, or the official Volvo website.

España vs Scotland - the World Champions come to Alicante!

October 11th, 2011...

So, where were we? Ah yes! Dudes in skirts invaded Alicante!!! And why? All to see a beautiful trophy in a glass case? I don't think even the most ardent fans would fly all the way down here just for that (although the added incentive of the local beaches and sunny weather might help). Nope, they were all here to witness their teams' final qualifying match for the 2012 European Football Championship! What were the stakes? Well for Spain a matter of pride, hoping to win all their matches in a qualifying phase for the first time (something very few countries have done) and maintain their winning streak in Alicante (they've never lost here!), but for Scotland the stakes were much higher: a loss would mean farewell to their dreams of playing in Poland and the Ukraine next summer.

Now, although it might seem otherwise from the number of posts on the subject, I am NOT a big football fan! Except when the national team is involved... then I go kind of crazy... particularly if it's a World Cup year (see last year's football madness, lol!). ;o)  In fact, I've only been once to see a live football match, and that was a big final in Mexico D.F. 16 years ago with a friend who insisted I had to see a live match (and we had a blast!). Although I've often thought it would be fun to go see another match with a group of friends, I haven't really done anything about it. The best time would have been last year when Alicante's local team - the Hercules - was in 1st Division and the best teams in the country all came to play here at some point, but I was out quite frequently so nada. But the Selección comes to Alicante for the first time in 10 years?!?!?! There's NO WAY I was going to miss out on joining in in that fiesta with the reining World Champions! Add to that the fact that my dad had never been to a live football match (American football I'm guessing yes), and we were all set to make a father-daughter adventure out of it! :o)

He looks excited doesn't he?

We walked into the Rico Perez (the Hercules' stadium) barely 5' before the match started and of course the place was packed and the ambiance fantastic!

More dudes with skirts! Football fiesta in Alicante...

So, no guesses on the reason for the Scottish invasion? *sniffles* I'd hope at least someone on this side of the Atlantic would have chimed in... after all, similar events were taking place in a dozen or so cities around the continent!

I'll give you a few more clues and let's see if you can't figure it out before the end of the post...

Number one, although lots of them were turning crispy red on the beach or downing bears on one of Alicante's many terraces,

many more were to be seen hanging around this place:

Ok, yeah... that's in Spanish and it translates as "World Champions - Welcome to the Club Selección", Selección as in Spain's national football team (soccer for those on the other side of the pond). So why were Scots hanging around a place dedicated to Spain's current darlings? Well, among the many tents set up on this Esplanade on the harbour, most people (including lots of Spaniards) came to line up and go in here:

Yes dear, that man is wearing a sheep on his head! lol!

Invasion of dudes in skirts!

Check this out:

Saw quite a few guys decked out in skirts wandering around town this morning! (and yes I know they're called kilts, but I'm just giving you an Alicante reaction... that of most people 'round here!)

Let's see if anyone can guess the reason for this Scottish invasion? ;o)

Quickly Speeding By

No, I don't mean the summer, although that is flying by real fast. I'm referring to a bunch of crazy people who went zipping down my street at lunchtime today! :p

"La Vuelta", Spain's major cycling race, started yesterday.  Think "Tour de France", but in Spain. It's the last of the "big three" cycling races that take place during the summer, the first being the "Giro" (in Italy) in May. An arduous month-long race around the country. Starts in different spots around the country depending on the year, always ends in Madrid (just like the "Tour" ends in Paris and the "Giro" in Rome).

This year, the "Vuelta" started out in Benidorm, with a "contrareloj" (against the clock, so a timed race on a city circuit) around the city's streets. Then this morning they headed out from a spot just outside of Benidorm, headed up into the mountains and then back down to the coast, and pretty much zipped through Alicante in a matter of minutes! 

The official itinerary said they were supposed to be at the Playa de San Juan at approximately 14h50. From there the itinerary had them crossing through my neighbourhood (right at my back doorstep!), then along the coastal road that goes all around the Bay of Alicante. 

I'm not at all a cycling fan, but when an event like this lands at your doorstep, then one should definitely participate! ;o) So my dad and I headed down to the avenue behind the appartment building and waited for them to zip by. 

smart spectators waiting in the shade

And waited. And saw police cars and motorcycles. And waited. And saw publicity vans. And waited. We went down at 14h50 because we didn't want to risk on missing out. I figured they'd show around 15h10. Pretty close! At approx 15h13 the lead cyclists just zipped past us.

Followed by more service cars than cyclists! :p

And about 6' later the rest of the pack. Seeing that many at once was a bit more impressive.

And then again plenty of service cars... those guys sure do have a lot of extra bikes! :D

All in all 30' of baking in the glaring sun and African heatwave, for 30s of excitement. Was pretty fun! ;o)

Here's a little video I put together of the clips I took:

Spanish Football Fever

Just so you don't forget my football obsession from last summer... I'm going to dip my toes back in the subject! ;o)

Although usually I go nuts for football only every 4 years - and occasionally every 2 - i.e. when Spain's National team plays the World Cup (or European Cup), it doesn't mean I'm not interested in the sport in the in-between times. It's just that I haven't been bitten by the football bug, the one that's responsible for so many "football widows" in Spain (and many other countries) on weekends. I have a favourite team (Real Madrid with goalie "San" Iker Casillas, captain of the national team and who with this victory has now won every possible title), but I won't sit down to watch them face-off with the others every week. I'll definitely choose a good movie, a TV series or going out somewhere instead of putting football on the screen. But I LOVES me a good match! So when it looks like there's going to be one, usually a particularly important event, count me in!

Right now there are cars honking their horns in streets outside my window. Twenty minutes ago someone set off a huge blast (firecracker) that sent my dog running to hide in the bathtub. A little over half an hour ago my mom was yelling "gooooooooool" out the balcony and I could hear neighbours in other appartments yelling the same thing.

Football Fiesta in Alicante!

Well, I don't think it matters any more how the Spanish team does in the World Cup... at least not for a segment of the Alicante population! Fans of the local football team Hercules are going to be partying all night for a reason completely separate than the Hogueras... they won their final match of the season today which means they get to move up from the 2nd division of Spanish football to the 1st! This means they'll get to play against the likes of the Real Madrid and the Barcelona next year... good luck! They're going to need it! If I'm remembering right the last time they made it to 1st was about 15 years ago and they only lasted a year before getting knocked back down to 2nd... but I do remember all the partying in Alicante, t'was crazy! :p

A brief moment of silence...

... for the ridicule that is the Spanish defeat by SWITZERLAND of all countries!!! If this were tennis I'd half expect it and be less disappointed (even though I'm a bigger tennis than football fan), but in FOOTBALL?!?!?! And add to the fact that they actually played very well... but that Swiss defense was just a damned brick wall!!! And stupid rebound... porqué no pudo Casillas guardar esa pelota en vez de que se rebotara? ;o(

PERO DIOS MIO QUE LES HA PASADO?!?!?!?!

ARRRRRGH!!!!!!!!!!

Can you tell I'm a sore loser?  >:(

So much for the European Champions being "favourites"... but Chile and Honduras had better look out! No more "nice guys"!

*grumble*
*grumble*
*grumble*

Am off to eat some Swiss chocolate or something. ;o(

And Nadal had better CRUSH Federer in Wimbledon.... ;o)