Nostalgically horsing around… a la cart
Unlike many Brits who set up home out here, I did not fancy the 'join a club' ex-pat life. I really wanted to see some of Spain and meet Spanish folk. And that’s virtually what I did.
Within a relatively short time, I had toured most of the country and made friends with my neighbours on the coast…
Although I had no religious leanings, I had been invited to a Communion, a couple of weddings and even been involved in several funerals. But… the most unusual of my invitations was to experience a ‘campo’ gitano style trekking holiday in a pony ‘carro.’
The invitation came from Geronimo Pinet who had an offbeat restaurant in Tarbena and was a member of the local ‘Carroza club’ whose members hobby was to travel ‘A la cart' and sleep under canvas en route.
Although I did not leap at the offer, I did take an interest in this unique pastime and delved into what it was all about.
Each year it seemed in early summer this mobile fiesta more or less took over the mountain lanes and villages with their regaled canvas caravans and pony wagons.
It was a delightful cavalcade, an unforgettable sight as it trekked through a panorama of rugged sierras along verdant lanes to the sounds of a mellifluous clarion of rousing, offkey bells.
The musical overture and clonking brass harnesses heralded the procession, which threaded along the lanes with its ornate, colourfully decorated wagons hauled by teams of ponies, jennets and mules.
When I snapped the spectacle for the first time somewhere between Callosa and Polop I rapidly ran out of film.
The gaily-bedecked carts and wagons were dazzling. The tiny carros’s were hauled by teams of two ponies, troikas and even ‘fours-in-hand.’ All were beautifully groomed.
The animals’ decorative finery, comprised of multi-coloured ribbons, brilliant rosettes and highly polished brass accessories complemented by the tinkling carillon and metallic clangour, were superbly controlled. Every equine proudly tossing head was protected from the sun by a gaily-decorated straw bonnet.
The picturesque cavalcade proceeded at its own pace onwards towards its overnight caravanserai.
For several days, this ‘Volta en Carro’ had meandered through the Marinas Alta y Baja, reviving and reliving an era of horsepower travel in historic fashion.
This fabulous event began in 1987. Benissa ‘carroza’ enthusiast Miguel Crespo Giner with a few friends got together and very soon, elegantly renovated covered wagons began taking to the roads again on La Costa.
The avid ‘historians’ rapidly attained popularity and within a few years there were more than 30 ‘painted’ wagons ‘living the life’ beneath a roof of a thousand stars. A romantic historic event had been revived!
This was the ‘Volta en Carro’ but where are they now?
TOMORROW should have been the height of the annual carnival celebrations, with the colourful parade taking place in Benidorm old town. However, we are now sadly getting accustomed to events and fiestas being cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic.
The date changes each year dependent on when Easter falls, but the procession always takes place on the Saturday before Shrove Tuesday – otherwise known as pancake day (Tuesday 16) which precedes Ash Wednesday.
This signals the beginning of Lent when tradition dictates that you give up something you enjoy for a period of 40 days, symbolising the time that Jesus spent in the wilderness. The carnival parade represents the last celebration before this period of reflection.
The parade always starts pretty late, well by British standards, but for the Spanish 21.30 is normal. I understand why in the stifling hot summer months but at this time of the year, it is a mystery. I suppose they get into a habit, therefore, it’s hard to change. But what I do remember is that it’s always cold! This therefore ties up with the current chilly snap.
From one day to the next, we just don’t know which season to expect. The one year that really stands out costume wise, was back in 2011 yes, I really do keep photographs from even further back, and the girls who could have easily been taking part in the carnival parade in Rio. Feathers, sequins and not much else! Unfortunately, now it would no doubt be deemed politically incorrect!
The entire route is always lined with spectators and the obligatory loudspeakers would be blasting out music at full volume, with vibrations coming up through the pavement.
There is always a competition for the best fancy dress, with cash prizes for the winners. Many groups are themed, with choreographed routines and some take on a satirical political stance – think Spitting Image.
The parade finishes at the town hall square and then all the participants party in the giant marquee until the early hours. I bet those living in the apartments overlooking the square haven’t ever slept as well as they have over this last year.
The carnival celebrations would draw to a close on Shrove Tuesday with the ritual ´'burial of the Sardine' - a tradition captured by Goya in one of his paintings. It really has to be seen to be believed and if you didn’t know any better you would actually think it was a real funeral, with full mourning cortege.
The women are all dressed in black, flowers are carried, it really is incredible and hats off for keeping up with a tradition that has evidently been passed down through the generations. Judging by the turnout of youngsters, it will continue to be so.
The burial takes place on the Poniente beach just in front of 'Dove Park' – fingers crossed for 2022. Obviously, no fiesta here in Spain is complete without a spectacular firework display and you are not left disappointed.
The firework manufacturers have certainly missed out big time over this last year with fiestas all cancelled, plus dressmakers, sewing all the elaborate fiesta queen dresses, hairdressers, florists – there is an entire industry supported and reliant on Spanish fiestas. Hopefully by next year – yes we were saying the same last year, thinking things would be back ´to normal´by now, but with vaccine roll outs it is probable that there will be some semblance of order and routine back in our lives. People will be back flying, that in itself seems like something that we read in a fiction book once upon a time. The hundreds of hotels here in Benidorm will once again fling open their doors, currently virtually all closed with brown paper covering the entrances – a very sad sight. But a current competition, run by the town hall, to decorate their frontages with a Valentine’s theme and hashtag caption has had a fantastic response and many have embraced it despite being closed.
Although there are no tourists per se, it is nice for locals to see and the businesses are publishing their work on social media for all to view. Easter has basically been written off tourist wise, so everyone is now crossing their fingers for some kind of summer season.
I hope so for all the businesses reliant on tourism to survive, but personally, I’m doubtful, however I would most certainly like to be proven wrong on this occasion.