New pizza delivery service opens in Álora

New pizza delivery service opens in Álora

 

September 8th. is  'The Day of the Virgin of the Flowers'. She is the patron virgin of Álora and the build up to her day and the following week form the second biggest event of the year. I almost wrote 'religious year' but most festivals here involve the Virgin Mary in one guise or another and always with a large, well developed baby Jesus in her arms.
Tommy is, as far as I know, non religious. Every evening last week a nice chap in a striped flat cap has been letting off exploding rockets around tea time. You can feel your eardrums meet in the middle of your head such is the pressure wave created. Tommy does not associate the explosions with the Virgin of the Flowers. He associates them with tea time and, sadly, with me because we have been eating outside in the garden at tea time. You work it out. He's a dog. Now he won't even go outside, even for a sausage. Since Sunday the bangs have stopped but Paco still has a few left and will let them off next Sunday morning to signal the start of the Romería. Now that is worth a few painful petardos.

                               La Virgen de Las Flores (and child) coming out of the church.

Nuestra Señora de las Flores spends most of the year up at the Convento on the Ardales road but she comes down to la Parroquia (parish church) at the end of August for lots of masses, massed bands and massive bangs. Thousands of people followed the procession on Sunday night.

Our next door neighbour, Catalina,  is la camarera de la virgen (in charge of the whole shebang). That's her next to the alcalde José Sánchez (no relation) and the police chief.

Mrs. Sánchez and I were there too. We followed her as far as our front door. Keen observers may have noticed someone standing on the balcony of the estanco (tobacconist) on the corner of the square.

 

This is the balcony which collapsed during the other big event of the year, La Despedía. It has now been rebuilt and is safe, apparently. It's been painted red, too.

 

When is a balcony not a balcony?

 

 

Everybody is hoping that the weather will keep fine for Sunday. The Romería procession (lots of horses, decorated carts and caravans) starts from our street and takes a couple of hours to reach the Convento where there will be a massive party. The weather forecast is worryingthough.

 

A bit of good news. Los Caballos Dos (the bar) reopened yesterday and I managed to buy some sardines at the new pescadería.

 

11th. September 2013.