Tamborrada 2025

2024

 Sunday starts Tamborrada, the biggest celebration in San Sebastian. It is a 24-hour celebration of drumming, starting at midnight, throughout locations in the entire city (also many towns on the Euskadi/Basque coast). No one is immune to the noise and revelry. There is no peace in the city. You can read about it here:

wikipedia

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The view across La Concha to my house

San Sebastian/Donostia, is a city of traditional dress. The Euskadi (Basque) have traditional clothing for all occasions, throughout the year. It’s a living culture here.  During Tamboradda it's an exciting mix of people dressed as Soldiers and Bakers wielding large knifes and drumming on barrels. Women dress as soldiers, bakers or nurses, they too are drumming.  Everyone makes noise. There is no excuse to not make noise.  Per Noticias de Gipuzkoa (newspaper) there are about 32 societies in the greater Donostia area. Did I mention there is also a band with each society? During the summer months when the windows are all open, you can hear musicians practicing the Euskadi melodies on horns, brass and of course, accordions.

Yep, it feels like this after all night celebrating

 
There’s a Rock and Roll concert behind me at 4am, featuring Lee Junior. The poster specifically mentions Elvis. My plan to start Tamoborrad is with coffee and cognac, bundled up and hangin’ with the neighbors and with a little luck, dancing at dawn!

 

No Faxista's allowed

Paris 2024 Helvia I

The event poster with the Judges.

After the contest at the Thai Restaurant with our
new Florida friends.

Out side our Airbnb. Maribel brought the selfie stick!

!Soy Pablo!

Smart, talented women should rule the world

Worship us or move on!

 

What a year

 

In those heady, early days of the internet we thought blogging was going to connect us and it almost did. Look how long ago I started writing here. Lordy, lordy.

Now, after years of online apps to keep friendships alive, I’ve done gone and turned them all off. Well, at least as many as I can without going totally cold turkey. I did it because it is a way to vote with my money.  Because voting at the booth for a government doesn’t work any longer and all that is understood is the call and denial of money by business.

Nothings perfect, including me.

I hope those of you that follow me here will continue to correspond and keep a conversation going about the things that matter most. Family, health, happiness, chocolate and coffee.

Un Vieje duro a Iceland

 

On occasion the sun came out.

Siempre, quiero ver El Luces de Norte u Auroras Boreales. Un vieja a de países frio donde no tengo experiencia.

Our hotel on the edge of the Pingviller National Park

Mi amiga, Pam, se hizo planes con tres otras parejas ir a Ocelada en el mes de enero. Pablo y yo estábamos invitado también, pero no sabemos si poder ir hasta el último momento.

We are not children. That's a portrait.

Nosotros vuelo es desde Bilbao a Ámsterdam y finalmente Reikiavik. No día largo ni día corto. Tenemos qué comprar muchas ropas nuevas para nieves y lluvias. El hotel lo fue cerca El Parque Nacional, Pingvellir, sobre una hora de la ciudad Reikiavik y dos del aeropuerto. Esta fue un problema porque Pablo y yo no sabemos conducir en las nieves. Lo fue un conducir largo y de medio.

The American and Eurasian tectonics

Nosotros llegamos un día antes nos amigos. Este día, había una tormenta nieves con los vientos arriba de 20 kl’h. Habia nada mucho hacer en el hotel, pero beber.

Reykjavik from the top of the church.

El próximo día, estuvo soleada y todos visitamos la cascada Oxarafoss,  geiser el “Geyser” y tomamos almuerzo en uno invernadero. Conduzci eso día. El viaje desde el hotel de la carretera principal fue muy peligroso. Conduzci muy despacio. El viajar estaba largo, pero que linda cuando el sol estuvo afuera.

 

There were snow ponies everywhere.

Almuerzo lo fue en uno invernadero. Un invernadero gigante. Allí, cultivaron tomates, lechuga, brócoli, mucho hervías diferente y más. La energía para alimentar el invernadero era térmica y natural de Ocelada volcanes. Servían sopa de tomate, pan fresco, brochetas de pollo o mariscos, y por supuesto, bebidas.  Por que conduzci, yo tome solo café.

Before we lost contact with the hotel.

Nuestro tercer día, estábamos nevados una vez más. Durante una parte del día estuvo majo, tenemos un pequeño paseo. Pero antes podimos volver a hotel, el clima girar. Inmediatamente, no podemos ver el hotel.

Pam bought a new raincoat.

 

Cuando regresamos a hotel, fuimos al spa térmico para ser calor.

El último día, visitamos Reikiavik y teníamos una gran vez. Es una ciudad muy limpia and brillante. Encontramos un mercado de antigüedades, todos disfrutamos.

 

In the hotel viewing bar.

Estoy feliz vistamos Iceland, pero lo fue cara. No quiero visitar allí de nuevo.

Thanks Seth, for the photo.

I always wanted to see the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis. I am an old one, of cold countries I have no experience. My friend, Pam, made plans with three other couples to go to Ocelada in January. Pablo and I were invited too, but we didn’t know if we could go until the last minute. We flew from Bilbao to Amsterdam and finally to Reykjavik. No long day, no short day. We had to buy lots of new clothes for snow and rain. The hotel was near the National Park, Pingvellir, about an hour from Reykjavik and two from the airport. This was a problem because Pablo and I don’t know how to drive in the snow. It was a long and medium drive. We arrived a day before our friends. This day, there was a snow storm with winds above 20 kl’h. There was nothing much to do at the hotel, but drink. The next day, it was sunny and we all visited the Oxarafoss waterfall, the “Geyser” geyser and had lunch in a greenhouse. I drove that day. The trip from the hotel to the main road was very dangerous. I drove very slowly. The trip was long, but it was nice when the sun was out. Lunch was in a greenhouse. A giant greenhouse. There, they grew tomatoes, lettuce, broccoli, many different herbs and more. The energy to power the greenhouse was thermal and natural from the Ocelada volcanoes. They served tomato soup, fresh bread, chicken or seafood skewers, and of course, drinks. Because I drove, I drank only coffee. On our third day, we were snowed in once again. For part of the day it was nice, we had a little walk. But before we could go back to the hotel, the weather turned. Immediately, we could not see the hotel. When we returned to the hotel, we went to the thermal spa to be warm. On the last day, we visited Reykjavik and had a great time. It is a very clean and bright city. We found an antique market, we all enjoyed it. I am happy we visited Iceland, but it was expensive. I don't want to visit there again.