New Year in Spain & Portugal

Well, we have had a lovely Christmas on the Guadiana, with lots of things going on. There was a carol service at the Spanishc hurch, with Spanish and British carol singers. Each group took turns to sing at the front of the church, and both were completely different. The British group sang our traditional carols and had a couple of incredible singers, who could harmonize so beautifully, it made your spine tingle. 

The Spanish group, pictured below, had much more 'jolly' songs, which could change tempo even within a song. The local barman played the guitar and sang solo; Reme, who runs the grocery shop, 'ting'ed a bottle with a fork, and another lady played the tambourine with an impressive cr-r-r-r-r finger motion which is impossible to explain but sounds fantastic! After the service, drinks and nibbles were offered - free - to everybody who came along.

Spanish carol singers in the church

The Portuguese church held a similar carol service, with British, Spanish and Portuguese groups. To finish, they sang 'Silent Night' in seven different languages, and we all joined in the last verse together, each person singing in our own language. Brilliant!

The school show was the highlight at the end of term. Katie took part in a short play. She had three lines to learn (in Spanish), which she delivered perfectly. Both children had several songs to learn in Spanish. Katie had to learn ‘Silent Night’ in Latin. They weren’t word-perfect but they got up on stage and mimed along to the bits they didn’t know. Reuben’s class all dressed as elves and did a great ‘spectacle’ dashing about as busy Santa’s helpers. It looked very festive and good fun!

The school Christmas show

Afterwards, the children sat down to party food and, once they had finished, the adults ate. Everybody had brought along a dish to share, so there was a big table of tapas to feast on. Dave’s honey-and-mint sausages seemed to go down well with Spanish and English alike. For us, it was a chance to sample different Spanish dishes – spicy chorizo, a bread & tuna bake and green garlicky potatoes, as well as the traditional potato tortilla. I wish I had taken a photo …

On the last day of term, the classes went out on walks. Reuben’s class walked up the hill to the castle, then back to school to eat chocolate cake for a classmate’s birthday!

Katie’s class walked a long way down the riverside path to a sort of lake with stepping stones. They stopped for a while to explore and shared a picnic before taking the short road way home.

Over New Year, we had Claire Bradford and young Jacob out to visit and tried to find this ‘lake’ by dinghy. Local opinion doubted whether there would be enough water but we inadvertently timed it perfectly. We not only made it right up the creek in the dinghy, but bumped over the old weir and almost up to the stepping stones. The tide was still just coming in, so we had plenty of time to play. We walked across the stepping stones (68 of them!), threw little pebbles in (Jacob’s favourite activity), and Katie and Reuben made a circular stone fort.

The lake (Ribeira Grande)

Helping Jacob over the 'stepping stones'

Katie & Reuben's fort

Reuben and I walked back along the river path which was very pleasant but did seem a long way, with lots of detours inland around little homesteads or ‘fincas’. Reuben was flagging by the time we got back to Sanlucar, and no wonder! A time check revealed we had been walking for 1 ½ hours!

Walking home

Looking down on a riverside homestead or 'finca'

Claire and Jacob stayed in a little apartment on the Spanish side. This meant they had the freedom to come and go whenever they wanted. From their window, they looked out over a little plantation of orange trees to the river and the Portuguese town of Alcoutim opposite. There were several stray cats that routinely got fed by the neighbours. The children all loved watching them jump up onto the wall from the orange plantation, then settle down on the ground to eat the munchies. One had beautiful colouring – almost like a Siamese cat, but with stripes running down its back.

Claire outside her apartment

Reuben stroking the Siamese striped cat

Katie and Reuben had a sleepover one night on the apartment's sofa bed. They had a lovely time playing with Jacob, watching lots of DVDs and eating crisps! Dave and I enjoyed a meal out together - I tried the local delicacy 'javali' (wild boar stew), which was delicious - and we went to listen to a local Pink Floyd tribute band. They were a local youth rock group and we weren't expecting too much but they were fantastic! Great solos from both electric guitarists and the saxophonist, and a very confident performance by the (very young) singer. A great night out!

Pink Floyd tribute band

Jacob’s favourite place was the little playpark outside the local bar, the ‘Chirringuitos’, where there were several music sessions during their stay. This seemed like a perfect set-up - the children could play outside (within view), and we could have a drink and listen to music inside. Unfortunately Jacob didn’t like to be too far from Claire, so she kept getting dragged outside too! Luckily, the whole front of the bar was made of glass windows so she could at least see and hear glimpses of the music from outside.

Katie & Jacob at the playpark

music at Chirringuitos

Jacob did love being in the dinghy and was very happy to put his life-jacket on and climb in. He was so happy there that he generally fell straight to sleep! We explored a fair way up- and downstream in this manner. Nick took us for a little walk near his boat (a mile upstream), he knew just where to find wild mushrooms and orange trees that we were allowed to pick. Jacob was very taken with the oranges, and started munching on one before the peel was off. His face was a picture with the bitter taste, but it didn’t seem to put him off!

Jacob enjoying the dinghy (before he nodded off!)

Heading upstream

Jacob bites into an orange, peel & all!

Oranges and pomegranates found in the trees

We all went across the river for the Sunday lunch of barbequed chicken on the Portuguese side. This is cooked on an open grill, and is very popular with visiting cruisers as well as locals. A whole chicken is cut in half, roasted to perfection with a delicious marinade, and dished up with chips and salad. And of course a glass of vinho branco (white wine) on the side...  Lovely to be able to sit and eat outside in December!

crossing from Spain to Portugal

Sunday Barbequed chicken lunch 

Exploring Portugal

Claire was here for New Year, and was determined to stay up and see the New Year in. Little did she realise that there would be two midnights – one each for Spanish and Portuguese time! Apparently, New Year is not a big celebration in Spain as it is with us. Traditionally, people spend the evening at home with family, and then go to the church at midnight and eat one grape on each chime of the bell – twelve grapes in total. If there is a party, they then go and party after midnight until the small hours. 

In contrast, on the Portuguese side, they had set up a big marquee right on the waterfront and advertised a BIG night with a firework display. Music was blasting out across the river from ten o’clock and plenty of people were milling about. We made sure we had plenty of food and drink on board, and prepared for a long evening. Friends Miki and Carl, a French/German couple from a neighbouring boat, joined us. We put the main table down as a bed so the children could get comfy watching DVDs while we adults tucked into the refreshments!

Katie, Miki & Claire

Just before Spanish midnight we went for a wander around the town but saw only two people out and about – no bars were open and nobody was by the church. We returned to the boat in time for the first midnight and, with the Portuguese music filling the air, we all took a glass of bubbly out onto the dock to toast in the Spanish New Year. CLINK CLINK! Strangely, there was no noise in the town above us - no extra church bells, no fireworks, no cheering…

 New Year no 1 (bit fuzzy!)

In the lull between midnights, Katie, Miki and I climbed up to the windmills. From there, we could look down on both the towns and the boats on the river. We could still hear the Portuguese music but it felt oddly still up there, like we were detached from real life. Away from streetlights, the sky was really dark and full of stars, it was a magical moment of peace.

Back down the hill, there was just time to warm some mince pies in the oven and open more bubbly before Portuguese midnight. Reuben was reluctant to leave his DVD ‘for the second time’ but was lured out by the thought of fireworks. We couldn’t hear the churchbells chime midnight so did an arbitrary countdown before raising our glasses again. CLINK CLINK! 

New Year no 2!

Then the sky was full of booms and bursts of colour as the fireworks started. For a very small town, Alcoutim put on a fantastic display. It must have lasted fifteen minutes. The echo effect of the valley added to the noise and by the end, there was a big cloud of smoke hanging over Portugal – no wind to blow it away! We showed our appreciation with a few blasts of the foghorn, then had a bit of a singsong on deck along with the music drifting across the water. All in all a lovely New Year. Twice!  

fireworks across the water

A Spanish Christmas, however, doesn’t end at New Year. Their big night is Noche Buena, or ‘the night of the Kings’, on 5^th January. This is when the children traditionally receive their presents. Normally in Sanlucar, the three Kings come down the hillside after dark on horseback, scattering sweets as they go. They visit a ‘living Nativity’ scene in the church, songs are sung, then everybody goes outside to the main square, where the three Kings distribute presents. All this on a January night – outside!

Sadly this year it rained. A lot. The three kings abandoned their horses and walked up the street to the church, throwing sweets for the few children who lined the route. They threw lots of sweets. Our children alone picked up half a carrier-bag full. And they threw them hard. One hit me in the eye. Ouch!

Three Kings procession approaching

At the entrance to the church, men in robes with whitened faces held flaming torches and more stood inside the church lighting the way. At the altar, children had dressed up to create the ‘living Nativity’ – with a live baby Jesus! After the three Kings had admired the scene, more sweets and heaps of balloons were thrown from up high. 

'Romans' light the way in the church

the 'living Nativity scene' in church

The Nativity scene dispersed and made room for the three Kings, and a lady in a white dress (Mary? An angel?) to seat themselves at the front of the church. A seemingly endless supply of presents then got passed through a door and given to the Kings and the lady in white. Children’s names got called out over a loudspeaker and the children came up to receive their gift and kiss the Kings’ cheeks.

Three Kings and lady in white prepare to give out gifts

Three Kings in wonderful outfits and beards!

This was a major operation. The presents came out thick and fast. There were big boxes, small parcels, even bikes. There was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing and cheek-kissing. Some presents got sent back only to come out again later. The loudspeaker kept blaring out names. The piles of presents in the church got bigger and bigger. The floor got covered in wrapping paper. The noise was incredible. This went on for almost an hour. Finally, Katie and Reuben’s names got called out and they each received a bar of chocolate. (Santa had already delivered everything else!). We were relieved to finally escape into the cool, quiet street.

It was certainly an experience! Followed immediately by a big party for all the Brits (and many French, German and Spanish), hosted by Jean & David in the house that receives boaters’ mail. I won’t go into detail but a great night of eating, drinking and merry-making (and more DVD’s for the kids!)

Happy New Year everybody from the Guadiana!!