Sunday 29-10-2006

We were up early this morning (as we all are on the day that the clocks go back) in readiness to go to the Albox Feria.
You may remember, that on Wednesday, we had been told that the temperature this weekend would reach thirty one degrees. On Friday we had the rain and fourteen, on Saturday the thermometer just reached between fourteen and sixteen, so what chance then of thirty one? Well it did not reach thirty one in our neck of the woods, but strewth it did reach twenty eight this lunch time down in Albox (and twenty seven up on site). Not bad for the first day after the clocks go back.
The feria was very different and very interesting, testing out our senses in many different ways. The fun fair was only just waking up after the all night long session that had just ended.
The rambla was set out as a riding arena with fresh sand laid and areas marked off for horse and carriage preparation. There was also an area of the rambla set aside for cherished Citron 2CV’s and old classic Seats (bet you didn’t know that any Seat could be old or cherished). The pride of ‘car place’ was a very nice red Bugatte (see pictures). It was the only really old classic car as far as I was concerned.
Any way horses and riders assembled and the first competition was sort of like Spanish dressage with riders in Spanish Don gear (as we are Don’s I suppose we could take part next year). Then there was some riding by men and women and synchronised double riding and then an exhibition of very ornate carriage riding (the carriages actually has hydraulic disc brakes) with two or four horses per carriage. In the main the horses looked very fit and well cared for but in some instance the horses tail hair had been cropped back to the tail stub. This is quite unnecessary and unfeeling towards the horse especially in a country where it’s this hot and there are plagues of flies, the horse is unable to swish the flies away with their tails. This was the exception rather than the rule but it saddened me a little.
We have said though at the outset, that we have not to dwell on these things in this country, which has so many wonderful attributes. We arrived back home, after petrol and water stops , at about two and this afternoon and we are now chilling out and enjoying this fabulous ‘autumn day‘.
All of the pictures were taken by Elayne are from this morning at Albox. Isn't the picture of the fountain spout against the sun fabulous, one in every thousand pictures turn out like this !!!!