Frustrating fiestas and stinky streets

We are oh so that much closer to the annual local fiesta called Las Hogueras de San Juan (the bonfires of Saint John) which officially runs from 19th to 24th June every year on those dates.  However the preparations are already underway with the bonfire artists putting the finishing touches to their creations before being transported and planted in situ in the 100 or so sites around the city ready to be judged in the competition, and there will also be more 'mascletà' displays in the weekends before the main events.

But this fiesta also brings me my deepest frustrations with Alicante city and its people.
I'm afraid that there is a rant about to come...
Along with lots of fun comes lots of cleaning up to do.  No-one likes to clean up after a party as we all know, but the streets are the responsibility of all who enjoy the delights of the 24-7 fiestas.

If it's your first time in the city during the time of the fiestas you could come away with a positive and a negative view.
On one hand is the positive fact that the whole city converts into a big, happy party.  You can't escape the music and there is always something to do.  Not just partying but there are cultural and religious elements to these fiestas that are important to maintain.
However there are negatives.  Many of the streets, especially those in the centre of the city are cut off to all traffic as the barracas and party tents take over and the sculptures dominate the intersections and plazas.  If anyone wants to continue a normal working life during these dates its virtually impossible.  Don't even consider bringing a car into the centre at these times as you won't find parking or be able to move about easily.

What bothers me most of all is the stench!  Alicante is a dirty city to me in general and as it hardly ever rains the streets don't get washed down anywhere near as often enough.  Throughout the year people with dogs (and there is a large amount of households with one or two little doggies here because that's all that can fit in the small flats that are built) let their pets wee everywhere: up any corner, lamp post, litter bin, public bench and shop facades, especially mine!  They are too lazy to look for an alternative because most of the time they don't really want to walk the dog anyway.  I have calculated that I spend an hour a week just mopping the pavement outside my shop and its facade because of the dog wee that awaits me every morning.  Public spaces are drenched in it and when the sun gets hot it really draws out the stink and the whole town smells.  I am not exaggerating.

Now you can imagine this, coupled with the whole of Alicante out on the streets drinking: where do they go to relieve themselves?  Where do you think? Men AND women.  They do put some portaloos out on some of the streets but its not enough.  So its bound to happen, you get caught short and cant find a place to go.  I understand.  But the least I expect is for each and every one the streets to be cleaned at least immediately after the fiestas or even during.  Especially the quiet side streets because thats where people go to pee.  But no.  The aroma is overwhelming.  It's disgusting and not enough is done about it.  I'm sure with what extra is brought to the coffers during the fiestas a special cleaning service can be put together.

That's all I really wanted to say in this post because I wanted to warn people of the reality of the situation especially during these upcoming fiestas.

What is your impression of Alicante?

Spain shuts down! Take August off...

The 1st of August means 'changeover day' for lots of Spaniards.
The way the companies organise their staff's vacations over here is a little different to the UK.  Although many companies try to move with the times and be in line with the rest of Europe in business terms, there is still the tradition for employees to take all their 4 weeks holiday in one go.  They either take all of July or all of August off!

I would find that very limiting as an employee for many reasons, however over here there are so many festivos (like bank holidays, but on any day of the week) throughout the calendar that they get days off all year round anyway.

School holidays

The school holidays over here go from the middle/end of June until the middle of September so for parents it makes sense to spend all their holidays in that period because there are no 'half term' breaks over here.  Students only have the breaks at Christmas and at Easter.  As a child I would prefer to have half term breaks like in the UK.

Changeover day

So on the evening of 31st of July the motorways are usually quite busy with people returning from their months holiday and many more just starting it.  There are monumental tailbacks leaving and arriving to the coastal cities like Alicante and the capital, Madrid, in the interior.

Many people working in Madrid have a holiday apartment near the beach and/or in the countryside as most usually stay in Spain for their holidays.  Well who wouldn't with so much to offer as Spain has!

Shops and businesses

It's crazy because in the UK, and especially in London, Saturday is the busiest day of the week.  But here in Alicante they are not so commercially-minded and weekends are usually spent purely for leisure.  Saturday mornings is reserved for food shopping (especially for the older generation) and although my shop is very close to the market, the street which it is on (Calle Poeta Quintana) is rather empty today!  The street is full of small, independent shops and actually about only half are open because August has started.

But don't worry.  For those of you who are coming to Alicante for your August holiday, most of the bars and restaurants are open and for even longer hours than during the rest of the year.  And of course the beach is always open!

Spaniards + roundabouts = danger

I just have to get this off my chest...

Every day that I use roads to get from A to B, I risk my life a little more. I shouldnt say that just about roads in Spain, however for some reason the Spanish have a lack of understanding of how to navigate a roundabout.

Roundabouts are a relatively new thing over here and with the construction boom where more infrastructure was required quickly they just popped roundabouts in everywhere instead of 'give way' junctions or traffic lights.

I dont know if they are taught how to use roundabouts in their driving lessons over here but they certainly do not practise it. I have to pass around quite a few of them on my way to and from my shop and I could have had many accidents if I myself had not been prudent and vigilent. They just pull out in front of you even if you are indicating to leave the roundabout. And im probably going to make myself extremely unpopular by saying this, but the women are the worst!!! (Especially by not stopping for pedestrians at zebra crossings).

But then there are the inconsiderate drivers (usually male) who think that by gaining one or two car lengths by cutting you up or trying to nip into spaces that just dont exist will make their journey (and that of their fellow road users') easier. Shame on you.

Just be careful out there people.

Rant over. ;-)

I will post about something a bit more Alicante-related next time. I promise.

New challenge

I have been really naughty and abandoned this blog for a while, but it was all for a good cause. Here's what happened...

Read and Sixty, Calle Poeta Quintana 31, Alicante 03004

Read and Sixty

I opened my own home decoration and gift shop!
Yes, I was busy renovating the premises and redecorating, and finally opened the doors a month ago. It's a small boutique shop selling decoration and gifts, and I also give craft workshops in English.

The space has tall ceilings and lots of walls so I display local artists work too. I would love to tell you more about it because it's my little baby but it's best you take a look at the Facebook page... or go to the website www.readandsixty.com for shop info.

It's in the centre of Alicante on Calle Poeta Quintana 31 (the street with the ribbons, or 'la calle de las cintas') so pop in if you are in town.  
Oh and don't worry, this blog will still be about Alicante and not my shop... I just had to tell you why I hadn't posted lately.

Read and Sixty

Because I was so busy I missed out on posting about what has been happening here in Alicante.  I didnt get to tell you about the Carnival in Alicante, this year in March, nor the Easter week traditions and processions in April, or the pilgrimmage to Santa Faz... However these are traditional events so I will tell you about them next year.

There is currently a film festival on, although not on the scale of Cannes and the preparations are taking place for the Hogueras festival in June.  The weather is fantastic (not too hot and certainly no too cold) so it's a nice time of year to visit the Ciudad de la Luz...
That's Alicante, by the way!

Don't forget your sunglasses!

That's rubbish! It's only trash.

In the UK we call it 'rubbish'.  In the USA they call it 'trash'.  In Spanish, it's basura.

Household rubbish is collected communally here in Spain, not a door to door service like in most parts of the UK.  However I prefer the service in Alicante because it is collected EVERY NIGHT.  You take your own rubbish out when it is convenient for you*, which could be every day or once a week, and you divide it into the large recycling containers specific for each material.

*(food residuals should only be taken out after 9pm at night though because it is so hot here in the summer months that it could create an awful stench and pest problems!)

Types of container

Starting at the left:
-the blue-topped container is for paper and cardboard
-the yellow-topped container is for plastic, tins and cartons
-the grey container is for general food waste which should be deposited in tied or sealed bags
-the green rounded containers are for glass bottles and similar
-the orange bottle-style container is a new thing around here... it's for depositing used cooking oil.

Here is a closer look at the cute container.  In Spain, they deep fry a lot of food, especially the older generation.  You are probably thinking what a bad diet they have over here... but the Mediterranean diet in general is one of the most healthy and the oil that they use is usually extra virgin olive oil.  And it's not that everything is fried either.

Anyway, the old oil is tipped into any plastic bottle that can be closed tightly and then placed carefully in the container and disposed of by the authorities because you should not empty it into the general water systems.

Tax

In the UK you have a 'council tax' which is a one-off charge per year according to where you live and the type of home you have.  There is a similar banding range of categories over here but the 'council tax', or Impuestos sobre Bienes Inmuebles (el IBI), is one charge and the recogida de basura (rubbish collection) is a separate tax.  It is charged once a year and could be between 22€ and 55€, depending on different factors.  For the year 2013, I was charged 31.50€ for a flat in the centre of Alicante, which I don't think is that bad at all - it's less than 1€ per week.

Other rubbish deposits

In the centre of Alicante, instead of leaving large mobile containers on the streets, the council have installed underground deposits in some areas.  The rubbish bags put into these four bins fall into a large deposit that lifts up electronically (can you see the cut-out in the pavement?) and is collected by the trucks on their nightly rounds.  For the recyclable materials as mentioned above, in this case you would have to look elsewhere for them.

How is the rubbish collection organised where you live?

Stub it out!

In Spain, since January 2011 there has been a smoking ban (nueva ley antitabaco) in public places indoors, including offices, workplaces and banks.

Actually, this is a modified version of the first smoking ban that was introduced in 2006 which forced cafe-, restaurant- and bar-owners to create a separate smoking room or area where people could indulge in their addiction.  So all these businesses modified their interiors to accommodate this 2006 law so as not to lose clientele and what did the government go and do?  Change it a few years later meaning all that expense for nothing and some very angry people!  As there are lots of terraces here in Alicante, those who have not given up smoking can still light up happily and the cafe and bar owners who did not have an open-air space have created small terraces in their entrance to get around the ban.

This is just another example of how, in my opinion, Spain has been catapulted into modernisation in line with northern European countries, like the UK.  Being here since 2004, I really have seen this change with my own eyes... but that's another post waiting to happen!
  
This new smoking ban is now also applied to open air areas in schools, hospitals and children's playgrounds.  The fine if you are caught lighting up in a prohibited area is 30 Euros, for a one-off incident.

I remember when I first came to live in Alicante, I was surprised at seeing bank tellers fag-in-hand counting out my Euros.  Also, I hated that after a night out on the town my clothes and hair smelt like an ash tray.  I am a non-smoker and always have been.  Also none of my close family nor extended family smoke so my first impression of Spain was a nation of tobacco lovers.

So why am I talking about smoking?  Because I saw a cute cigarette stubber outside the Hogueras museum the other day that I hadn't noticed before.