Fiestas Patronales de Serón
The first year we were living in the flat, this was amazing experience although tiring !
Fiestas Patronales de Serón is a five day long Fiesta and like everything else here is done properly.
During the day, starting at 12.00 is the day fiesta, which takes place in the school, bear in mind that we were over looking the school ! This had Karaoke, live music or a disco everyday. From here a train, well a motorised train, that went all the way round the outskirts of the village and back again. Not overly exciting but the girls loved it !
Then in the turning circle opposite the flat (the other side to the school) was the bumper cars. Watching them putting them up was remarkable. The turning circle had a area of waste land that fell away from the road, as I watched, they lifted three lampposts out of the ground, I had no idea why at that point but I was mesmerised. Then over the next hours breeze blocks and wooden crates where laid, on top of which they placed the track for the bumper cars. I had never seen anything like it, it would never be allowed in the UK, but it is one of those things that make here so special !
The bumper cars are bumper cars, not doggams like in the UK, you are encouraged to bump and have fun. The music is all heavy base and shook the flat, it started at 10pm every night.
Walking up to the main square the road was lined with stalls selling cakes, gifts, clothes and toys. The goffe stall (waffles), I find these disappointing, way to sweet for me and just like the cakes, promise to deliver something amazing and fails every time ! There were shooting stalls to win prizes. Further up the Roast Chicken stall with tables and chairs. Opposite the Churros and chocolate stand with covered area with tables and chairs, these are not to be missed, they really are so delicious the crunch of the Churros dipped in the warm rich chocolate, just melts in your mouth, heavenly !
As we walked up there was the bull ride, where the children and later after a few drinks adults as well ! The torros (bulls) are made up of long thin tubes which have bulls head one end and are padded along the whole length, with padding covering the whole floor area!
The kids sit three to a bull, they have three in total. The tubes turn from side to side and the operator shouts hands up, wave, lie down, sit up and it is mayhem bodies falling in every direction, no one manages to stay the distances !
Further up is a bouncy castle and a bouncy activity centre and the bumper cars for smaller children. Opposite is the baked potato van, again a fiesta must, they are cooked to perfection and you have a choice of about 20 fillings all added after the mix of ketchup and garlic mayo, lush !
Next to that, is the first of the make shift bars, with a ticket stand next to it, you queue to buy the tickets you will want for the night and take them to the bar, this works well as the bar only has to serve drinks and not worry about taking any money.
Onto the square and in front of the town hall has been turned into an amazingly professional stage, with lighting ridge, huge speakers, everything you would expect from a concert in Wembley arena !
The square has two other bars both using the ticket system and the first year 'Casa Blanca', at that time the Town square bar, traditional Spanish with good Tapas, it has now closed down to make way for a modern larger bar. Casa Blanca served drinks like wine that the other bars didn't sell.
The plaza was packed every night ! Seron more than doubles in population for this Fiesta. Many coming from Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia, coming back to family homes that stand empty the rest of the year. Barcelona has an area which is mainly populated with people who originally came from Serón, but had to leave in search of work when the iron ore mine closed in 1970.
To be continued .........
