The week was marked by the European football championship and the Hogueras de San Juan, Alicante’s midsummer fiesta.
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Like last week, I start with a cycling image. This is the closest one comes to seeing a billboard on the mountain roads where I cycle on weekends:
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On Tuesday night I went to one of the neighbourhood bars, 4 Estaciones, to watch Spain’s last group stage match, against Croatia. The requirement was simple; whoever won would progress to the quarterfinal while the loser would be out. Before the match, the bartender offers appropriate face paint to the patrons:
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The other bartender takes a (very short) break:
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Watching football in a bar is very much a family affair in Spain:
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Incredibly, not everyone was interested in the football:
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There is no smoking inside bars in Spain anymore, so at halftime the population outside the bar swells:
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After a nervous match, Spain is finally ahead 1-0, and the free victory round is being lined up:
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The match has ended, and the bar erupts in celebration:
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The victory round is handed out:
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Later in the week, I came across this scene in the centre. The giant Hogueras are being placed around the city, to be admired for a few days and burned at midnight on June 24th:
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Putting the pieces together, a delicate operation:
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A Hogueras tradition at our office is that various charities get to set up tables in our lobby and sell food, arts and crafts to support their good works:
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The ceramics lady:
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There were some guys selling stuff too, but thankfully most of the vendors were female:
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This lady makes lamps out of pieces of dead wood and discarded materials:
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Doll lady:
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Finally, an early Saturday morning picture. The bakery has just opened and is receiving a delivery. There are no customers yet:
Summer is well and truly here.