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Last night, myself, Katie and Lexi went to, what I believe was The Fiesta of the Virgin of Loreto, at the castle in Santa Pola.  Our City looked fantastic; lights, Christmas market, bunting and Spanish flags everywhere!

It was great to do something different, instead of spending the night, sat in a bar, getting drunk.  We did have a pint and a glass of red wine at La Glorieta; as with all Spanish bars we were given some complementary  tapas and wonderful service.  It is lovely sitting at this charming restaurant, in Santa Pola Square, especially in the summer. With everything decorated, even the band stand opposite, it was a joy, chatting the evening away!

The Christmas market was fabulous.  All the stalls were stocked with hand made crafts, reasonably priced and unique.  I brought Darrell a Christmas present, which cost me 4€, last of the big spenders.  I will give it to him when he returns to Spain, rather than risk the Spanish postal system.

A lovely chilled evening, great company and a wonderful Spanish Fiesta, just what living in Spain, is all about!
I wanted to find out a little about the festival, we attended last night. I had a look on the internet, but couldn't find anything too much.  Here is what I discovered!  The re-enactment, is of a battle between the Christians and the Moors, and is celebrated each year on 10 December in Santa Pola, the city of which Gran Alacant is a part.

The battle follows the so-called "embajadas" (meeting of envoys) in the castle, in which each side reads a text in an attempt to persuade the other side to surrender. Once negotiations have failed, a mock battle ensues in which thousands of kilos of gunpowder is used, ending in victory for the Christians.
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