2009 begins here!

Yesterday was the final day of celebrations in Spain and tomorrow the schools open again. Children get their presents on the 6th from the three Kings who turn up in thousands of cabalgatas-cavalcades-across Spain, usually in the form of disguised local businessmen or chairmen of football clubs-and the disguise does include Balthasar "blacking up". On the morning and afternoon of the 6th, weather permitting, Spanish families form their own cavalcades-in Chiclana-this mainly takes place along the paseo maritimo in La Barossa- as children "premiere" (estrenar according to the local paper) their new presents-skates, dolls prams and bikes remain popular, we can report. Whilst this activity is in keeping with the year-round Spanish love of family outings during which one sees and is seen, the 6th of January stroll has a definite edge of public display. Still, I suppose it does no one any harm and may be especially important this year since, as Jose of the supermarket pointed out, all the flash cars that used to drive around here have now gone back to the showrooms as "le crisis" bites.

It may be a new year but some things do not change. The headline in this morning's local paper announced that "El inicio de las grandes obras de Chiclana tienen que esperar aun un an(y)o"-The start of the major building work in Chiclana will have to wait another year". This refers to the plans to build a new shopping centre, including a branch of El Corte Ingles, the Spanish department store modelled on John Lewis, out near one of our two (?why?) bullrings and is typical of Chiclana's propensity to announce its intentions (we have been waiting for the new centre for two years now), perhaps even start the project and then fail to finish it. To be fair though, the work on a new one way system down to the beach from the roundabout at the top of our road together with an amphitheatre and a new police station began today just nine months after it was first due to start. Watch this space.