Estepona - The Night of the Three Kings

Hello to you all from Estepona where the sun is shining at last.  We arrived here on 2 January to grey skies and rain and thought for a moment we were in the UK but the Costa del Sol remains true to its name - a dazzling 18 degrees - and to top it all we've seen dolphins off the shore!  No doubt a sight for those of you with sore eyes from a cold, waterlogged Britain.

Home is a lovely apartment overlooking the marina and, beyond that, the Mediterranean.  We're only 50 miles from Gibraltar which is clearly visible on most days and, today, we've seen the coast of Morocco - strange to see the evidence of being so far south.  We're here for January to unwind from being on the road for 8 months having travelled some 2,000 miles (through France and Spain) and to get a bit of late winter sun before heading west to Cadiz and Jerez.

Morroco (left); Gibraltar (centre); mainland Spain (right)

Estepona is a nice little town with a strong Spanish core as well as being home to wintering ex-pats (British, Dutch and German).  Everywhere we go we see and hear Spanish which is great for me - but Mick is relieved to be amongst some expats so we're both happy.  Estepona has avoided selling itself to mass, cheap tourism like Benidorm and, fortunately, is not as blingy as nearby Marbella.  We'll do a day trip there and bring you some more images of Brits abroad!  We also plan a day trip to Gibraltar and a 2-night trip to Tangiers with Ken & Katie who are wintering in nearby Fuengirola.

But back to Spain ... 

5 January - Night of Kings
Today is a big deal for children all over Spain.  It is the Epiphany or 12th day of Christmas - when the Three Kings arrive bearing gifts - and is nowadays represented by a big procession through the town from which swathes of sweets are thrown to the children who are waiting with bags which they fill!  Traditionally the good children get sweets - the naughty ones receive charcoles (rock-like sweets covered in chocolate to make them look like coal). We've not seen this celebration before so we followed the crowds and found a space on the roundabout - a good vantage point for photos!

At 8pm the roads were cordoned off and the procession of floats began with centurions on a horse-drawn chariot which was sadly unlit so photos don't do it justice.  I recorded a few videos but am having trouble uploading them so, until I sort that out, here's a photo of the Neptune float - a bit flat we know as you don't get to hear the volume from the collective excitement - sorry - techie probs! 

Neptune float, Night of Kings, Estepona

The team on the floats hurl handfuls of sweets into the crowd - we were hit by a few - and they hurt!  We did harvest a couple of handfuls of sweets which we gave to children around us as it is their celebration.  It was lovely to see their genuine glee and excitement as they scrambled around for sweets - joined by teenagers and adults!  A simple pleasure but that's Spain for you - always a refreshing experience.


6 January - Day of Kings
The Day of Kings is when Spanish exchange gifts and is a day of family togetherness and so is marked by that most Spanish of pastimes, the paseo - always lovely to see three, sometimes four generations paseo-ing - and taking pride in their appearance.  A special treat enjoyed today is Roscon, a sweet bread covered with glace cherries and sugar, inside which a plastic toy is hidden. 

So, that's a glimpse into how the Spanish do Christmas and New Year.  Over & out until the next post which will feature our visit to nearby Tangiers!