SUMMER IN GUAJAR ALTO

It’s high summer here in Guájar Alto and the heat of August is so overwhelming that any physical exertion is an impossibility. The nights - soft, balmy and scented with the voluptious fragrance of galán de noche - are deliciously cool by comparison. The unceasing trilling of innumerable insects is so loud that it drowns all other sounds, even the raucous, nocturnal croakings of the frogs and toads which inhabit the water reservoirs. At this time of year, the pines which cover the mountain slopes have lost their characteristic, sharp, resinous scent and instead give off a warm, sweet, flowery fragrance. The grapes are ripening and have to be protected from marauding bands of jabali (wild boar), fruit-eating mammals, such as foxes, and, of course, birds. The figs are now at their best and few pleasures in life can equal that of biting into a luscious, sun-warmed, ripe fig picked straight from the tree.
It is also the most important time of the year for the three villages which comprise Los Guájares because the first fifteen days of August are devoted to a succession of fiestas patronales ( fiestas in honour of San Lorenzo, patron saint of Guájar Faragüit, and La Virgen de la Aurora, patron of the other two villages) - first Guájar Fondón, next Guájar Faragüit and, finally, Guájar Alto. In Spain, which has many fiestas throughout the year, the fiestas patronales are the most important and the most lavish. To a visiting foreigner, a village fiesta, such as ours, might appear to be nothing more than an excuse to have a good time and get drunk; its true significance, however, is much more profound: the sacred rituals which pay homage to the patron, the noise of bell-ringing, loud music, rockets and fireworks, the eating and drinking together all serve to bring together the community and reinforce its sense of identity. Work comes to a standstill, there is no bus service because no-one leaves the village during the days of celebration and people stay up for most of the night.
For the devout, the most significant aspect of this type of fiesta is the religious procession in which men, women and children take part. In an atmosphere of great solemnity, the cross of the church is carried at the head of the procession with two altar boys leading a double file of children, women and men. In the centre are the religious images accompanied by the mayordomos (stewards), the priest and all the various authorities involved with the organisation of the fiesta; these are followed by another group of men and, finally, a band of musicians. The not-so-devout spend the entirety of the fiesta at the chiringuito bar which is erected for the occasion in the square by the church.
Throughout the duration of the fiesta a variety of entertainments take place such as concerts, plays, childrens’ games, competitions and dancing.There is also a paella feast, symbolising the shared meal which reinforces the sense of community, to which everyone is invited. All these festivities are announced by rockets, the noise of which is deafening, let off in the mountains. Fireworks feature strongly during fiestas and there is a good-natured rivalry between the three villages of Los Guájares as to who can put on the most splendid displays. The final night of celebration ends with a performance given by a popular singer (this year we have a flamenco singer who is well known for his T.V. appearances) followed by more live music. After the festivities, there will be many a bleary eye and hangover and, not surprisingly,it will be several days before life in the village returns to normal.


In the mountains of Los Guájares, where there is no light pollution, the magnificence of the night skies creates a sense of awe and although they are so clear and dark that an observer would be unlucky not to see at least one ‘falling star’ or two at any time of the year, towards the end of July and for the first fortnight of August we are able to observe the most reliable of the annual meteor showers, the Perseids, whose parent comet is the Swift-Tuttle. Some of the meteors are so faint and swift that, if you blink, you miss them; others are like fat, falling snowflakes while the most spectacular flash across the sky leaving a trail of silver. In Spain, where all natural phenomena are given romantic names, the Perseids are known as las lagrimas de San Lorenzo (the tears of San Lorenzo) who, as already mentioned, is the patron saint of Guájar Faragüit.