Logo: View of Villanueva de la Concepcion
For newcomers to Spain, there is an incredible amount to learn about the cultural history of Spain, its inhabitants and the manifestation of this history in today’s society.
During the 20th Century the country was dominated by the oppressive rule of General Franco. This subject is still very raw in people’s minds today and we would suggest that any discussion regarding Franco be undertaken with caution.
Franco’s reign over Spain came to an end in 1975 and therefore, this democratic society that we enjoy so much today, is still relatively young.
Franco’s tyrannical rule does, however, go some way to explaining the Spanish love of festivals and fiestas. Under Franco it was virtually impossible to have a "normal" party or gathering of friends within your own home. There was mistrust between locals and "the state" and stepping out of line will have earnt you punishment which, in extreme circumstances, could lead to a summary death.
The only time that Spaniards were allowed to "let their hair down" and party was during the prescribed festivals. These festivals may have had religious connotations but the main outcome was that Spaniards learnt how to enjoy themselves again. These festivals, ferias or fiestas may last for days or in some cases, weeks but each one will be an opportunity for locals to come together and celebrate with their neighbours, friends and relatives.
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The list of holidays is endless in Spain so we have concentrated on the main festivals within the diary in Villanueva de la Concepcion. These include:
CARNIVAL – offers a variety of activities and celebrations held over 3 days during February
ROMERIA – normally held on the closest weekend to the 15th May, where people gather at the foot of "El Torcal" to enjoy picnics and BBQ’s in the natural park.
VERDIALES – this musical feast entails local groups of musicians, dancers and singers competing against other villages within the province of Malaga. This is the oldest and most respected of all the Verdiales competitions and is held on the last Saturday in July.
FERIA – this celebration of the patron of the village (the Virgin Mary) normally takes place around the 15th August. Concerts, parties and much decoration of the village start on the Friday and will continue with the "Routa de Tapas" on the Sunday afternoon - (A tapa and a drink in 11 bars -not for the faint hearted!). The festivities culminate with the "Paella Popular" which is provided free to around 500 visitors on the final day of the feria.
The birthday of Villanueva de la Concepcion is celebrated on the 3rd of November each year. Celebrations include a tribute to the village’s forefathers and sporting events.
Whilst drinking plays a part of Spanish culture, the accompaniment of food is vitally important. The Spanish love their food and will take great pride in offering visitors and foreign residents a true taste of Spain.
Typically, within Villanueva de la Concepcion there are a host of tapas bars and restaurants. Visit the Bars and Restaurants section of this website for a selection of bars that you can visit during your stay.
Eating is very much a social event. Unlike western culture, the Spanish love to dine with family at the weekends and with friends at any given opportunity.
Quite often breakfast is a chance to catch up with friends, before starting the working day, over a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and "churros" - a local doughnut.
Lunch will normally consist of a range of tapas or a "menu del dia" (menu of the day) which offers excellent value for money. Tourists and residents can enjoy "menu del dia", although this originally started life as a cheaper three course meal for workers, to sustain them through the rest of their day.
Tapas is quite often eaten "on the way home” after a working day. (Women believe this to be a justification of another drink before getting home!). It is unlikely that many Spanish will eat out before 10.00pm (especially during the summer), so if you like to dine out in the evening, do make the effort to wait until a little later than normal, as you will see the natural species of Spain in their most favoured habitat!
Image: Paella!
During festivals, Spaniards will always eat later and many events that are due to commence at 10.00pm, for example, will not actually start until much nearer 12midnight. This is not something that will change, so we would suggest getting another drink and relaxing whilst enjoying the balmy evenings that accompany so much of the year.
Many visitors to Villanueva de la Concepcion may well be faced by a lack of menus or dishes that are incomprehensible. Well, you try to translate Shepherd’s Pie or Bubble and Squeak into Spanish and you will start to understand why all that hard-learnt Spanish will fall by the wayside!
Here is a short list of some of the dishes that you may experience in this part of Andalucia:
Las Migas – a breadcrumb delicacy, fried in a pan with huge amounts of olive oil and normally topped with fried eggs and chorizo. Not recommended for those watching their weight - but scrumptious none the less!
Arroz – normally known everywhere else as Paella.
Porras – a cold, white soup, flavoured with garlic, found in Antequera.
Picadillo – a hot soup with ham, egg and mint.
Roscos or Churros – two types of local doughnuts
Tortilla - a deep pan omelette usually made with potatoes and onions.
The general feature of local cooking is natural, locally produced ingredients (when naturally in season!). Freshly cooked with an emphasis on stews and soups during the colder months and salads and meat or fish during the summer – all served with chips, of course!
Don’t forget that the Spanish measures are, quite considerably, more generous than the UK. Whilst this is a reason for many of us to live in Spain it can catch some visitors by surprise especially when driving - pleas drink responsibly.
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