Bonus, an unexpected unearned gift.

Here is me, sat on the balcony, the sun's about an hour over the horizon and the only reason I can sit here like this is that its glare is muted by the palm fronds gently swaying in their regularly proscribed arcs.

Toast and coffee has been had, albeit the coffee was awful but it was from a pack of unknown origin found in a cupboard and now residing in the bin. One had to try it.

Last night was their Three Kings Procession to celebrate Epiphany. I think that whoever lives in this town and wasn't processing was watching. Just after dark the streets were awash with people, kids in droves, not in packs, admirable behaviour by all we came across and, although I hesitate to mention it, 17C. We'd been told that you can't miss it and you couldn't. Streets were closed off, every one lined 3 deep, kids and elderly at the front, each chico with a bag of some kind.

Drum roll and an expectant quiet descended, anticipation was palpable and the drums just got louder. Not all hammered in unison but all beaten with mucho gusto. The procession told the Nativity story and started with musicians and people of all ages dressed as shepherds or whatever throwing popcorn to the kids watching. When I say throwing popcorn I mean by the bucket load, beaker load, anything that would cover the street witn the stuff and much poured into the bags that the chicos offered. We are talking a Tesco bag full of popcorn here and that's the popcorn that didn't make it onto the paving stones. Carts carrying sacks of the stuff and processors dishing it out like confetti for chicos to catch in their bags. The ones who couldn't had their bags filled directly. Nice touches abounded.

Following on was a Mary, Joseph and Jesus tableau, complete with palm trees, animals and manger atop some vehicle which needed a Guardia Civil, tooled up, of course, to make everyone stand back as it was a bit wider than the street through which it was expertly driven. We got a good look at that because it passed by so slowly but few photos because everyone else had mobiles that needed holding out at arms length from millimetres away from the subject.  Got one though. Not a good one but hey ho.

Next came the Romans, then more sheep people and chicos in sheeps clothing, followed by the Magi on horseback, the camels were towed on carriages and between each were musicians playing their instruments with varying degrees of virtuosity but all with and vigour that was very impressive, made more so as they never seemed to pause for breath.

With the passing of the Magi came increasingly sought after gifts of sweets, individually thrown, at first and then thrown out by the packet, then by the bucket load. Much laughter and obvious delight characterised this whole thing, it was simple but delightful and you just knew that those throwing the
sweets were doing so because they'd been recipients years before.

A little bit of magic, really.

The most impressive bits of the magic were that some who we would call "people with learning difficulties" were so naturally included, but the most impressive event was as we were trying to get back, a bit like Plymouth after the fireworks, but warmer and we knew where we were going there, when in a crowded back street away from the route of the procession a lad of about 10 or 12 passing a tramp in a doorway apparently sleeping walked quietly over to where he was and placed his sweetsbeside him and quietly returned to his dad's hand.

That kid "got it" and well done his parents.

And now, the sun's making the screen unviewable and my face is heating up because the palm fronds have ceased to sway so I shall have to go in to write more or just leave it at that and wander along the beach, which as it's only 100yds from where I'm sat makes the descent of two dozen steps feel well worth doing.

Not quite what you'd expect in our winter carnival. Huge fun was had by all.