More bang for your buck!

At this bar you can purchase a mixed drink for the bargain price of 5 Euros. Mixed with hot pepper OR Marijuana

Somewhere in Asturias....

The village blacksmith talking on his cell phone.

Guapa

Hola everyone, its me. Jannis.

May is an incredibly busy month for our family here in the Estados Unidos. Between all of us we go to five different schools, that's chaotic itself without all the end of school parties, ceremonies, tests, field days and so on and so fourth! School is almost over here in Kansas. Exactly five more days.YEE-HAW!!!!!!

I have been busy making final preparations for our stay in France. I found two reasonably priced hotels in Paris. My god that seems to be an expensive city. I even went all out and got rooms with private bathrooms. I am staying in this hotel in Julyhttp://www.1-hotel-paris.com/ and this hotel in June http://www.hoteldenevers.com/. I have purchased plane tickets , train tickets and bus tickets. Now I need to get busy and start working my second job waiting tables. Or I will be washing dishes in Paris if I want to eat! I am working this weekend, I figure it being mothers day weekend I should be able to cash in on tips with my fellow mothers!

By the way, this little bonita stole my heart in Oviedo Asturias Spain when I spied her at a fiesta trotting down the street clicking her castanuelas. I asked her papa if I could take her photo and he replied " If you can catch her!"

Fiestas de Veguin

Veguin has two patron saints. San Julian de Box and San Sebastian de los puentes. I know nothing about these guys! I do know however that a pretty cool party is thrown in their honor. The party starts at the top of the mountain above Veguin, where those that gather play silly games , drink wine and cider and eat wonderful breads, cheeses and hams. When the sun starts to go behind the mountain the revelers walk down arm in arm singing behind the village band. Townspeople along the parade path throw water or wine on the party goers below. My favorite part is the end of the route where everyone is sprayed down with foam! Before the nighttime fiesta begins you will see hundreds of foam covered "mummies" heading home to take a shower and a nap so they can dance until dawn! (by the way if you look close at the woman on the balcony she is throwing water on a very happy crowd below) Puxa Veguin!

La Balesquida

Here is a photo of some very happy Asturian children! Ok, they were probably happy until the strange Americana started following them. A true Asturian would probably know from the costumes of these kids what area they are from. Sadly I am just an Asturian "wannabe". Fiesta La Balesquida in Oviedo is a long tradition for my husband's family. We take a picnic lunch of "pregnant rolls" (a small loaf of bread with a chorizo sausage baked inside) queso and an empanada. After we watch the parade we follow the procession to Parque San Fransisco where the town council gives a bottle of red wine to everyone. We find an empty spot in the grass and eat and drink then we lie in the grass and let the cathedral bells play us to sleep for our afternoon siesta along with hundreds of other families.............................