Costa Brava - Santa Fransesc

Three views from Santa Fransesc, one of the small coves between Lloret de Mar and Blanes.
The first photo is looking up from the beach towards the exclusive villas in the urbanisation.

This second photo is looking down over the roof tops of the villas to the beach.

Once down on the beach there is a very nice reasonably priced restaurant where you can get a menu of the day or just a drink.

The only way to reach this beach is by car or a very long walk down through the urbanisation as the boats are not allowed to pull into the beach here!
Owing to this its not a very crowded beach in the summer, apart from the weekend that is when the local residents like to spend their free time just lazing around!

Christmas Nativity in Blanes.

This is the Nativity Scene on display near the fruit and veg market in Blanes.

Quite a large scene as you can maybe just make out from the people looking round. It takes up a large section of the street and is raised up on a platform.

I'm not sure what they do with it on a night time...whether it is closed off some how, or maybe it is just left open. Something like this would not last very long back in the UK.

It would either be vandalised, stolen piece by piece or completly stolen and rebuilt in somebodys back garden!

Not the Christmas spirit you would expect...but when things here are put on display they are left alone so that everyone can enjoy them.

Christmas in Spain.

Children in Spain do not receive their Christmas gifts on the 25th December as in the UK. The day for giving presents is 6th Jan, traditionally known as the Day of the Kings!

It is the three wise men who deliver the presents here, not Santa Claus!
So to put in a request for what you would like for Christmas, you must address your letters to
the Three Kings.

Another Christmas tradition in Spain is the making of model nativity scenes, either at school or home. Every year here in Lloret de Mar there is exhibition of nativity models made by some of the businesses in town or individuals, these are on show in the Local Church. On the run up to Christmas many shops in town stock all kinds of figures and model rustic style stables with which to make your nativity scene!

The Summer of 2007

Looking back to good times and good friends of 2007