December
2007
Happy Winter Solstice, Everybody!
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Loading ...Today the sun is at it’s lowest arc in the southern sky, something our ancestors have been celebrating for many millennia. We are headed to the in-laws to celebrate the solstice in the typical Spanish way, with food, wine, and merriment.
Our meager little tree with our modest collection of gifts. The big one is for me! This photo was taken with no flash nor any lights on in the room other than those of the tree.
The star at the top of the tree is a little evil-looking. It would make Charlie Brown flinch, anyway.
The following are some videos of the kinds of festivities we will hopefully be partaking in this year.
A Christmas procession in Mondragon, Spain Basque Country. Those crazy Baaaa-sques and their anthropomorphized sheep!
Marga’s family and a dumbfounded me singing typical Christmas Eve songs with typical instruments.
Golfing Santa and I wish you a wonderful penultimate weekend of 2007.
Erik R.
Can you tell me any more about those weird “stick in a bucket” instruments they’re playing?
Good question, Simon! Those are called zambombas or friction drums. You wet your hands in a bowl of water and slide them up and down the stick of bamboo to generate a vibration, which is magnified by the drum below. It’s quite tiring to play.
“You wet your hands and slide them up and down the stick”…
No, sorry, I can’t think of anything to say about that.
It really is a horribly vulgar instrument to play. But somehow there’s never even the slightest snicker, even by the teenage cousins.