local culture & rice crispy treats

So last night Amanda and I got to experience some true local Spanish culture. Around 9:30 we heard marching drums in our neighborhood so we went to check it out. A parade of sorts was going on for el dia de San Juan. There was a marching band and some people carrying a sort of alter representing john the Baptist and people dressed up in what I can only assume to be some sort of Catholic garb.  I’m guessing it was some kind of symbolic pilgrimage or st that Catholics do to celebrate the birth of john the Baptist (san juan). We followed the parade for a while and it was just really cool. It eventually went by the plaza de dos cientos where there was a sort of festival going on se Amanda and I ditched little parade and checked out the festival. There were rides and vendors of all sorts. We didn’t stay long due to us wearing shorts and we would be embarrassed if we ran into one of our African friends in them (in their culture showing legs is inappropriate.) What we have experienced the past few days in relation to San Juan is something rare that not many tourist are able to uncover. One of the cool things about living here for two months is to be able to experience the real local culture of Spain and to kind of become a part of it.

The Catholic Parade of sorts

The Festival en La Plaza de Dos Ceintos

Today we had kids club and I was in charge of the snack. For some reason I was bound and determined for these little African children to have rice crispy treats as their snack.  After going to three grocery stores, I finally found something that was similar to the consistency and taste of marshmallows on the international isle in the German section. They were white and pink candies that looked like marshmallows, sort of. BUT I made them and the kids loved them! Though they did not get to experience the true American homemade treats that we grew up consuming, one batch was strawberry flavored (sabor de fresas) and the other was chocolate. So if you ever go to Spain and think you will have a hankering for some homemade rice crispy treats, or any for that matter, bring your own marshmallows. We are leaving for a camp next week and I imagine that there will not be any s’mores on the menu either. The American in me is saying that it’s not really camp if there aren’t s’mores but we will see if the Spaniards can get it right.