Retiring types? Not us!

John's son and daughter-in-law Katy showed a total lack of consideration by deciding to hold the naming ceremony for their new daugher on Saturday 9th August - right in the middle of Jumilla's Fiesta de Vendimia!  We had been looking forward to experiencing the Vendimia for the first time, however Abigail is John's first grand-daughter so of course we wanted to be there, even though the cost of our flights was extortionate.

During the Vendimia, wine flows from the fountain in the town centre, they hold a mini wine fair in the gardens, you can watch the treading of the grapes and there are processions through the town where wine is handed out from the floats to the watching crowds lining the streets.  What's not to like about that?  During the Gran Cabalgata on the last Saturday however the wine is more likely to be squirted at you, so it's not advisable to wear your best clothes!

We were back in time for the final parade and we also managed to see some of the Festival Nacional de Folklore and the Fiesta de Moros y Cristianos, which take place at the same time.  Not forgetting the Fiesta to celebrate the day of Nuestra Senora de Asuncion, the patron saint of Jumilla - our Spanish neighbour brought us some cake, as it was her birthday too.

August is definitely a good time to be in Jumilla as there is so much happening, though I have to admit that not a lot was happening on the writing front, apart from a few apologetic emails to my editor Debbie.  Even less was happening on the San Jose front, as the courts were closed down for the whole of August, so there would be no news available for the purchasers at Santa Ana del Monte who were hoping to get their money back.