Last Weekend in Spain!

If I've learned anything this year living in Spain it's that Spaniards are not short on all day and all night parties! Many of them have Catholic associations, but the celebrations are anything but sacred. 

For my last full weekend in Spain I did it up big and enjoyed an authentic and uniquely Spanish experience. I went to Tolox, again, with my bff Alicia and her (entire) family and some friends of ours, for the Romería de la Virgen de las Nieves.

La Virgin de las Nieves during her procession

Basically this romería is a celebration to honor the Virgin de las Nieves, and the people in the town of Tolox take the statue of the Virgin from her chapel and there is a procession and she's carried throughout the town. But really this event is just an excuse for people to party all night long - way after the Virgin is returned to su ermita (her chapel). Families and friends come together to talk, drink, eat, dance, drink some more, listen to music - there was a live band, a DJ and of course young and old alike standing around singing Flamenco - people riding horses, being merry, drinking some more, and having a great time.
I honestly could not have asked for a better last weekend in Spain! We were rocking out till the sun came out, drinking, singing, dancing, laughing; it was genial! (great!!)

I also discovered that dance-to-the-instructions-of-the-music songs are 100x more fun here in Spain! Cotton Eyed Joe and the Cha Cha Slide ain't got nothing on Paquito Chocolatero and Soy una Taza...


I didn't take any videos or too many pictures this weekend (unfortunately) because I was too busy enjoying every second of this crazy weekend!


But I by chance found this video of a group dance in Tolox from 2010 doing Paquito Chocolatero.

And here is a stage recording of Soy una Taza ... 

This song is especially funny because they're singing about kitchen utensils . . .

Soy una taza,                                                                  I am a cup

y una tetera,                                                                    and a teacup

una cuchara,                                                                   a spoon

y un cucharón.                                                                and a ladle

Un plato hondo,                                                              I am a deep plate
y un plato llano,                                                              and I am a flat plate
 un cuchillito,                                                                  a little knife

y un tenedor.                                                                   and a fork

Soy un salero,                                                                 I am a salt shaker

azucarero,                                                                       a sugar bowl

la batidora,                                                                     a whisk

y una olla exprés,                                                           and a pot express

¡chú!, ¡chúuu!                                                                Choo choooo!

Now, just imagine 200+ drunk Spaniards singing and dancing to this in the woods at 4am with a live band: an unforgettable memory <3