La Playa San Juan

The Cuban Immigrant association offers a dance under the theme “Cuba how much I love you” at the Bar-Disco Latinos located at Avenida Bruselas, 4 this Friday July 25th.

If you like dancing and rhythms with “a Latin flavor” you can’t miss this event. We are sure you will have a ball. The music of the Caribbean and especially Cuban music are unique and get your body moving like no other. The dance will take place from 18:00 to 23:00 pm. For more information you can call 66 025 4632 and get ready to Dance!

photo :flickr by ed fladung

Our very kind photographer friend Oscar Martin has taken some great shots of the firework display this last weekend. The one pictured above from the Santa Barbara castle is spectacular. The sounds were heard all over La Playa San Juan while leaving the skies lit up.. If you want to see all his great shots you can visit his gallery in Flickr. Enjoy!

I’m not a professional photographer but I do admire great photography that is why I love Flickr where you find many great photos of almost anything you are looking for. In my search for Hogueras 2008, Playa San Juan Alicante, I came across beautiful pictures taken by Oscar Martín which I would like to share with you. Oscar was very kind in giving us permission to post his pictures and we thank him a lot.. He has also promised to take some great shots of the fireworks this weekend, so we will make sure to also share those with you.

I love this close up, it shows the beauty of details of these pieces of art.

another great shot of the grandness of these creatures.

This is one of my favorites, an intense goodbye to a year of hard work.

To view the entire gallery please visit Flickr photos by Oscar Martín

Tonight the 63rd International Firework Competition begins, you must not miss this!! The following in the schedule:

Wednesday, 25^th June

12 midnight. 1^st Round of the 63^rd International Firework Competition. Playa del Cocó beach. Display by the Pirotecnia Turis, S.L. fireworks company from Turis (Valencia).

Followed by Traca Luminosa firework cracker run on Paseo de Gomis, by the same company.

Thursday, 26^th June

12 midnight. 2^nd Round of the 63^rd International Firework Competition. Playa del Cocó beach. Display by the Pirotecnia Martí S.L. fireworks company from Burriana (Castellón).

Followed by Traca Luminosa firework cracker run on Paseo de Gomis, by the same company.

Friday, 27^th June

12 midnight. 3^rd Round of the 63^rd International Firework Competition. Playa del Cocó beach. Display by the Pirotecnia Ferrández S.L. fireworks company from Redován (Alicante).

Followed by Traca Luminosa firework cracker run on Paseo de Gomis, by the same company.

Saturday, 28^th June

12 midnight. 4^th Round of the 63^rd International Firework Competition. Playa del Cocó beach. Display by the Pirotecnia Caballer, S.A. fireworks company from Godella (Valencia).

Followed by Traca Luminosa firework cracker run on Paseo de Gomis, by the same company.

00.45am. “Nit del Foc” (Night of Fire) on the Explanada de España esplanade. spectacular ground-level fireworks courtesy of Els Dimonis Emplomats from Beneixama (Alacant).

Sunday, 29^th June

8.30pm. Coso Multicolor parade. Avenida de Alfonso el Sabio avenue.

12 midnight. 5^th Round of the 63^rd International Firework Competition. Playa del Cocó beach. Display by the Pirotecnia Parente Fireworks company from Melara / Rovigo (Italy).

Followed by Traca Luminosa firework cracker run on Paseo de Gomis, by the same company.

La Crema will put a final point to the 2008 Hogueras tonight which will begin at midnight with fireworks that will light up the sky as the first Hoguera “Alicante es mar”, located in la plaza del Ayuntamiento goes up in flames. La Bellea del Foc 2008, Inés Quesada will be in charge of lighting the first match that will start the “Crema”.

There will be a total of 37 firemen groups that will attend the fires in order, they should all be put out by around 4:30 am. So have fun and get as wet as you can!!!

source diario de navarra

photo flicker by one of my favorite photographers Elias Gomis

Last night a big group of us went to the beach and celebrated “La Noche de San Juan”. We got to the beach early to ensure a great seat and we all gathered to have a great evening. Our Hoguera was one of the first ones lit and we made sure that all the rituals were met. We jumped the Hoguera 3 times, jumped backwards 7 times in the ocean at midnight while making a wish, danced around the Hoguera and sang songs.. Of course we also ate the traditional coca amb tonyina and had a couple of beers.

We hope you all had a great time and are ready for the “Crema” tonight which should be spectacular..

One of the hightlights of the Hogueras for me is the “Night of San Juan” celebrated on the night of June 23rd. This is a night when many people practice their yearly rituals that are a little different for everyone. This is one of the most magical nights of the year and one of the shortest days of the year. The summer solstice as it is also called.

Here are a few tips on what to take and how to be prepared:

• Make sure to bring a blanket, towels, chairs or anything so that you could be comfortable
• When building the bonfire make sure you are very careful, gathering material that burns easily such as woods and sticks, make a hole in the sand and appoint someone and the bonfire leader who is always in control of the fire. When it is all over make sure the fire is completely out and clean up any debris.
• All rituals whether its lighting candles, incense, burning items in the bonfire that you want to get rid of etc..must be done prior to midnight.
• Be careful when jumping through the fire, although it brings good luck, make sure children jump with an adult and that you are sure you will get to the other side.
• Make sure to bring garbage bags to throw away all plastic bottles, glass bottles, food, of any other type of garbage.
• At midnight make sure you are ready at the shore of the water to wet your feet, jump the waves and make a wish.

If you have any special rituals or suggestions, please write to us and give us your imput.

We hope you all enjoy this night !!!!!

photo flickr mianghe07

This post is dedicated to the group of disabled persons who are carrying out a magnificent initiative to eliminate the barriers that prevent them from accessing different places and the barriers placed in sidewalks in these 2008 Hogueras . They are taking pictures of any place that impedes their free movement, such as sidewalks or barracks. The Federation of Physically Disabled of Alicante has reached an agreement with the commissioners so that there are no kinds of obstructions placed on the streets and the removal of any that have already been installed.

Since last year the Spanish confederation of People with Physical and Organic disabilites have been denouncing all these anomalies through photographs. We hope that this year the agreements are respected and that the Hogueras go about smoothly and we especially hope that the everyday barriers that are placed on the physically disabled persons are changed to improve their mobility all through the city. We recently wrote a post about a webpage that helps the disable find vacation spots with great accessibility. We at Playa San Juan hope that everyone joins in a helps spread the word.

Happy Hogueras 2008!

source:Alicante blog

Photo flickr macrike

Ready, set, go, only a couple days left before the big unavailing of the 2008 Hogueras. In total there will be 88 adult monuments and several juvenile. There are 5 special categories, 5 in first category and 5 in second category. There are 18 third category and 17 fourth and 16 in each fifth and sixth categories. This year La Playa San Juan has 3 monuments that will represent us.

The first one is number 27 Alicante Golf an adult third category which will be located in Avenida Locutor Vicente Gomez designed by Juan Carlos Asensi called “80 años de ilusion”. The second number 52 Avenida Costa Blanca Entreplayas in the fourth adult category located in C/ Palangre corner of C/ currican designed by Sergio Edo Llopis called “Los cuatro elementos”. The third number 31 La Condomina in the adult third category will be located Avenida Historiador Vicente Ramos in front of C/ Ansaldo designed by Miguel Balaguer Nieto called “Alacant 3008″.

We hope you can visit all of them and enjoy them while they last!

foto flickr hougeras 2007 de Castañer

El Faro elementary school celebrated the burning of their Hoguera last night. Their pirate ship theme had a little trouble earlier in the day when part of the top collapsed but all was recovered.

Everyone had the honor of seeing the “Alicantinas of El Faro” dressed in their “traditional gowns” (well, traditional in a very creative and recyclable way, all the “dresses” were made with paper, paper table cloths, paper napkins…)

The firemen showed up past 8 pm and the burning began. The kids sang songs and yelled at the fireman to get them wet.. Overall, it was a fun time.. Thanks to all the volunteers who built the Hoguera and made this night possible. Until next year…