Hogueras de San Juan in Alicante

Alicante has been the site of the Hogueras de San Juan (bonfires of Saint John) for the past 80 years. It began with people erecting bonfires made from old furniture to now the making of incredibly elaborate and large depictions which ultimately get torched.

The festival goes over 4 days - with the 'set-up' where the 'monuments' are erected, a couple of days of parades at 8 pm of people in traditional costume, and then the final night where the monuments are set alight.

The port city of Alicante. For some reason they choose a month where the temperature was about 40 degrees to set fire to the monuments...

There are several days of street parades, each lasting over 3 hours of people walking down the main street in traditional costume. They finally reach the cathedral where they build a giant flower display (Flower Offering Parade to the Remedy's Virgin).

The parade appears very casual with mother's interrupting the whole parade to adjust her daughter's costume.

Each street takes great pride in the monument that they have built and at a moment's notice, a band can strike up and a mini-parade appears out of nowhere, stopping traffic. Streets all have their own fenced off area and a stage and huge huge speakers and DJ. The people party all night, every night, for 4 consecutive nights. It's like Schoolies for adults.

There are fireworks competitions and cracker competitions. It is not unusual to hear huge explosions going off throughout the four days at random moments - some make you feel that you are in downtown Baghdad. It's not unusual to see 5 or 6 year old children given crackers to go and play with in the park. The local beer company handed out free giveaways including lighters (although considering most of Spain appears to smoke, it might have a dual reason!).

Most of the 30 odd monuments are huge - as tall as 3 or 4 storey buildings. After a few days of looking at them you can't help judging their potential for flammability in your own mind. I often thought "hmmm that's going to burn well" as I passed a particularly well-built structure.

The above monument was in the main square, closely surrounded by the City Hall and other important buildings. I was in the front of a huge group of people when they opened the gate to this square and I was carried almost to the front of the viewing area - prime position. The bomberos (fire brigade) are on hand to hose down buildings and trees that happen to be close to the action. When the monument (below) went up, I was 35 metres from it and the heat was tremendous.

Once there is no sign of possible ignition of the city, the crowd taunt the bomberos (it's a tradition!). They then all yell out "agua, agua". Even with my little spanish I know what that means and made a not-too-hasty retreat. The bomberos then turn the hoses on the crowd, until those in the first few rows are soaked.

Then there is one last night of fiesta!