(Very) Clean Streets

We hadn’t been in Oviedo long before we realized that keeping the streets clean is a very big deal here. There is a wide array of civic street-cleaning equipment, and small vans with rotating brushes make the rounds past our apartment two or three times a day, every day of the week. Workers sweep up with old-fashioned, witchy brooms, but also power wash the streets and public trash bins regularly.

A convoy of street-cleaners

Power-washing

Cleaning the waste bins

The determination of these clean-up efforts was most apparent early on New Year’s Day. We live near one of the main party zones in town with lots of bars, and celebrations were still going strong when we woke up at 8am. By 9am the street-cleaners were coming through, having to wind their way through party-goers, who were just beginning to straggle home. By 10am there was no trace of the mighty revelry that had gone on the night before!

Revelers at 8am (sunrise is 8:55am!)

Street-cleaner and revelers face off at 9am

And sweeping, too

Vans are state-of-the-art, brooms more traditional

Making a neat line

So the van can gobble it up...

and in action!

Cabalgata de Reyes, aka Cavalcade of the Kings

In Spain parades featuring the three Magi take place on the eve of Epiphany or Twelfth Night, January 6. We went to the magnificent version that Oviedo produced last night at 7pm. The procession, with more than 1500 participants (participants, not viewers – the latter estimated at 100,000), began in the newer, commercial part of town, and then passed very close to us in the old city.

It was an Orientalist’s fantasy! Each of the three kings, Melchor, Gaspar, and Balthazar, had his own entourage, and between were courts and emissaries from all possible eastern kingdoms – real and imaginary: Rajastan, Omar, Turfan, Siam, Macedonia, Nineveh(!), Samarkand, Ethiopia. I’ve appended the complete list of the exotic elements at the end of this post. Each group wore stupendously elaborate costumes, and many carried ornate staffs or standards.

Interspersed were marching bands, including church musical groups, the local Asturian bagpipers, and the excellent, professional City of Oviedo Band.

It took about 45 minutes for the whole procession of people, horses, and sheep(!) to pass by. I think this marks the end of what has been an extended Christmas season, all in full holiday mode for the twelve days between Christmas and today. In fact, today is the main gift-giving holiday, so stores and fairs have been promoting their many gift selections over the past week. Post-holiday sales do not start until Monday!

Melchor

Gaspar

Balthazar

The kings were magnificent, but in the nearby city of Gijon they rode on camels!

 The Nineveh contingent

 A horned helmet

 Happy Assyrians

An eastern potentate

Veiled young women, part of the "Court of Trebisond"

 There were many beautiful Andalusian horses that "danced" as they passed

 The entire flock of sheep that accompanied the Galilean shepherds

 Asturian bagpipe band (the Celtic heritage!)

And after the magical parade, the traditional cake -- a bean and baby Jesus inside. The baby finder has good luck for the year; the bean finder buys next year's cake.

The Order of the Cavalcade

1. Policia

2. Guardia árabe
3. Banda Unión Musical del Principado
4. Aliatar
5. Emir de Damasco
6. Califa de Basora
7. Príncipes de Rajastán
8. Banda de Música de San Salvador
9. Rey Melchor
10. Jinetes de Katar
11. Embajada de Omán
12. Dignatarios de Turfán
13. Banda de Música Jesús Cautivo
14. Diáconos de Babilonia
15. Corte de Trebisonda
16. Banda de Música de Guardo (Palencia)
17. Rey Gaspar
18. Caballería de Siam
19. Infantes de Macedonia
20. Gran Khan de Manchuria
21. Mandarín de Kambaluk
22. Banda Sagrado Corazón de Jesús
23. Pastores de Galilea
24. Banda de Gaitas Ciudad de Oviedo
25. Escuadrón de Siria
26. Palio de Nínive
27. Palio de Assuán
28. Banda de Música de Toro (Zamora)
29. Sultán de Smirna
30. Cónsul Ecbatana
31. Banda de Música de Meira
32. Jinetes de Ur
33. Gran Khan de Samarkanda
34. Sultán de Etiopía
35. Banda de Música Ciudad de Oviedo
36. Rey Baltasar
37. Banda de Música de Foz (Lugo)
38. Coche antiguo de bomberos de Oviedo (1920)
39. Camión antiguo de regalo