Carnaval

So, Cádiz is famous throughout Spain for having the best carnival in the country. There seem to be three factors required for a good carnival - sherry, people and music. Sherry is always to be recommended. The centre of town was so crowded with people that it was impossible to move. Music is provided by groups of roving singers. At least, if the crowd density allowed for roving. The singers perform in one of four genres: comparsa, chirigota, coro and cuarteto. The best are the chirigotas, which are funny. The singers stand on stages or sit on tractors and wait for the crowd to flow around them. This is a chirigota which was finishing just as we forced our way to the square. It moved off, as stately as it is possible for a tractor hauling a false castle filled with false knights to be.

It really was very crowded.

The stage was then open for the chirigota 'Los Prejubilados'. These were supposed to be men who have taken early retirement, and who therefore have nothing to do apart from fornicate and avoid work. As both my father and my father-in-law have taken early retirement, I was sceptical. Especially as they allowed their kids to perform with them.

But they were, broadly, funny.

It wouldn't be a carnival either without balloons.

Or a giant inflatable triceratops. Actually, it might be a lifesize inflatable triceratops - scale isn't really my thing.

But it was a fun day out, I suppose. On top of all this joy, my father-in-law lent me some more CDs of the great Silvio Rodríguez. His full name is Silvio Rodríguez Domínguez, and his first three albums were called Silvio, Rodríguez, and Domínguez. His next album was called Autobiográfico. A pattern he rather spoilt with his fifth album, Descartes.