Santiago Feria and Pulpo Gallego

Another busy week comes to an end. After two set-backs when the battery in my laptop ran out of juice twice, I've managed a full 24 hour run through of the latest code and this allows me to get onto the next stage of a current project.

This week the fair has come to Santiago and the big-wheel in the central park, the Alameda, can be seen from everywhere in the city. After a goodbye dinner with some Korean friends we headed there on Thursday evening and took a stroll around the park with the hoardes of fair-goers, the smell of freshly fried churros and candy-floss mixing with the petrol smells from the engines driving the rides and the sounds of screaming kids. From the top of the big wheel you get a stunning view of the Cathedral, although the wheel spins at a startling speed, giving little time to enjoy the view.

The dynamism at the fair also gave a good chance to try out some rather tricky shots of people in the rather unevenly lit situation. This one of a good friend, and fellow photography enthusiast came as an unusual but rather pleasing shot:

After this the group went off to see a concert (one of many this week) given by one of Spain's top female pop singers. I might have gone had it not been for the fact that I simply can't stand Spanish popular music. Other Spanish music I can enjoy a great deal, but the pop which is played constantly on the radios in the cafes I frequent drives me crazy - the melodramatic female voices and lyrics grating on me like fingernails down a blackboard. So, I ducked out early and headed home.

Friday saw another first when my US couchsurfer suggested we try and get hold of an octopus to cook, Galician style. An hour of boiling the beast later and we had a reasonable rendition of the most popular dish in this region of Spain, together with pimientos de Padrón and a revuelto of asparagus and mushrooms. Together with guests from Columbia, South Africa, Russia, and another American, we ended up with a pretty successful meal though I now realise how subtle the timing of octopus is.

Today I've spent back in the cafe working on code, but have a fantastic meal promised tonight by a Taiwanese couchsurfer who is here with his Japanese friend. Having taken a two year cooking course, this should be quite a meal, and together with the Latvian and Swede due to arrive here some time tonight, it looks like being another thoroughly international evening.

Anyway, this leaves me with some more time to continue these code wars, so I should get on....

All the fun of the fair

The coincidence this year of May Day and Ascension day has brought a bumper load of celebrations to Santiago. I had four couchsurfers staying on Thursday night, Mayday night, and we headed out to the old town at around 10 pm for dinner. The crowds were huge and the events going on around the city, varied, from Celtic music (there are strong links between Galician and Celtic culture) to puppet shows and traditional feasts!

The Alameda, the large park in the centre of the city, from which you get perhaps the best view of the Cathedral (I much prefer it from afar), is currently home to a large fair, with all the candy flossy goodness that you get with such things in the UK. I headed back to the fair yesterday evening and took advantage of the lightshow to get a few pictures.

Click for larger versions, plus more to follow when time allows.

Anyway, in general things are very very busy at the moment. We're trying desperately to get the current paper finished and I have another three projects waiting for my attention once this is done! Plans for the summer with plenty of travel adventures being set up. Currently things are getting organised for a summer school, a workshop, and at least seven talks in four other countries plus new collaborations in the mix. Should be enjoyable!