Festival de la Luna Mora

This weekend's adventure wasn't to another country or even continent, but a 3 hour drive directly across Andalucía, towards the Med to the tiny medieval town of Guaro. Like many of the white villages of the area, Guaro dates back to the Arabic occupation of Spain. The small community of some 2,500 people keeps its Moorish history very much alive with the annual Festival de la Luna Mora. 

Although the festival only began in 1997, the middle weekends in September attract 60,000 visitors when the streets turn into a large Moorish bazaar, filled with craftsmen, storytellers, performers, musicians, and Arab dishes. Besides a break from Spanish food, the draw of the festival was the 20,000 candles that line the streets in various designs and patterns as the sun sets. You see, for these weekends, the electric lights take a break, leaving the task of illumination to oil lamps and candles. Walking through the maze like streets, illuminated by only candle light, smelling incense on the warm night's air one can't help but humming Arabian Nights while looking for a fez wearing monkey at every intersection.

We spent our evening strolling the streets, drooling over the feast at each passing booth: kebabs, potatoes, sausage, churros, cheese, falafels, pastries, drinks, candy. And yes, trying more than we probably should have as we shopped the craft booths, watched the dancers in the street, and looked for all the candle displays through the the allies illuminated like a runway.

The event was amazing and several times throughout the evening I had to remind myself that I was in Spain and not elsewhere. People in costume milling through the streets. Families sitting at tea tables. Hooka pipes. Foreign music. Lack of English. I loved it. Every bit of it.


And you know I really did love it when I'm already talking about going back next year...yes ME, Little Miss Been There, Done That. Mid September 2015, any visitors expect to experience this fabulous festival!

Destination: Cueta, Spain

Ceuta is one of those peculiar areas of the world where cultures and rich history doesn't make it easy to figure out where you are if you were just dropped off. This tiny section of Africa's northern coast has seen more than its fair share of civilizations: founded by the Carthaginians (5th century BC), Roman's claimed it as part of their empire 42 AD, Visigoths used the port town during the Byzantine Empire. Muslim and Tunisian rulers took their turns invading and renaming the city over decades, until 1415 when the city was captured by Portugal.
 
Ceuta was the only city of the Portuguese Empire that sided with Spain when Portugal regained its independence in 1640 and has been Spanish land ever since. The city's ties to Portugal still remain strong to include the coat of arms and its flag containing the same background as Lisbon's city flag.

So why all the invaders? Primo location along the Straits of Gibraltar made it optimal for not only trade routes but also maritime tactics. And I mean, it's BEAUTIFUL!

The very much tourist city still maintains much of its history: fishermen casting lines of bread baited hooks into the canal, a strict siesta time, shops along the street with influences of various cultures, and the amazing fortifications walls protecting the peninsula from all the vulnerable coastal attacks.

Legends are still strong within the area and being that this is one of the closest pieces of land between Gibraltar, the southern Pillar of Hercules is thought to be in this city. The other nomination is across the mountain range in Morocco, Jebel Musa, and evidence is further supported by the silhouette the range hold.

According to ledgend, Hercules completed his 10th labor of collecting the cattle of Geryon and delivering them by punching through the mountain range with his mace that stood in his way. In doing so, he not only completed his task (leaving 2 more to complete) but also connected the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Locals pointed out Jebel Musa the mountain range in the distance suggesting that it looked like a resting Hercules after his labors task. The northern pillar? The rock of Gibraltar of course!

The other plausible legend of this mountain? The locals call it La Mujer Muerta which gives you an idea. The story they told us goes like this- a young lady who was caught by her father bathing in the water, who after being warned not to do so, still continued to do so. So naturally her father put a curse on her, petrifying her right there at the spot. (Leave it to men to look at a mountain range and see boobs.)