Summer is a-cummin in..

Well, it came in a while ago really, at least as far as the calendar is concerned. In Donostia, St John's Eve (June 23rd) is celebrated with fire. It's really rather magical and bonfires, both large and small, are lit in many different places around the city, but especially on the seafront. There is a tradition of jumping through the flames, three times is the recommended 'dosage', in order to secure good health for the coming year, say goodbye to the ills and woes of the previous year, and so on. These days many schoolchildren celebrate the event by burning their old coursework materials - very cathartic, I'm sure! In the old quarter of the city, in the Plaza de la Constitución, there is an additional ceremony which is well worth seeing. To the uninformed tourist, as was my case may years ago, the overnight appearance of whole, living ash tree apparently growing out of the centre of this square seems quite surreal. What happens is that the tree is the centre of a special ceremony, involving a blessing and ritual dances (including the "Zortziko de San Juan" and "Gizon Dantza"), followed by the ritual 'burning' of the tree. Afterwards, strips from the bark of the tree are distributed as tokens for those who attended the ceremony to take away and endow them with good health, good luck, etc.

But, as in many parts of Europe this year, the summer of 2008 is in a constant state of coming and then going again. Those in the tourist sector have noticed the effects in the reduced number of visitors, which seems to be a phenomenon much repeated around the rest of Spain. But Donostia is not only visited for its beaches and myriad eating places - the 43rd International Jazz Festival is just around the corner and with it, the many thousands of visitors who will come to enjoy jazz on a summer's evening. Personally I find the free concerts particularly enjoyable, especially as one of the three stages is set on the beach itself.

As I write, a traditional sirimiri is gently falling outside - a fine drizzle that some find refreshing, especially those who have come from the hotter regions of Spain to visit Donostia, but not so welcome is it for those whose plans centre on lying on the beach and soaking up the sun. Tomorrow perhaps....