A GUIDEPOST REPRINT: “The Semana Grande of Saint Jean-de-Luz,” 26 September 1969 »
A Semana Grande in Saint Jean-de-Luz? In France? Mais oui! The Semana Grande of Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a festival with a cultural purpose that outstrips the festivals in most Spanish cities on which it has been modeled. Saint-Jean-de-Luz in the Pay Basque is a French commune. And yet its ties to Spain is infinitely closer than its ties to France. The first Semana Grande of Saint-Jean-de-Luz was a commemoration of the 300th anniversary of the marriage of Louis XIV of France to the Spanish Infanta Maria Teresa. The tenth Semana Grande was a powerfully Spanish festival that wowed all those who came to attend.
SWEET AND SAINTLY: (1) The Candied Almonds of the Poor Clares of Alcalá »
The documented existence of the caramelized almonds in Alcalá de Henares, 35 km northeast of the nation's capital, dates back to the 18th century although it is probably Arab in origin and as such these garrapiñadas (the Spanish name for candied almonds) would date much further back. You can buy the garrapiñadas at the stores but there’s nothing like buying them from the Convent of the Poor Clares of San Diego in Alcalá, probably the nearest thing to the candied almonds’ birthplace. The garrapiñadas are exquisite. And so is the experience of buying them at the Convent.
