Rose of saffron festival in Consuegra Spain, 23 – 25 October 2020
Rose of saffron festival in Consuegra Spain
23 – 25 October 2020
The town Consuegra, located at a distance of 60 km from Toledo is right in the middle of the vast saffron plantations. Rose of Saffron Festival has been held each year since 1963. The festival is going on the last weekend of October. During the festival, the people of Consuegra don their traditional costumes and spend a weekend dancing, eating, drinking, parading and merry making from morning to night. A visit to this extraordinary food festival does not only give you a chance to sample the best paellas and other rice dishes you will ever eat, but also to enjoy historical monuments and art if you decide to make the short trip to Toledo. A very different Spain experience indeed. Saffron has been harvested, the threads are dried and packaged and it´s time to celebrate which the people of Consuegra do exceptionally well.
October is harvest time in many European countries and several festivals are held to celebrate the end of the hard work.
The saffron rose is a lovely, small flower ranging in color from light blue to lilac, containing yellow threads in the petals which make up saffron, the world´s most expensive spice.
Castilla La Mancha in central Spain is the center where the best quality saffron grows in Spain, due to its climate.
It´s back breaking work to collect the flowers.
Best time is early in the morning when the petals just open.
Then to pluck out the threads also called stigma, pile them up and dry them.
Only then is the spice ready for use, sold by the ounce and often presented in beautifully crafted glass jars.
It´s all done by hand.
Basic Information
When: 23 – 25 October 2020
Where: Consuegra, Spain
Official website: consuegra.es
Hotels: Hotels in Consuegra
Accommodation
Not so many hotels right in Consuegra, but a few charming ones, with typical Spanish style, can be found.
A hidden gem is the cozy Hotel Rural La Vida de Antes, in an old mansion from the 1800’s.
Great staff and a charming backyard with a little pool.
Good reviews from its guests.
Consuegra Windmills and Castle
Up on a hill stands an impressive 12th century castle which has recently been restored and contains several workshops.
Over the next hill you find Spain´s best preserved seven wind mills, and each with a name.
They all came to fame because Castilla La Mancha is Cervantes country.
The mills were the model for Don Quixote´s fight with the windmills and one of them is named after his side kick Sancho Panza.
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Barcelona NYE – New Years Evening in Barcelona
Barcelona NYE – New Years Evening in Barcelona
New years evening show and celebration in Barcelona
Spending New Year’s Evening in Barcelona is a great option and experience.
Two main locations for street celebrations are Plaça d’Espanya and Plaça Catalunya and the official celebration of New Year’s Evening in Barcelona takes place at Placa d’Espanya.
It’s a totally free family-friendly event with lots of music, light, and a wonderful pyrotechnic show.
The event is highly popular with locals, thousands of Barcelona citizens and tourists head to the square.
Always a big crowd so make sure to get there early enough to get a good spot.
The pyrotechnic show starts at 11.30 pm and lasts for 30 minutes.
New Years Eve Traditions in Spain
Like any other country, Spain has many traditions for “Nochevieja” – New
Year’s Eve.
One of them suggests that you need to eat 12 grapes, while the
clock strikes 12 times, to be blessed with luck for the whole new year.
Other popular tradition is drinking cava from the glass with a gold ring in it.
It will bring you wealth and prosperity. Red lingerie is also considered to bring good luck, although it refers more to the field of love.
The traditional dish for a family dinner is “escudella amb carn d’olla” – a
broth, made with all kinds of meat cuts and served with huge pasta shells.
After the family dinner, people usually go out to party the night away with friends.
New years Eve party and clubs in Barcelona.
Most Barcelona clubs organize bombastic parties for New Year’s Evening.
If you plan to dance all night long, you have a wide choice.
Just remember to buy your ticket in advance as the clubs are always overbooked for New Year’s Evening.
The most popular party clubs in Barcelona are:
- Poble Espanyol NYE – is known to throw “the best and the biggest party in Barcelona” for New Year’s Eve
- Razzmatazz – the biggest club of the city
- Sala Apolo – second largest club in Barcelona, also known for its
reasonable prices, even for New Year’s Eve - Pacha Barcelona – throws a great international party for New Year
- Shoko Club – is situated close to the beach and has an excellent sea view
- Luz de Gas – one of the city’s oldest and most loved night clubs
These are the most best-known clubs of Barcelona.
However, if you don’t manage to get inside one of them for New Year’s Evening, you can suerly find another one, and probably, not far from your hotel.
Stay close to the happenings
Christmas time in Barcelona and New Years Eve attracts thousands of visitors so we certainly recommend booking your accommodation early.
If you want to stay close to the street celebrations, then hotels near Placa d’Espanya and Plaça Catalunya is a great choice.
Hotel with a lovely view
One of the best hotels is Catalonia Barcelona Plaza right at Plaza Espanyol.
Here you can get a room with a great view to it all.
They even have a great rooftop terrace overlooking Placa d’Espanya.
Weather in Barcelona
Winter in Barcelona is rather mild, but still, December and January are the
coldest months of the year.
The average daily temperature is around 11-13 0 C.
It almost never snows and rarely rains.
Still, you should think about some warm clothes if you are planning to celebrate New Year outside as the night temperature can get as low as 1-3 C.
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