Behind The Mask

It may not have escaped your attention that town halls' publicity material for fiestas holds a special place in this blog - yesterday for example. While this material ranges from the pretentious and the ludicrously expensive to the downright inadequate, normally it does not convey controversy or comedy. However ... Step forward the material for this year's Mare de Déu d'Agost fiesta season in Can Picafort.

Last year there was an absolutely splendid old rumpus in Can Pic regarding ducks. Just to remind you. On the actual day of Mare de Déu it used to be the tradition that live ducks were released from the boats that take part in a sea-borne procession. This of course was then deemed animally incorrect and so they came up with a fabulously crazy solution - rubber ducks. No more live ducks and anyone letting them go was under threat of a collar-feeling from plod. So, what happened ...? In 2007 some wags donned masks and did indeed let some live ducks flap around. Cue howls of protest and some bemusement as to quite what the fuss was all about; in a country where it is ok to kill bulls as part of a spectator sport, it is deemed cruel to let ducks do a bit of flying and then swimming around. As far as I am aware the miscreants were never apprehended; at the time the chaps in heavy boots were busy directing traffic.

With all this in mind, what have they come up with for this year's publicity? The main image is of two kids with rubber ducks. All very innocent and cutesy. But. One of the kids has a mask on, a Power Rangers mask, similar to that worn by the duck-liberating masked men from last year. Hence the rumpus or at least cries of outrage from opposition politicians at the local (Santa Margalida) town hall. Personally I think it shows a rare line of humour, albeit that it will probably be lost on most visitors who won't have a clue what it's meant to represent. One looks forward with anticipation to this year's ducky event, though something tells me that plod will be instructed to let the traffic grind to a halt.

To see this wonder of publicity, go here:
http://www.diariodemallorca.es/secciones/noticia.jsp?pRef=2008080100_3_381147__PartForana-cartel-fiestas-levanta-polemica


In the port of Alcúdia during August and September there will be a new attraction. On Wednesdays and Saturdays there are to be activities on the Paseo Marítimo which are meant to be a boost to local businesses and especially those engaged in traditional trades. The activities will include craft workshops and the like and presumably also some flogging of wares. They are intended to invigorate a business sector affected by a rubbish season. I am not entirely sure how. But they will be something else for tourists to have a gander at and take some photos, so it all seems fair enough and could well be quite interesting. And you never know maybe those cash-strapped tourists might be willing to part with ready euros. Maybe.


QUIZ
Yesterday's title - Blue, "If It Takes All Night" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0XkQlNyndM. Today's title - legend; which one?

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