What's important

The country may be on is backside; unable to sell its bonds, requiring a 100 million Euro bailout to supports its banks. The regions may be so indebted that they cannot borrow money from anywhere and even the towns are drowning in debt but none of this matters because La Selección de fútbol de España will go through to the next stage of the Euro 2012 competition. Ultimately, that is what really matters; the World Champions have survived to the next stage

It is also summer and fiesta time. On the 23rd of this month, Bigastro will elect the queens for this year's fiesta and Aurelio has asked me for photo's to be part of the book that accompanies it. There will be fireworks, parades, music and everything else that goes to make the town's celebration of its patron saint special. We may see some cost cutting here and there but mostly it will be business as usual.

There is obviously something about the Spanish psyche which allows the country to continue even when it is on the brink of collapse. Nobody dwells on the doom and gloom, they just get dressed up, party hard and cheer their team on.

Of course, if Spain loose out in the next stages of Euro 2012, that will be something else! We don't really want to think of that happening.