Village life (II)

Summer starts with Saint John's eve (June 23). A group of people goes to a neighboring village to get the flame from Canigó mountain (some myth about the Catalan countries). With that flame a bonfire is set on fire in the village and people light firecrackers to make a lot of noise. At around 10 p.m., those who bought a ticket congregate in the event hall to have dinner together: bread with ham or cheese or some pizza-like cake with tuna, spinach or a local sausage, accompanied by local wine. For dessert a typical cream cake with multicolored fruit and coffee (with a shot of brandy if you like). And then there will be a band playing music for the ball.
On Saint John's day itself (June 24) the local swimming pool opens at noon to inaugurate the summer season that lasts until September 11. There is a swimmer's pool and a shallow, small one for kids. If you like a quiet swim you have to come between three and five in the afternoon when the locals have their siesta. At around five, people start coming to the pool; more or less always the same who like to spread their towels at exactly the same spot and mingle with the same people every day. At lot of the regulars are vacationers who have second homes in the village and come here only during some weeks of the summer.
There is a snack bar and a small playground with very old equipment that does not look like fulfilling actual safety standards.
There are rumors about a general makeover of the main pool next year.