The Peña

And another peñistic weekend arrived, this time in Sigüenza! I had the honor of being invited to the 30th anniversary of Peña Seguntina, and the celebration began in the best possible way: with a ham and wine tasting that was absolutely spectacular. Between slices and sips, you could already feel the Peña spirit and the excitement to fully enjoy the day.

Afterwards, we went to enjoy a delicious roast lamb, of course at a great restaurant, where no fewer than 4 of the 5 Peñas from Guadalajara gathered. The table had an extra touch of luxury: the legends Solozábal and Fresnedoso, whom I had the pleasure of sitting next to—along with Sandra, the president of Seguntina, and Txus Rojas! Between laughter, anecdotes, and good humor, the meal turned into a true Peña feast.

What a peñistic weekend we had! It all started on November 15th in Burgos, celebrating the 15th anniversary of Peña Gamonal. Around 11 a.m., a bus picked us up (yes, like a school trip, but with more excitement and zero homework) and took us to the Peña. They gave us a full tour and treated us to an aperitif that was absolutely delicious. Between tapas and laughter, we could already feel the special Peña magic.

Still with a smile on our faces (and a few anecdotes that will take a while to forget) after a wonderful day… A heartfelt thanks to Peña Atlética La Bañeza “Un sentimiento” for inviting us to celebrate their 30th anniversary on Saturday, October 11. It was a perfect day, one of those that makes you feel reconciled with everything.

Saturday began with the traditional football match, which ended in a penalty shootout—perhaps because Rafa, president of Peña Mallorca, acted as referee. The next day, many of the participants complained about sore muscles; it seems age and inactivity spare neither the body nor the memory… and certainly not how to play football!

Last year, when the members of the Peña Atlético Aviación invited me to their 15th anniversary in March, I hesitated for a moment because I had a feeling the celebration could get out of hand, but I thought it over and concluded it was worth it. After all, when have I ever resisted a good party?

On March 22, early in the morning, I set off for Benavente, a town in the Zamora province, a city that Víctor, a member of the peña, had already shown to Txus and me during our short visit in October 2024. After leaving my things in the room at the La Trucha guesthouse, which Javi (president of the peña) had reserved for me, Isaac came to pick me up and take me to the epicenter of the action: the peña headquarters. I arrived there in a van, accompanied by Patricia Cazón, only to discover that the venue had become too small, so they had set up tents on the street (with permission from the town hall, I suppose), where they had prepared some appetizers to kick things off.

Reaching 57 years as an official Peña is undoubtedly a reason for celebration, and that’s exactly what the Peña Atlética de Pozoblanco in the province of Córdoba did. More than half a century cheering on our Atleti deserves a grand celebration, and we were lucky enough to be invited.

Along with Encarni, president of the Peña Atlética de Pablo Barrios and a personal friend, we set off and stayed at her sister’s house, who lives near Pozoblanco. We arrived on Friday the 14th, and the celebration was planned for Saturday, March 15. Around 11 in the morning, we met up in Pozoblanco with Juan José, president of the Peña, and he had the brilliant idea of showing us how COVAP, a dairy industry, operates. The guided tour was excellent and left all attendees amazed by the experience and the hospitality we received.