TOTAL COMMITMENT OF THE PEÑA BUENAVENTANA
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.
The venue was already packed with people from all over, though mostly from peñas in the north: La Bañeza, Valladolid, Cintruénigo, Burgos, several from León… but the furthest north, as always, was mine. The joy of reunion was evident in the hugs of happiness, the laughter as we reminisced about past moments, the joy of meeting new people, and the anticipation of the party ahead. Even though it was a rainy morning, everyone was in the best of spirits.
After the appetizers, we headed to lunch at a neighboring peña with a larger venue. This was necessary because I estimate nearly 200 people gathered to honor the Peña Buenaventana.
The place, usually decorated in white and green, was now, as expected, decorated in red and white. There was a lot of hard work and care put into the setup, and it was noticeable when the food arrived: a luxurious lasagna and some braised cheeks that were unforgettable confirmed that no one would leave the table hungry. The organizers complained about a power outage, which the attendees hardly noticed because we had already had a couple of drinks, and what we were least concerned with was the light.
After dessert, there was a raffle and a gift exchange. Our peña presented the traditional diploma, but the gift we received still moves us: an image of the patron saint of Benavente, the Virgen de la Vega, with a dedication plaque for our peña, which from now on will be displayed in an honorary place and will be our patron saint.
The party was picking up steam, the tables and chairs were cleared, and space was made for the dance, which would be entertained by our beloved Metropolitano Rock Band. They didn’t keep us waiting and arrived on time to kick off a party where we burned all the calories from the appetizers and lunch, shouted the songs at the top of our lungs, and didn’t stop dancing until dinner was served (it’s hard to believe, yes, but there was also dinner!). Empanadas, tortillas, local cured meats… and all this while the mobile disco started, keeping us dancing until the last partygoer wanted to leave. I left relatively early, around midnight, like Cinderella, but the next day, during breakfast at the guesthouse, some were joining in for a coffee, sounding quieter than I did, having not slept more than half an hour.
Before heading off to our respective nests, we had lunch together at a grill in Benavente, where I nearly made the “simpa” of the century without intending to, and where we promised each other we would meet again soon at one of the many anniversaries to come.
There is nothing like attending the celebration of a peña, that call of brotherhood and complicity that unites us and deepens that feeling that makes us call each other the rojiblanca family.
¡Aúpa Atleti, aúpa las peñas y aúpa los peñistas!
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