Travel

Yesterday it was time for a rojiblanco adventure: Bruges awaited us for the legendary Club Brugge–Atlético match. Yes, that stadium with bad luck where we’ve never won. From Peña Atlética Germany, we set off by car, loaded with coffee, excitement, and a GPS or two that decided to play its own game.

The official pre-game promised little… but as always, we Rojiblancos improvised. In the visitor parking lot, a spontaneous pre-game formed with the fan buses arriving: chants, photos, greetings, and the classic attempt to coordinate a choreo that ended up being improvised. That’s when the true rojiblanco spirit was felt.

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.

It all started with an innocuous notification: “Atlético de Madrid begins its pre-season in Porto.” Nothing unusual, right? Well, not for us. For Txus and me, it was like a divine sign. Without a second thought—because thinking has never been our strong suit on these adventures—we did the only logical thing: pack a picnic basket, find affordable tickets (which turned out to be free!), and head to Portugal as if we were ambassadors of the international Colchonero spirit.

What peña can boast of having blown out 25 candles? Very few. And which one can say it did so outside of Spain? Only one: the Peña Atlética de Gante, the oldest of all the Rojiblanco peñas abroad. If that’s not a reason to celebrate in a big way… then I don’t know what is.

That’s exactly what Filip Standaert, its tireless president, thought. After having to postpone their 20th anniversary because of a global pandemic (which is starting to feel distant, but still stings), there were no excuses: now it was time to celebrate, and to do it in style. And boy, did they ever.