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You’re used to me fluttering around for the company, sharing fun, crazy, and interesting facts about Spain. I’m always up for anything when the bosses ask me to go on a flutter mission. Well… almost anything. For this assignment, I had to take a deep breath. Because — and this is a bit embarrassing for a flying flamingo to admit — I’m afraid of heights. Yes, that’s my excuse for what I’m about to tell you.
My challenge is to overcome my fear of heights by climbing a 20-meter-high tree trunk. I’m doing this in Altea. Every year, on June 23rd, a traditional folk festival is held there as a tribute to the fertility of the agricultural land.
This symbolic celebration has ancient Celtic origins. In Altea, it’s done by carrying a long poplar tree from the neighboring village of Benilloba all the way up to the old town of Altea, which is much higher up. In the summer heat, it turns into a carnival-like scene with lots of drinks, noise, and T-shirt ripping. Once the tree reaches the old town, it is placed into a hole and the climbing begins. The goal is to hang the ripped shirts as high as possible. And to make it even more challenging, the climbers are ‘attacked’ with water from balconies.
When it was my turn to conquer the poplar, I climbed up trembling. Don’t look down, I kept telling myself. After a lot of struggling, I reached the top. Scared, but happy I made it. When I finally got back down, I panicked — my whole body was covered in a rash. I thought it was just fear-sweat. Turns out… I’m also allergic to poplar trees. Let’s hope my next flutter adventure is slightly less challenging.
