Summer's approaching in Britain- the sun is showing itself- which leads me to this is a great photo. Thanks Harald for letting us reproduce it here. It captures that feria feeling in Guatemala, the blue sky (that we see less than we'd care to admit in the UK) and that special touch of colour.

Many of my happiest times in Guatemala have to be during ferias or festivals. The food, flavours, music and the people. In Guatemala there are so many different types of ferias, it's hard to overstate their part in Guatemalan culture (and understate their role in British culture for that matter).

In the UK, whatever they tell you in the guide books (and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall programmes), village fetes and infrequent irregular street parties don't quite hit the mark. The festivals that get close, are usually ticketed, and if you can get an entry are miles from where you actually live (unless you live in Reading or another festival hot spot)- so not really the same thing at all. I'd stick with the Guatemalan variety any day.