Las Fallas Festival
This past weekend we had the privilege to see one of the most famous festivals in Spain: Las Fallas de Valencia. I had heard so much about these celebrations and had visited the Fallero museum twice during previous trips to the city. Needless to say, I was very excited to finally experience La Fallas in person!
The tradition of Las Fallas began as a way for the Valencian people to celebrate the start of spring on March 19th. They would light large fires to welcome in the new season and this yearly occurrence eventually evolved to include artistic and satirical elements. In 2016, Las Fallas was added to the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It was very inspiring to see how involved the people of Valencia were in the celebrations and how much pride they take in continuing this tradition.
The highlight of last week was an excursion to see the Granada symphony with all of the 5th and 6th graders. The orchestra created and presented a special concert for the kids and it was so interactive and entertaining. I also really enjoyed having the day away from school to bond more with my coworkers and students.
The same day I also befriended a lizard that I found on my weekly walk. He or she was enjoying the afternoon sun and I stopped for a few minutes to appreciate the little creature before returning them to their home.
On Thursday, Skye, Renne and I took a Blablacar to the Malaga airport and met a new friend during the trip! The other passenger is an English conversation assistant from Manchester who is living in Almería and we had a great time getting to know him. The four of us grabbed a drink together once we were through security and there’s the chance we might meet up for a beach day sometime before June.
The plane that was taking us to Valencia looked ridiculously small compared the other flights we had been on recently and Skye could almost touch her head to the ceiling…I’m not sure why Iberia chose such a tiny plane, but thankfully it got us to our destination without any mishaps.
We taxied to the city center and checked into our perfectly situated hostel right next to the Valencian Central Market. The three of us were so relieved that our room only had three beds since none of us had much energy for making new friends. I was also hoping that the smaller room would mean that I would sleep better than my typical hostel experience.
Once we were settled, we headed out on foot to check out some of the huge art structures that are the crux of the festival. Different groups from around the city create these masterpieces and each year they make around 800! The craftsmanship and attention to detail make them look like so realistic and we had quite the time ogling at them.
Victoria had recommended that we try a typical Fallas treat called bañuelos de calabaza (essentially a pumpkin donut) when we were talking about our trip earlier in the week. Inspired by my love for anything fall flavored, I dragged Skye and Renne to find a stall selling them. We bought some, agreed to extra sugar and wandered to the Plaza de Ayuntamiento to eating our treats. They were light and fluffy but lacking a bit in the way of pumpkin.
After seeing some more structures and being serenaded by one of the many Valencian singing groups, we went back to our hostel to call it a night. Skye had recently come down with a sickness that Renne had while we were in Portugal and I was also not feeling well. We decided a good nights sleep was necessary for everyone so that we could fully enjoy everything that the festival had to offer.
Unfortunately, two of the three of us didn’t sleep all that well and we had a slow start to Friday trying to get ourselves together. We went to a lovely brunch place called Eggcellent and had delicious versions poached eggs of toast. Skye and I both got a caramelized onion and goat cheese option, while Renne opted for a truffled mushroom Benedict!
After breakfast we followed the sounds of fireworks and singing down the streets until we found a small, informal marching band that was parading around. We joined the crowd behind them and walked with the boisterous group into the Central Market where they were promptly turned away by security guards.
We lingered in the market and took a few laps around before deciding on a fresh fruit juice for each of us. The weather was really heating up and so the drink was a welcome, refreshing.
One of the main events for Las Fallas is the Mascletá de las Fallas which happens everyday from March 1st to the 19th at 2:00 pm. A massive crowd gathers in the Plaza de Ayuntamiento to see (and hear) a mixture of colored smoke flares, daytime fireworks and gunpowder explosions. The three of us decided that we wanted to experience this very popular tradition and so we entered the crowd to try to get a spot.
The event itself lasted about five minutes but that is truly all my ears could handle. All of the noise from the explosions and fireworks ricocheted off the surrounding buildings and amplified the sound so much that you could feel it in your entire body. My favorite part was definitely the multicolored smoke flares that changed the whole sky different colors and lingered in the air.
We tried to escape the crowd (something we would be doing for the rest of the weekend) and went back to our hostel to grab our stuff before walking to our Airbnb. Skye and I had originally planned this weekend on a whim with two auxes who we met in Morocco! The four of us had booked this Airbnb on the port just after getting back to Spain, and now it was all coming to fruition.
Feeling under the weather and over stimulated, we relaxed inside for a bit to recuperate. We have traveled a lot back-to-back this Spring and I think we all agreed we were a little burned out. I am so grateful to have this opportunity to see and experience these amazing places, but I definitely need to learn to pace myself.
After a nap (for me) and some rejuvenation, our friends Elena and Montse arrived! I had not seen them since early November and it was so nice to catch up and laugh with them again.
Our group got ready and jumped on the metro to meet up with some more aux friends (Lydia, Anna and Emily) for dinner. Since we were a large group, eight people at this point, I was worried we weren’t going to find a place to sit all of us. After one failed attempt, we were able to get a table at a Mexican restaurant with some of the funkiest, in-your-face decor I’ve seen.
Dinner was yummy but nothing to write home about and we were rushed out of table as soon as we finished. The amount of people in Valencia for this weekend really is no joke.
There was another fireworks show in the same plaza at midnight so we walked around looking at some of the structures before making our way to the square. Our group got split in two in the crowds and it took us forever to be reunited, but thankfully we were able to find each other again.
We were a bit late trying to get a good vantage point and because of all the people we were only able to get as far in as one of the side streets. Sadly this meant that we missed the visuals for the fireworks show and were only able to hear the deafening sounds that the firecrackers and explosions made. Renne and I watched for bit in the reflection of a nearby window but overall it was a disappointment.
Deciding we were ready for bed, we started for home but it ended up being quite the journey due to the crowds. After escaping the throng of people in the side street, we made our way to the metro stop. However, they weren't letting people down the stairs into the station since there was not enough space inside so we came to the conclusion that we would walk back.
Halfway into the walk, we passed a less crowded metro stop and decided to give it a shot. We had to wait for a bit and during this time the station began to fill up with people also looking to call it a night. When the train finally arrived we were carried by the crowd onto the car and crammed in so tight that we couldn't stand up straight. There were several minutes where either one or both of my feet were off the ground due to the lack of space.
Thankfully we only had a short ride, but we we left the station dazed and on edge from just how crowded the metro car had been. I have never been a fan of crowds and although they do not make me as anxious as they once did, being in them for extended periods of time definitely still wears on my nerves.
Happy to be back in our own space, we all headed off to bed after some much needed showers to get the sunscreen and germs off of us. We all slept much better without the typical ruckus of a hostel and I was reminded why I always prefer Airbnbs over other options for places to stay.
Saturday morning we had a quick breakfast at our apartment before taking the metro to Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. I had visited this combination of buildings before but it still an impressive sight to behold on the third time around. We wandered through some of the fountains and the small garden that is a part of the park. It was such a relief that the place was not jam packed with people and I think we all really needed a breather from the crowds.
We taxied to the beach and Renne had some very close calls with bad luck within a span of minutes. When she went to hail the taxi, she stepped into the bike lane and was nearly hit by a man on a scooter. Then, when we were dropped at our destination, she realized that her purse was inside the taxi as he began driving away. Thankfully, he saw her running after the car and stopped so she could be reunited with her bag.
The mixture of sun, sand and a beach volleyball tournament created the perfect atmosphere to relax and enjoy a slower paced afternoon and early evening. Our group stopped at a beachside restaurant to share a pitcher of agua de Valencia which is a typical drink made from orange juice, cava and vodka. We shared some small bites and then took to the sand to catch the last of the afternoon rays.
When we started to get chilly, we packed up our stuff and took the metro back to our Airbnb. We stopped for some dinner/snacks/drinks at a grocery store since none of us wanted to risk not being able to find a place for dinner in the center. A few of Monste's friends joined us for some drinks we made in our apartment and we all got ready for a night out.
Still feeling a bit jarred from our previous night's metro experience, we headed into the city center with plenty of time before the midnight fireworks show. We joined forces with our other aux friends with the group grand total rising to 13 and began making our way to a location to watch the fireworks show. The spot was a bridge in a park on the eastern side of the city and we were able to secure a decent vantage point before it fully filled up.
This fireworks show was the most enjoyable of the weekend for me because we were at a far enough distance that the explosions were not earsplitting. It was also the most colorful display we saw and I was happy to end our Fallas experience on a high note.
We split into two groups and mine went to find sweet treat (either filled churros or more bañuelos) before calling it a night. I am happy to report that the crowds were much more manageable and our wandering around was much more enjoyable than Friday night.
Renne, Skye, Elena and I went to the metro stop and were pleasantly surprised that we were able to enter no problem. However, once Elena and I were through the gates, the security guards stopped letting people through claiming that there were too many people already on the tracks. We waited for what felt like an eternity to be reunited with Skye and Renne and I took a photo to comemerate the moment.
We made it home after a slightly less crowded but very noisy train ride and since it was almost 3 am, we gratefully fell into bed immediately.
Sunday was a long travel day for me, Skye and Renne and we made it back to Motril a little bit before 7 pm. We were all thankful that it wasn't a midnight return like we had for our Portugal trip since we were exhausted.
Although the amount of people hindered some of our experiences this weekend, I am still glad we went and experienced Las Fallas. I think in the future I just need to remember that popular festivals are always bound to be crowded and to take that into consideration when deciding whether or not it's worth the trip.
This Friday I will be flying to Pisa to meet up with my parents and Megan to begin our week long Italian adventure! I am SO excited to see them and to spend some time traveling around Europe like we used to when we lived in England. Stay tuned for the write-up on our family reunion <3
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