Wow...this was possibly the most exciting 24 hours of my life here in Spain. We left at 7 in the a.m. on Thursday to go to Valencia to witness Las Fallas. This is a celebration that goes on for 2 weeks...and we were going to be there for the very last (and most insane) night. 
At 2 in the afternoon EVERYONE crowded in the plaza to watch the fireworks that kind of initiated the day off. We could NOT move! It was just a sea of people in front and behind us- good thing I'm not claustrophobic! (To the right of the picture is a ninot. I'll explain more later...) The fireworks started and what made them incredible wasn't their colors or size...but the NOISE! It was the kind that you can feel in your whole body that literally makes your heart stop! It lasted for what seemed like forever. All day long we heard firecrackers going off. (Really loud firecrackers!) The best way to describe this day was like a mix between Disneyland + the 4th of July... x 10! 
We had all day to kill before the real show started...so we went to a Bull Fight! Valencia is known for having some pretty incredible fights, so we went for it. It was an experience like none other. The Spaniards eyes were literally glued to the fights- I didn't realize how important (still today) bull fighting is in the Spanish culture. In 2 1/2 hours we saw 6 fights made by 3 different matadors. They were all unique with different styles..but the second one was the most fun to watch. He was very dramatic in his movements, and you could tell that he just knew he was good.
Though it was at times gory and difficult to watch...I am so glad that I got to witness this. It is such a HUGE part of the Spanish culture- not only as a sport but as a form of art. The costuming, movements and processions during the bull fight were so classy (a word one might not associate with a bull fight...but it's true!)
This statue is called a ninot (or falla) All throughout the year organizations and companies work on creating these ninots. There are over 300 of them spread throughout Valencia. Some are small, some get as tall as a 4 story building! Traditionally las fallas was a time for all of the local people to bring out their winter trash and rubble to burn in preparation for Spring. Somehow it has escalated to this. These fallas can cost up to HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of Euros. Only one is chosen as the best...and the rest...become a huge bonfire! The streets were FULL of vendors, performers, food stands selling Churros and Paella and PEOPLE.
We staked out our spot waiting for 1 a.m. to roll around to watch the falla (in the picture above) get put on fire. There were tons of firefighters washing down walls and trees in preparation. To initiate the fire there was a HUGE display of fireworks. We were RIGHT underneath it! The fireworks were not only so bright but once again there was the deafening sound that echoed all around the streets. Then all of the sudden the ninot burst into flames! This fire literally stood 5 stories tall. The heat was so intense! I have definitely NEVER experienced anything like this before. Once the show was over...we were again stuck. We couldn't move 5 inches. Somehow our group managed to stay together through the MASSES of people and back to the bus! We drove through the night and arrived back in Alcala just as the sun was rising- 24 hours after we'd left the morning before. What a night to remember.
We had all day to kill before the real show started...so we went to a Bull Fight! Valencia is known for having some pretty incredible fights, so we went for it. It was an experience like none other. The Spaniards eyes were literally glued to the fights- I didn't realize how important (still today) bull fighting is in the Spanish culture. In 2 1/2 hours we saw 6 fights made by 3 different matadors. They were all unique with different styles..but the second one was the most fun to watch. He was very dramatic in his movements, and you could tell that he just knew he was good.
Though it was at times gory and difficult to watch...I am so glad that I got to witness this. It is such a HUGE part of the Spanish culture- not only as a sport but as a form of art. The costuming, movements and processions during the bull fight were so classy (a word one might not associate with a bull fight...but it's true!)This statue is called a ninot (or falla) All throughout the year organizations and companies work on creating these ninots. There are over 300 of them spread throughout Valencia. Some are small, some get as tall as a 4 story building! Traditionally las fallas was a time for all of the local people to bring out their winter trash and rubble to burn in preparation for Spring. Somehow it has escalated to this. These fallas can cost up to HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of Euros. Only one is chosen as the best...and the rest...become a huge bonfire! The streets were FULL of vendors, performers, food stands selling Churros and Paella and PEOPLE.
1 comment:
Wow Kim, everything sounds amazing! That would have been really fun to see the bullfight. Funny how some traditions never die. Your pictures look great btw. Very clear. Good job!
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