Las Fallas

This past week has been truly amazing and a week of constant movement. Every year from March 15th-19th there is a big celebration called Las Fallas. It comes from the tradition a long time ago when before spring, people would clean out their houses and through furniture out into the street and then burn it. As time went on carpenters would create figures out of the furniture and burn it. Now people spend hundreds of thousands of euros to build large figures called Fallas out of Wood, paint and styrofoam. There is a contest to see which falla is the best and then the night of the 19th at midnight they all burn. Well the winner burns at 12:30 am and the one at plaza del ayuntamiento burns at 1 am. But anyway the days before are filled with constant eating and drinking and setting off fireworks.

So Friday was the first day and we started the day off with a paella making competition. Different professors and workers from the study center made big paellas and then we ate them all. Everyone pitch in to make them and after eating they were judged and a winner was decided. They take about 2.5-3 hrs to cook. At two there is something called the Mascletá that happens in plaza del ayuntamiento. Mascletá is a five-ten minute firework show but it isn't really fireworks. It's more of a land sound show. Everyday a different person presents a different show. The rhythm is different everyday and it is so loud. Just a constant BOOM BOOM BOOM. It was so awesome, I went and watched it everyday during fallas and a few days before fallas started. So Friday I ate paella and saw Mascletá. That night I went to the light show and got my first churros covered in sugar from the street vendor. After the light show we walked back, ate dinner and then drank a few glasses of wine before going to the big fireworks at midnight. They were amazing. The 4th of July will never be the same. Valencia is known for its fireworks and it was unlike anything I had seen before. It was brighter, louder and more colorful than anything I had seen back home. After that night I went straight to bed because I was just so exhausted. The next day was Saturday and I went on a guided tour around the city to see the different falls. There are over 300 fallas in the city. I was a little disapponted by the tour but still enjoyed myself. After I got home I took a little siesta and then starting drinking like everyone else. After drinking too much I walked to the firework show and enjoyed myself with my friends but then came back about 2 am and crashed. Sunday was a wild day and there was always noise. Whether it was the constant playing or bands or the bang from fireworks, it never stopped. That afternoon, Colin and I went to the riverbed and enjoyed mojitos and then later went to get bunuelos from the best place it town. Monday I didn't have school but we had a class activity where we went and at bunuelos and saw the winning fall. The rest of the day I spent just wondering through the city and then taking a big long siesta. That night that fireworks where at 1:30 and where to last an hour long. But during the afternoon I tried chocolate covered churros. They were pretty good but the bunuelos were by far my favorite. The fireworks that night were so cool. They were so big and sparkling and they lit up the city. I never really did much partying but I just enjoyed being with my friends and not worrying about anything for a few days.

Tuesday was pretty cool. Yet again, I didn't have school. I got a loaded potato for lunch. Side note. The guy that I ordered it from, I decided couldn't speak Spanish and I thought it was kinda funny. Anyway I got a loaded potato, took a siesta went and saw the offering. It's the virgin Mary covered in flowers that Falleras (women and children) and falleros (men and children) brought her. There was a big long parade and it was really cool to see. Each pueblo had a big wreath of flowers for the statue and each woman had a bouquet of flowers. The women are dressed in beautiful dresses and the men in traditional clothing. That night I played a few drinking games, sticking to vodka cranberry and then went to see the trojan horse be burned. It was awesome!!! It's this huge figure that just burns and burns and burns. I also had to chocolate covered churros filled with cream to chow down while watching it take place. Afterwards I was off to bed and the next morning it was as if nothing had even happened. All the venders were gone and the city was clean as  always.

I'm leaving for the Canary Islands tonight and won't be back until Sunday night and then all next week I will be in Barcelona with the program. After that I have two weeks of class and then three weeks of summer vacation before the two summer sessions start. August 1st is going to be here before I know it. Talk to you soon!