Fallas is here.
Those words mean a lot of things in Valencia. Fallas means the start of spring, it means the ending of the cold period that is the short winter here, it means huge models in the street and roads closed all over the place for the huge models to be placed on street corners all around and it means that, this year at least, the children get a whole week off school, just before another two weeks off school for Easter. (Last year the two ran into each other)
What Fallas means to a lot of Valencians is the chance to book really cheap holidays, nowhere else is on holiday so they get the best deals rather than waiting for Easter when prices shoot up, in various parts of the World so that they can get away from the noise, the street closures, the masses of tourists and the fun! Why would anyone want to get away from the fun though?
After all Fallas means Fiesta doesn’t it?
Well if you have been through 50 years of Fallas they might well start to blend into each other. The models get bigger, more satirical and at the same time more traditional, the parades stay just as colourful and will be here next year too and the fireworks are not tiresome, such spectacular fireworks never could be, but they do make you tired as the late night firework displays start at midnight on the 15th and get later every night until a start of 2am on the Nit Del Foc on the 18th (Check this before coming because last year it was slightly earlier) and then the early morning fireworks to wake people up start at around 6am…
Anyway if you fancy a visit to Valencia this week bear in mind that hotel prices are higher, the place is generally full and totally kicking and you can see stuff like on the following photos. Enjoy.
Fallas Elephant
Fallas Gorilla
Fallas Models Style
Headless Fallas
Fallas Burning
Fallas Detail Burning
And by the way this is a Mascletá in Valencia last week.
