The Rest of our Valencia Visit

We stayed in Valencia for a few days after Las Fallas to recuperate and finally adjust to local time, for we stayed on EDT during the festival. Even though rain continued, I came to appreciate Valencia much more this trip.  I liked the mild climate, livable neighborhoods, readily available housing, pedestrian streets, public transport, mostly average (non-posh) shops and restaurants... it felt equal, not full of rich-poor chasms in bigger cities.

We took advantage of free museum admissions (modest to start with) on Sunday (Art Museum always free).  Almost of tourist attractions were closed on Monday.  Due to the rain, we skipped Xativa, went to the Botanical Garden (free Earth Day) which turned out to be a highlight, saved Tuesday to visit Roman Sagunt.  The very well restored theater was a first for us.  They even have new museums [https://saguntoturismoblog.wordpress.com/2018/01/31/via-del-portico-y-domus-dels-peixos/comment-page-1/] that were not on our radar, guided tours only, we missed.

Here's a shot of us while waiting for the 18 March, 2pm Mascleta (Explosion).

The Valencia Archaeology Museum, located underground near the Cathedral, features remnants of the Roman forum, baths, and roads.

I enjoy spotting the "ninja" grafitti around town.

Inside La Lonja de la Seda (The Silk Exchange).

The Museu de Belles Arts has the most compelling Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian I have ever seen. The models for Sebastian and Irene must have been young teenagers.

Sun-Ling and I both enjoyed the Botanical Garden even though it was raining. Here's Sun-Ling with white clivias.

And me.

On Monday the City Hall was open to the public so we were able to get onto the balcony and see the "cage" that held the mascletas.

On Tuesday we made a day trip by train, leaving from Valencia Nord (below), to Sagunto to see the Roman Theatre.

Looking towards Sagunto city center.

The restored Teatro Romano is set into the hills behind city.

Above the theater is a huge castle complex with views down to town.

The castle has its own Roman sites ie Forum and Temple of Diana.

One of the new museums in Sagunto lets visitors walk among the ruins of the Roman Road. Very cool. We missed the entry-only-by-guided-tour but had a peek from the ticket office.

Final Fiery Day of Las Fallas

The last day did not end on a high note for me. 

After seeing colored Mascleta the first day. I had been expected it again every day. There was still no color on the final day. I'm getting demanding here....

The Fire Parade in the evening was erroneously publicized to be 6pm, instead of 7pm - a lot of wasted time standing around, good thing it was not raining.

The Fire Parade is really Corre Foc, but a rather measly version. On the other hand, being a sucker for Corre Foc, I should be happy to see any.

Our dumb luck had it that our apartment is half a block from the #1 falla in the whole of Valencia. There were so many people all the time, we had started to walk around the block to avoid traffic. The payoff came at burning (la crema) - our front door was in the controlled zone.

Maybe because we got close, I didn't like the burning. There was fuel poured on the falla, chemical smell from burning paint, black smoke, falling debris & soot, too much heat to enjoy... It seemed brutal, not the dancing/singing around the bonfire as I had imagined.

It is not obvious when each of the fallas actually is set on fire. There is a theoretical schedule. Our two fallas burned exactly on time, but they are #1 and #2 in their categories. Also, this year they are trying to burn the fallas on a new schedule. Can one only burn when the fire department shows up?! It certainly was a very busy evening for the fire department.

Now that we checked Las Fallas off our list, I am not sure we would bother to repeat. It actually made me wonder whether we should return to Saint Eulalia celebrations in Barcelona some time....

Although the final Mascleta had "no color", the large crowd of spectators was exuberant (see short video below) despite a rain shower just before the explosions.



Here are two short videos of the Fire Parade.

The small falla (lower right) near our apartment is about to be burned. And there it goes! And in a dramatic turn, a change in the wind sends an unexpected plume of toxic black smoke our way forcing a retreat into our apartment buidiing.

Thirty minutes later we have front seats (see short video below) to the main event of the festival; the burning of the #1 Special Falla. The falla is surrounded by firemen who alternate streaming water on the falla and the nearby buildings.











Again, after a few minutes the heat, soot, and falling embers force us to retreat (see this short video).

UPDATED: Elements of Las Fallas (before the final day)

 Las Fallas is mind boggling.  We are also seeing it under special conditions.   Two years ago all activities were suspended mid-stream; of course, and nothing happened last year.  Temperatures are 10+ degrees F below average, winds gusting to 70km/h, and the most rain in 84 years!

• Fallas

        There are hundreds of Fallas (firewood monuments) all over the city.  We easily walked by hundreds.  (Tip: to be not dizzy, focus on the 9-10 in the "Especial" category.  Look at their "Infantil"(small) ones, they can be very intricate.  All the Fallas are well lit, so they are )

• Costumes

        The flower-offering-to-virgin Ofrenda event looks like a procession of traditional costume.  There are two streams of procession, for two days, and 10 hours each day.  The rate of participation is unparalleled, men, women, young, old.... Seeing them in the rain, I was totally moved by their determination and dedication.  Such community participation is particularly refreshing from the naked commercial world of the US.  (Tip: there are many good view points, move around and try a few). In the video below, listen for shouts of "Guapa!" and "Guapo" (Good looking!).

• Day time explosion (Mascaleta)

        The main mascleta happens in the City Hall (Ajuntament) Square, daily at 2pm.  (Tip: it's a very popular event, approach maybe 30 minutes before, the effect is most intense at the south end of the square)  There are also small and big explosions all over the place, all day and all night long, more each day.  Everyone is having lots of fun (as in the video below).

       

• Night time fireworks

        The fireworks start between 12 and 1:30, lasting 10-20 minutes, depending on the day,   John thinks return on effect is low. (Tip: the bridges of Exposicio and Flors are both closed, as well as the sides along the Alameda.  Approaching from the southwest, Plaza America is a good place).

The organization of whole enterprise is amazing.  Each day there are people, more roads closed to cars.  I have never experienced a city with so many roads closed for such extended amount of time!

More photos from the Ofrenda.

Beginning in Valencia

While the highlight of our previous visit to Valencia in 2017 was Corre Foc, having been hooked on them from Barcelona, in the process we learned Las Fallas was supposed to be more impressive. When in late January this year we still lacked a destination, I realized there was still the last accommodations be had for Las Fallas, it was a sign that we get to check off Las Fallas this year!

Within the first day, we were treated to powerful daytime explosions and spectacular nighttime fireworks. However what struck me the most was the extravagance of the festival, which easily exceeds the carpetas of Tarma. The whole of city is decked out with hundreds of "Fallas" fantastical whimsical wooden monuments of varying sizes. The mind boggling part is that the "Fallas" are really firewood. At the end of the festival (3/19), everything gets burned as in a bonfire!


Landing on the tarmac at VLC.

A band plays in the front of the train station.

Waiting for La Mascleta - the daily 2pm Las Fallas "La Mascleta" i.e. explosion - in Plaza del Ayuntamiento.

A short video of La Mascleta!!!... ... and when it's finished the crowd cheers "Bravo! Bravo!"

A medium-sized "Falla".

A "Special" Falla near our apartment. And another "Special" Falla with a chessboard theme.