Since I’ve only got 3 months left I decided it’s time to take advantage of the fact that I’m in Spain. Since being here I’ve learned that Spain has some pretty strong traditions and they’re very proud of their culture. So why not experience it first hand? It was off to Valencia for Las Fallas! Before going I didn’t know all that much about the festival but when I told people what I was doing they were a little shocked I was going by myself. Or they just assumed I was really into partying. So what exactly did I get myself into? Each barrio, or neighborhood, spends an entire year building these magnificent ninots (dolls) just to burn them. The celebration lasts about a week and almost every day during the week there is something going on. For instance, at 2:00pm every afternoon La Mascleta happens in the town hall square. There is about 10 minutes of firecrackers and fireworks. Although the streets are actually filled with noise and fireworks all throughout the day. Let’s just say the likelihood of me having some long term damage is pretty high. Obviously I wasn’t able to go for the festivities during the week but I was able to make it in time for La Crema, or the burning of the dolls. I got up early on Saturday morning and got to Valencia by 12:00. Unfortunately since this was a super last minute trip I was heading to Valencia without a place to stay for the night. This is an extremely well-known festival in Spain, even in the world, so all the hostels, airbnbs, homestays, hotels, basically everything was booked up. Time to make some friends! Thankfully I got lucky on the car ride up and met some great girls who invited me to spend the day with them. Apparently I wasn’t the only one heading to Valencia without a concrete plan though. During our drive up we met a group of guys in the same boat (literally DURING our drive…they put up their number in the window). New friends, a place to sleep and a new city to explore! We spent the day wandering the streets, checking out all the ninots and stopping every so often for a beer. The festivities didn’t really start until 10 so we had some time to kill. The ninots were scattered all throughout the streets and apparently there was a map but it was nearly impossible to get through the horde of people to the tourist information center. We decided to just ask around in order to find the most impressive ninots and I'm pretty confident they didn't steer us wrong. Around 11pm we found seats outside a bar and prepared ourselves for the show. A little after midnight they started lighting the big ninots and the streets were filled with even more noise! Each ninot is mounted on firecrackers so it really is a celebration. Since they're positioned throughout the streets the firemen have to help control the flames so they don’t damage any of the buildings. I have no doubt this festival takes an enormous amount of prep time and costs quite a bit of money, but considering the crowds, I’m sure they make up for it, and then some. I called it a night around 4 since I wanted to have some energy for exploring the city the next day. Thankfully the sun was shining and I was able to wander the streets. Although after trying to see some of the more popular sights I decided to make my way to the back alleys and avoid the swarm of people. These are typically my favorite places to explore anyway so it ended up being a great day. And to top it all off?? Some Paella in the motherland of Paella!! Better yet, since I had to wait over an hour the waiter ended up giving it to me for free. He even threw in an extra…uno para hoy, uno para mañana (which I clearly ate both of). Muchas gracias señor! The week after Las Fallas is also a pretty big week in Spain: Semana Santa. Since the kids have vacation I'll be taking off a week from classes and heading to the beach for a few days to enjoy some good ol Spanish sunshine.
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Before we knew it, it was Sunday, which meant time to pack and get ready to head back to reality. Getting to spend the weekend in one of my favorite countries and in some of the best company though...priceless! Next up: a little Spanish culture. Off to Valencia for Las Fallas!
I can’t believe it’s already March! I feel like I just arrived in Spain and I’m already approaching the halfway mark to my trip. With that in mind I should probably start checking things off my list because before I know it I’ll be back in the states. Every week when Friday rolls around (or better yet comes hurling my way) a comment is said in our household about how we can’t believe another week has gone by. Sometimes I have absolutely no idea where the time is going. I guess that’s a good thing because as the saying goes…time flies when you’re having fun. So onto my most recent activities! I’ve already completed 6 weeks of Spanish classes which leaves me with exactly 3 months left. I’d have to say going to classes every morning has been more rewarding than I predicted it to be. Obviously this learning environment is a little different than what I experienced in college but who would have guessed I’d enjoy a small class size. In the first few weeks my classmates changed from week to week since the majority were only enrolled in classes for a short time. Recently it’s become a little more fixed and most of my them are in it for the long haul. With that being said we’ve all started spending more time together outside of class. This past Sunday I headed to Toledo with one of my classmates to explore. The internet didn’t give us too many ideas, other than wander the streets admiring some architecture, check out a market (of course) and see the cathedral. Well to be honest, it sounds pretty similar to a majority of my other trips :) We started the afternoon with some tapas at the market before heading around the city to admire the view from above. With some overcast weather and it being Sunday, the city was a little empty. We knew the old city was situated on a hill but after discovering how hilly it actually was we definitely had a greater appreciation for the weather. Aside from doing an audio tour of the cathedral we didn’t do much else other than wander (and get a good workout in the process). The cathedral was incredible! From the outside it didn’t appear so spectacular or really even that large but we were pleasantly surprised. There was so much detail throughout but I’d have to say my favorite area was the choir stalls. By the hoard of people I’d have to say I wasn’t the only one either. The stalls were carved from wood adorned with an incredible amount of detail with each stall telling a different story from history. As usual, pictures just don’t do it justice. This coming weekend I'm heading out of the country to revisit one of my favorite countries for wandering: Belgium! I'm off to Brussels for a few days of hot chocolate, waffles, chocolate and beer. This time around I'll try and pace myself a little more with my chocolate and beer intake. :) Os echo de menos a todos! Besos!
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