Dear God in Heaven. How long can Fallas go on? I mean, actually how many hours a day, # of fireworks, parades, more parades, marching bands, more fireworks, light shows and people and more people. Dear Lord, we have only been here 2 and a half weeks and we’re Fallas’d out.
I’m including pictures from our venturing out yesterday. We had spent most of Saturday in bed watching Netflix, stocking up at the Mercadona, and generally being very lazy and napping. But that didn’t mean we weren’t participating in Fallas. Because no matter where you are in Valencia, even buried in a hole, you’ll experience Fallas every moment of every day and night, whether you want to or not.
The booms and even bigger booms, all night long. The laser light show in the vacant lot near our house and the music, blasting until 4am this morning, along with BOOMs that shook the windows! We are so tired today and it’s not because we had a rough weekend of Fallas activities. Its because you can’t sleep in this city for an entire week. If we had flown in this last Thursday it would have been perfect. The jet lag would have lined up just right.
So many people I know here, old timers who have been to more than one Fallas, left town. They’re in Toledo, Seville and Madrid. They got the HELL OUTTA DODGE. Why? Well, because it’s Fallas!! And nothing about Fallas is small. No. It’s all over the top and a little hodge podge.
There are parts of Fallas that are charming. The parade yesterday of Fallera who are bringing flowers to the Plaza de la Virgin to make her cape and dress out of red and white flowers. Lovely. (see pics) The parade went on for something like 8 hours. An interesting tradition.
Then we went to Rusafa to see the light show at 8pm. Jeff’s take on it?
‘Wow – the 80’s showed up finally.’
It was a lighting loop with a Pink Floyd sound track that he found surprisingly appropriate. ‘Run Like Hell’ played over the cheesy display. We left after 5 minutes, or tried to. It was so packed we couldn’t move.
Then we came home and laid in bed to noise that would shame a Fraternity during Hell Week. Tonight is the ‘Crema’. This is when they’ll burn the Fallas. We can’t wait for this because it will be over. Officially OVER. The booms and the music and the Oompa Bands, that just now marched down our street for the 400th time – yeah, they’ll all be gone.
And next year? We’ll be in Toledo or some other non-Fallas place where blissful sleep for that week will be in our future.
Viva Espana 
You picked a tough month to settle into Valencia! Fortunately when you wake up on March 20, almost all evidence of Fallas will be gone and it will be a completely different, peaceful city. We experienced our first Fallas in 2017 and although it was amazing, once was enough. Add us to the list of people, along with many of our friends, that leave Valencia for the month of March. It’s beautiful in Florida right now!
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Yup – maybe next year we will be visiting my parents back in the States right about now. But you’re right. Out and about today and it’s all gone
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They sure like their fireworks in Valencia! Too much if you ask me… 😉
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I was in Beirut at the very end of the civil war there. It was calmer and less noisy shooting and blowing up sounds than here. If you had PTSD from military service you’d be in a corner with a blankie for 20 days straight. You’re 100% right. It’s too much.
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LOL! Although charming, it gets old quick. It’s like Semana Santa here in Viveiro. Thousands of people from all over Galicia crammed into little plazas and lined up and down the streets and no place to park. We don’t go anymore. I imagine it’s the same in Valencia. It begins next Friday and lasts for 10 days.😁
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It’s pouring down rain right now. All the fireworks have blessedly stopped. Like a cease-fire. I wonder how they’ll burn the Fallas tonight if this keeps up.
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