You Falles or You Work?

Last weekend I was in Valencia for Falles! Last year, despite of living there, I wasn't able to see them since I used the holidays to fly to Japan. But this year, there was no excuse and I accepted the kind invitation of my friends in Valencia, specially that of AAAndres, whose house I've been at for three days. Today I'm completely and physically devastated. We did a hat trick, three days party in a row.



First night was an apotheosis. Leaving Barcelona after work at 19:00h and arriving in Valencia at 22:00h. 350Km in 3h by car. Meeting my friend AAAndres, who by the way was completely dead after arriving from a 10 day's stay in a Caribbean tourist resort with a goddess. We started the night with some Cuba-litros and a huge firework.

Then, we headed for a street party with orchestra, one among many in almost every crossing in Valencia. There we met the rest of people, who had just finished doing botellon near the river. By then, we were all already toasted, both sides. Next step, a club, where the pretty girls were. I must confess that girls in Valencia are particularly beautiful and nice.

We ended up at 7 in the morning and we had a sausage-based breakfast at a very handy street stand. Every time I go out until dawn in Valencia, we end up eating some old-style sausage bocata, whereas in Barcelona, it's a less traditional durum at some crappy and overpriced Turkish place. Valencia is still authentic.

Anyway, we took a taxi and went back home. 8:30h in the bed in coma until 15:00h. Then, waking up again, having a shower, lunch and back to work. Now, visiting the Falles. Convent, Russafa, el Carme, etc. We didn't go to Nou Campanar, the one winning the first prize to the Best Falla for the last years. Last year it costed 900.000 euros, but this year, the crisis has reduced the budget up to just 600.000 euros, and they couldn't win.

The luminary in the streets reminds me that in Kobe, around Christmas time, where the tako-yaki and yaki-soba stands had changed into stalls selling churros and bunyols. It was totally packed and at some point, impossible to walk, getting stuck frequently like a traffic jam of people around the main falles. That was the night of la cremà, when all 650 falles in Valencia burn to the ground; only the winner is spared. We saw 3 falles, and one of them, from very close; so close I could feel the fire burning my face.

I love bonfires and firecrackers, but as a stingy Catalan, I can't see the point in spending so much effort and money building such pieces of art for just setting them on fire eventually. We have bonfires at St. John's night, which can be as big and last longer than these fires in Valencia, but they are just a huge pile of wood and useless old things, bound to be burnt; a catharsis, a getting-rid-of-old-things for a new from-the-scratch rebirth. We ended the night eating chocolate and bunyols at the most famous place in Valencia, watching how the fire was consuming a falla in front of us.

Saturday was "de tranqui". We were all dead in the morning and slept until past midday. After having lunch and watching a movie at home, we went to stroll along the streets of Valencia and visited la cheperudeta, the Virgin Mary next to the Cathedral, which is a huge statue covered with flowers, an offering from all the crying falleras in the previous days. It is an impressive view, a pyramidal tower of flowers topped with the torso of a hunchbacked woman carrying a massive headed baby Jesus. It seems like flying above our heads among clouds of roses. Truly creepy!

After some beers and an unscheduled visit to the dizzying top of the Serrans' Towers, the impressive pair of towers facing the Turia's old river banks, similar to those in the Poblet Monastery, which are, together with those of Quart, the last remains of the medieval walls that used to enclose the city, we joined Pasku's friends for a diner at a pizzeria, and later, again, party. But for a shorter time: AAAndres was still feeling sick and I skipped the girl hunting routine, which seemed promising, and we both headed back home, where we spent the rest of the night talking and watching some crazy documentaries in his enormous TV set.

Sunday, despite the air was pretty warm and was bringing the fragrance of the Spring that has just started, was a gray and rainy day. It was time for saying bye-bye to Valencia and heading north, back home. These were some very good days!