Make this go on forever: i I'M ON FALLAAAA !

I know this is really late...I've been meaning to write it for a while, but been super busy once again. But still so excited that in the last month over 100 people have read my blog...so thankyou so much for your support! I hope that I'm not boring you all too much.

Back in March I zoomed across Spain to Valencia on the East coast for Las Fallas festival. Before arriving in Vigo, quite honestly, I had never heard anything about this celebration. Some of my friends here had been before, so were telling us all about it.... fire, fireworks and street drinking had me straight away! And I certainly wasn't disappointed by what I'd heard before going not only from my friends but also from Google.

Fallas Festival is a festivity that takes place 15th-19th of March every year to celebrate the spirit and tradition of the Fallas-Communities. Originally, the Fallas Festival was the celebration of spring. The early Fallas-Sculptures were nothing more than a pile of old winter junk that got burned to clear space in the houses. In a way, it signified getting rid of the old for a new beginning.

Rather, apart from an excuse for a huge party, Las Fallas festival celebrates all aspects of Valencian cultural traditions. The Fallas have every expression of the Valencian identity (music, costumes, rituals) and provide a focus for the Fallas-Communities to stay preserved and active.

We rented an appartment in an area slightly out of the centre as there were 5 of us and we thought it would work out better. The appartment was enormous, and definitely a good idea. As soon as we arrived we were met with sunshine, and people everywhere!! I hadn't realised quite how many of the huge Fallas there would be, and there was even one in our neighbourhood which was as high as the buildings around it. Of course, in typical Spanish fiesta style, the Falla was surrounded by electric cables about a metre away, so I'm sort of glad that we weren't there to see them burn..... incredible that this tradition still goes on in Valencia, yet if it was in England, I am sure that in the health-and-safety-frenzy it would have either been banned years ago or there would be huge fences around each one.

Some photos of the many Fallas that popped up all over Valencia... it was strange that just walking around you could stumble across so many. On our first night there, we were wandering around drinking, taking in the atmosphere, and we must have come across at least 6 different Fallas. Undoubtedly my favourite was the Trojan horse one, pictured in the background above. It was enormous, and there was so much detail to it... I can't even begin to think how long it must have taken to plan, build, and put together. It seems almost a shame that they burn them at the end!

Another important part of Las Fallas festival is fireworks... during the weekend, there are children running around everywhere throwing fireworks at each other and at random passers-by, which of course we had to join in with. We stocked up on small fireworks which were ridiculously cheap, €1.50 for a box of 50, and had the best time throwing them around. Having originally jumped everytime I heard a bang, by the time we left I was getting used to it, and people throwing them no longer scared me, just made me wanna throw them back.

Pictured above is La Mascleta. This took place on the Saturday and Sunday at 2pm in most neighbourhoods: firecrackers were attached to ropes in public squares, then everyone watched as they banged, sparked, crashed and exploded, completely mezmerized. It was amazing, but completely terrifying. We couldn't stop watching, or laughing, and I honestly felt as though I was in Gaza haahhaha

I would 100% recommend this festival to anyone, not just those who are passionate about Spanish culture. There is something for everyone... live concerts in the street, the best fireworks I have ever seen in my life, incredible Fallas, people dancing and drinking en la calle, sunshine, fire, and an eclectic mix of nationalities. People had literally come from all over the World to spend a fun-filled weekend in the city.