Fallas!

16 March 2025

(Warning! Long blog post, with lots of photos)

After three weeks of the worst cold I’ve ever had, I’m finally getting better…and just in time!

I had a Couchsurfer arrive on Sunday, last week. Ilya is at attorney from Belarus and currently lives in Warsaw Poland. He was here until Friday. Because I was still regaining my strength, I left him to discover Valencia largely on his own.

On Monday, I decided I was well enough to go to class. However, by the time I got there, I was so exhausted that I regretted it. I sat in the back of the class and tried to participate as best as I could. And as the class progressed, I actually started feeling stronger. By the time to leave, I was getting much better.

I went to choir practice that night and was exhausted when I got home. But I was so much better than I had been over the last few weeks.

On Tuesday, my Spanish class met at the Fallas Museum near my house. Here, all of the Ninots are displayed that were saved from the fire since 1934. Among our tasks, we had to choose a favorite and be prepared to argue in class on Wednesday why it was our favorite.

I liked this one.

“On the Tightrope” from 1980 that shows three retired men balancing on the tightrope with their meager pensions in a world with rising prices. Not only is the theme always relevant, I liked the craftsmanship of creating something so tenuous that is actually quite stable.

That afternoon, I met Ilya, my Couchsurfer and we went to the Maskleta and then toured some of the city, including the Central Market, the Lonja de Seda and the Cathedral.

Afterwards, we bought some buñuelos (fried pumpkin donuts covered in sugar) and hot chocolate and were walking home past the bull fight ring when we saw it was open…something I had never seen before. So we went in.

After 10 minutes or so, more people kept arriving. It was clear that something was happening. So we decided to stay and see what was going on.

With Ilya at the bullfight ring

We asked the man behind us and learned that they were presenting a free bullfight, with younger, student Matadors. Normally, a bullfight is close to 100€ to get in. So, with some trepidation, we stayed for the first kill.

I’ll spare you the gory details. It really is a barbaric sport.

Here is the “victorious” matador afterwards.

With the bull’s blood on his shirt, after he was thrown by the injured bull, before the “kill.”

That evening, we met Vicente for a more beautiful cultural moment. The Vienna Boys Choir was in town and we enjoyed great seats at the Palau de Musica.

On Wednesday, Vicente and I went to the Exposition of the Ninots.

With Vicente at the City of Arts and Sciences

This is a display of small and of larger artistic creations that are created by each neighborhood club, also called a Fallas. Each one is part of a larger installation that are eventually mounted in the street. There are about 350 Fallas’s. So it’s a lot of art. At the end of the exposition you can vote for your favorite. The winners of the children’s and adult categories are saved. All of the rest will be burned in the street on the night of the 19th.

Here are my two favorites.

This is one side of the smaller, children’s category, showing volunteers going to help with the flood cleanup after the devastating floods in October that killed 225 people.
This is the other side, showing volunteers walking home covered in mud after a day helping with the cleanup.

And here is the adult Ninot that I voted to save.

It shows a woman in traditional dress being helped from the floods. The caption at the top is in Valenciano, the local dialect that is spoken in many Valencia homes. It reads, “The people save the people.” It’s a reference to the utter and complete failure of the local government to act to either prevent losses and then to provide help. Among the drowning victims at the bottom, is a hand holding a mobile device with the warning of coming floods that came at 8:12 pm, after the floods were already so high that people were dying. The local government is still facing calls for their dismal because of their refusal to issue earlier warnings, despite the pleas of the weather officials. The sign at the right is a list of towns that were devastated by the floods.

Here are some few others I liked.

This one made fun of people who make “paella” with anything other than the original chicken and rabbit meat. Anything else is called “Rice with things” by the local purists. The display includes a recipe book with actual recipes from famous chefs that include sausage or seafood.

Right next to it was this one.

A chef being crucified for making paella with chorizo sausage.
I liked this one addressing mental health issues
This one is mocking the local president, Mazon for his personal failures that led to the deaths of 225 people in the floods of last Fall.
This one calls Mazon the Grinch Who Stole Christmas.

Ilya left early Friday morning. And on Saturday afternoon Eric and Dan arrived from Boise.

After a chicken salad sandwich for lunch, we ventured out to see some of the neighborhood Fallas’s. Most were still being assembled. But you could get a good idea of them.

After several hours, we came home, made a pizza and then took a nap before heading back out.

The fireworks were set to begin at midnight.

So we walked past more of the Fallas’s.

With Dan and Eric

We got there later than I hoped. So we got stuck between buildings and couldn’t see the fireworks very well.

This morning (Sunday), we got up and I made sausage and eggs for breakfast. Then we headed out to see more of the festival.

We got to the City Hall Plaza in time to get a good spot to see the Maskleta. They loved it.

Eric, Dan and Jim

Afterwards, we ran into my friend Mike and Carlos. Together, we explored more of the Fallas’s in parts of town farther from my house.

With Dan, Eric, Carlos and Mike at the Torres de Serrano

Throughout the afternoon, it started and stopped raining several times. We found as great place for lunch. And then went home to rest before the fireworks at midnight.

These were closer to home, at the City of Arts and Sciences. So we had a great view!

Over the last two days of walking through the city, I ran into friends from choir, from school and from my neighborhood. Valencia has really become a home to me.

Dan and Eric are here until Thursday. The forecast isn’t good. But we’ll have a good time.

Meanwhile, people continue to light firecrackers and fireworks at all hours of the day and night.

Hopefully, I’ll get some sleep before school tomorrow.

One response to “Fallas!”

  1. Tom Dietvorst Avatar
    Tom Dietvorst

    Wow!!! Great pictures! Unbelievable amount of work on the part of neighborhoods. Thank you! Love, Tom

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