Fallas - all "locura" all the time

Howdy interwebs! Some catching up to do. First some photos of Las Fallas, with a link to a superior expat blog with fancy photos: http://nothemingwaysspain.blogspot.ca/2014/03/valencias-fallas-2014-another-hangover.html

What is Fallas? Perhaps the biggest festival in Spain with some cultural significance, but mostly characterized by the following ingredients: firecrackers, strange costumes, amazing paper maché sculptures, debauchery, fire. To prepare: shake, add churros and buñuelos (a superior churro-donut that may or may not contain zucchini), top it off with fear of small children throwing firecrackers, light everything on fire, and serve, then regurgitate on streets. Then clean it up and pretend nothing ever happened.

As most people we know, we also chose to escape much of this madness for the serenity of mountains (more on this later) -- the 2 AM brass band music, 4 AM bad dance music at full volume, 8 AM firecracker wake-ups can only be tolerated for so long before one utters a string of expletives at the city and its insane inhabitants. So consider this a very very partial post.

Our local Falla under construction

Our local Falla in more advanced stages of construction

Very lit up bits of our neighbourhood

Another Falla nearby

And another

The big bad Falla in the main square (built by city)

This year's winner

This one comes with a cute "fallero" family

 

Some satire and/or very complex toilet humour and/or scantily clad ladies are usually a must

Endless processions in cute outfits

To build a giant Virgin Mary made of flowers (i.e. an offering)

The final result by day

More flowers

One of the crows to "watch" the firecrackers. Things get hazy and insanely loud.

Suddenly there is a yak at our front door

And various other animals and costumes

Leading to some sort of Arabic-themed parade

Then all is set on fire. Everywhere. With simultaneous fireworks. Firefighters hose down buildings as the city smells a bit like solvent for a few hours.

We were fortunate to have a big one beside our house and another two big ones within 2 blocks

Bad kids + explosives = bad

 

Adorable kids + beer = good