Las Fallas

Above the hoards of people in the streets loom large cartoonish and almost nightmarish statues in Valencia’s famed holiday, Las Fallas. The tradition involves carving colossal sculptures out of wood and papier-mâché in a satire depicting religious symbols, crimes, and politics. 
Each sculpture, or falla, has a similar style that can only be described in pictures (think of adult-themed Disney cartoons in three dimensions). At the end of a few days celebrating, people take to the streets to watch others light the sculptures on fire in the middle of the city, with the fire department managing the chaos as flames shoot up along nearby buildings.

Though I didn’t actually stay for the cremación, I experienced the stellar atmosphere with a good group of friends from Salamanca:

Fuegos Artificiales:

Las Fallas ceremonies include an absurd amount of fireworks shows and in the two days I spent in Valencia we saw one show by day and another by night. The daytime show came as a big surprise. Sealed in a slow-moving crowd, we felt the ground shake and saw more smoke than colors as a rapid-fire ensued. Surrounded by buildings in the central Plaza del Ayuntamiento, each shot reverberated and the spectacle quickly overwhelmed me. Our small group saw a group of adamant musicians playing flutes and drums while dancing and singing—inspiring others to chime in.

Playa de Arena:

I happily sank my feet into the sand and later enjoyed a paella valenciana and pez espada (swordfish) at a beachside bar. With sunny skies and the warmest temperatures I experienced since arriving in Spain, this spot naturally turned into a go-to destination.

Jardín del Turia:

After the “Gran riada de Valencia,” the city’s greatest flood, the city decided to create a place for locals and tourists alike to take calming strolls (in Spanish people say ”dar un paseo”) through nature. The park snakes through the city and offered a great contrast between nature and city—offering an escape without leaving urban commodity. I thought the water features were spectacular, particularly the “Fuente del Jardín” located close to our apartment. One of the weirdest/coolest parts of the park for me was a play structure made to look like a man lying down.

Mercado Central

A great spot to grab some cheap eats or prepare for a quality home-cooked meal. I snagged an empanada filled with morcilla (blood-sausage) and a fresh glass of kiwi juice.