If I could sum up our time in Valencia so far into a few words, it would be ice cream and churros! I mentioned in our last post that we found a really good churrería in our neighborhood and we have now been there a couple of times. However, over the last week, pop-up churro stands have started appearing along the streets throughout Valencia - a sure sign that Las Fallas has officially begun. Between trying churros at the many stands around the city and visiting the many heladerías, sometimes it feels like we are quite literally eating our way through Valencia.
I won't say too much about Las Fallas right now because Henry is currently researching and writing about it to share later. But in short, Las Fallas is an annual Valencian tradition where hundreds of massive sculptures made of wood and papier-mâché are displayed throughout the city. On the final night, they set them all on fire! While the festival technically started on March 1st, the main celebration runs from March 15th to the 19th. Our Spanish professors have tried to explain what the actual week of Las Fallas will be like, but I don’t think we’ll truly grasp the scale of it until we experience it ourselves next week.
Fireworks are a huge part of Las Fallas, and we are definitely feeling the noise. In the plazas near our house, we hear them throughout the day and night. And we've had some fun watching others set them off and even lighting a few ourselves! On Sunday, we headed to one of the main plazas for a big firework show. Because they set them off right in the heart of the plaza, you can actually feel the vibrations of the explosions. It was easily one of the best shows I've ever seen.
Besides fireworks, churros and ice cream, we are falling in love with all of Valencia. The city is incredibly walkable and kid-friendly. A few times a week we walk to or from school, which is about a 40 minute walk, and along the way we probably pass a dozen or more playgrounds. They aren't all huge but I can't believe how many there are. We also love stumbling upon the beautiful historical architecture and incredible murals tucked away in the side streets.
Last Sunday we went to our very first Valencia CF soccer match! The energy at Mestalla Stadium was electric and we loved hearing the fans break into song throughout the match. The stadium is really steep and it makes you feel like you are right on top of the action. And we got to celebrate a Valencia CF win!
We are all still enjoying Spanish classes- our professor changes each week but they have all been wonderful, and the boys are still genuinely excited to go every day. However with the peak of Las Fallas approaching, we are taking a break from classes next week. We're all looking forward to a little time off and fully immersing ourselves in the celebrations!
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