Devils on stilts, wielding giant flame shooting pitchforks, dance their way down the street. The hig

The 'Fallas' is a four-day hotels in spain and four-night invasion of art, music, fireworks, gunpowder, smoke, explosions and emotions in the ancient city of Valencia, Spain. The craziness is held every year during the second week of March.
I recently had the opportunity to experience the mayhem that is known as 'Las Fallas' firsthand. For this trip, I also had to stow away my childhood fears about fireworks. Years ago, a teenage hotels in spain boy tossed a live cherry bomb under my chair. The explosion was loud enough to scare me for life.
I was not physically injured, but emotionally scared forever! Since then, I tend to shy away from fireworks, so when I learned that 'Las Fallas' is all about fireworks, smoke and loud explosions, I'm sure you understand my hesitation. My glee slowly turned to terror.
At Valencia's fiery Fallas festival, the city is decorated with more than 800 cartoon-like statues, called 'ninots', and on the forth and final day of the festival, they all go up in smoke. It was a real BLAST!
Crazy was the word that I muttered at least a thousand times during 'Las Fallas.' All of us can be considered 'crazy' at one time or another. The human mind is so incredibly complicated; it only takes the right reason or situation for us to loose our minds completely.
At some point, they introduced statues into the mix. The artisans spend the entire year perfecting the beautiful statues. During the early years, the ninots were constructed of wood and straw and their heads made of wax.
The last day of the festival is the last day of winter; the day of San José. It is on this day that the Valencian tradition goes up in flames. Originally, hotels in spain all were burned, and it wasn't until 1934 that the first ninot was spared hotels in spain from the flames.
As these young ladies watch the Ninots burn to the ground, they alternate between crying and laughter, not sure what to do. The Mayor of Valencia, Rita Barbará Nolla, stands behind them in the dark jacket. Click on photo to enlarge.
The Valencian people must have a great sense of humor as the ninots make fun of everything from politics and the financial crisis to single parenthood and the sexual revolution. Nothing is off limits during the Fallas.
hotels in spain They even had a giant Super Obama, cape and all, soaring through hotels in spain the sky with Michelle held tight in his arms. I walked the city streets for four days mesmerized by the beauty that each ninot held. It was preposterous to think that soon it ALL would be burned to the ground; some might even say it was crazy!
Once the fire has died down and the cremation is complete, the ashes take on an aura of peacefulness as music and hymns fill the smokey air. Laughter and tears fill the faces of the Valencian people as they gather around the burned sculptures.
Each night of the Fallas, the Valencian people celebrate hotels in spain with not just any fireworks, but perhaps the best in the world. On the evening of March 18th, the Nit de Foc (Night of the Fire) is the largest display.
Called the Castillo (castle) in which more than 2,500 kilos of pyrotechnical material are launched into the sky above the city of Valencia, turning it into an indescribable spectacle of dancing light, fire and gun powder.
Each day of the festival, at 2 pm, more than 300 mascletes are ignited in most of the city's neighborhoods. The Mascleta is not meant to be a visual treat, for it takes place mid-day, but it is more about touching another one of your senses. It demands that you become one with the sound.
For me, this was the craziest part of the entire festival. More than 120 decibels of sound and more than 100 kilos of gunpowder are used in the daytime demonstration of pyrotechnical mayhem. It will take over your mind, body and soul. Earplugs are a must!
It would not be an understatement for me to tell you that I thought my brain was vibrating out of my head. I now have a better understanding of what it must be like for soldiers who are subjected to the concussion of explosions in war zones. hotels in spain All the same, I thought even if I had a pacemaker in my chest, for certain my heart would have skipped a beat.
The smell of the exploding gunpowder wafted through the air and consumed my mind. Overwhelmed, I hid behind my scarf, taking shallow hotels in spain breaths to filter out the smokey air. It was as if I was underwater and I needed to hold my breath just a little hotels in spain longer.
I was hoping not to expire right there on the streets of Valencia. I thought it might be impossible to get an ambulance through the crowd. I was on sensory overload! I couldn't stop the internal explosion fast enough. Afterwards, I thought I might be suffering from PTSD… and I should probably try and locate a spa ASAP!
The Fallas offers constant parade action! The most important parade of the festival takes place over two days. During The Flower Parade , more than 150,000 Valencian people hotels in spain make their way towards the Virgin Square to offer flowers hotels in spain to The Blessed hotels in spain Virgin Mary.
It becomes the Virgin Square where soft music plays in the background and the air loses its smokiness and bursts forth with the scent of beautiful flowers. The calm serene scene transported me miles away from the craziness of the Mascletas.
Devils on stilts, wielding giant flame shooting pitchforks, dance their way down the street. The high pitched squeals of the fireworks scream through the streets as an endless stream of sparks land on the crowds that line the parade route.
A cross between a screwdriver and a mimosa, the Agua de Valencia is made from a blend of vodka, fresh squeezed Valencian oranges, and the secret killer hotels in spain ingredient, Cava, Spanish champagne. For me, The Agua de Valencia was just what the doctor ordered.
Originating in Valencia, it consists of rice, chicken, snails, green beans, fava beans, and is finished off with smoked paprika, saffron, and a sprig of rosemary. hotels in spain Or, if you're me, the vegetarian paella, made with fish and veggies was out of this world, as well. Both dishes are excellent!
If you prefer a rural setting, hotels in spain grab a taxi or a rental car and head to the nearby town of Alfafar and La Matandeta Restaurant. Surrounded by rice fields, La Matandeta offers a quiet countryside setting.
It was no surprise to me that Mario Batali and Gweneth Paltrow stopped by La Matendeta during their Spain 'road trip' in search of the best paella. The workshop taught us the secrets of how to make authentic Valencian Paella from start to finish.
Nothing like an open-air fire pit and fresh vegetables, mixed with the finest local ingredients, hotels in spain to create a meal and a memory. The homemade sangria was out of this world as well. For me, hands down, La Matandeta offered the best overall hotels in spain Paella hotels in spain experience.
Valencia has many wonderful sights. I was most impressed with the award winning, internationally known architecture of Santiago Calatrava, clearly visible throughout the city. Many will remember his architectural creations from the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.
The 'Oceanografic' is home to over 45,000 specimens and 500 different species that live in the nine underwater towers. It has more than 70 meters of tunnels, which make it the largest sea aquarium in all of Europe.
I went to Valencia during Las Fallas, a party time not unlike hotels in spain Mardi Gras and Carnivale, but I would not hesitate to visit this great city any time. The people are welcoming; the food is special, hotels in spain the ambiance comforting, hotels in spain and the society progressive.
If you were in search of something very special, I would highly recommend: Arrop Restaurant C/ Almirante, 14 – 46003. Valencia Tel. 963 925 566 Arrop's atmosphere is as wonderful as their culinary delights! This spot is one of a kind!
Hotel Melia Valencia During my visit to Valencia, I was lucky enough to stay at this beautiful hotel. Located in the new, more modern area of Valencia, it's just a short walk to The City of The Arts and Science Building. Also, the Melia is close to the Port used for The America's Cup. It's very clean and your room fee includes a full hot and cold buffet breakfast every morning.