And ...BOOM!

The culmination of Las Fallas is yet three weeks away, but the noise has already begun. Las Fallas is a unique Valencian celebration I discovered when I began to plan this trip many months ago and, probably unconsciously, arranged my dates around being here. This morning the first mascietas (fireworks explosions) could be heard here in El Carmen, kilometers away from Plaza Ayuntaamiento, where from now until mid-March, at 2 pm, el boomo will happen every day. This is not just firecrackers, these are battlefield-like sonic events that shake one to one's being. If I were in Kyiv, or Gaza or Yemen (god help those poor citizens) I would dive for shelter; but in Valencia, at Fallas, it's all simply part of the wallpaper.----------------------------- https://www.instagram.com/p/DG8PuJsIcC-/--------------------------------------------------------------------- Although the explosions started slowly, this morning, it seems that the frequency (and the volume
) will escalate until the end, when all but one of the giant procession figures are turned to ash in a series of nighttime bonfires.----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just returned from a post-sunset stroll to Serranos Towers, where a big firework show is scheduled for later tonight. It was already chaotic and I went home to find rest.

Comments

  1. Zoe WilcoxFebruary 24, 2026 at 12:36 AM

    Hi Tom, Tony and I are just back from our Cadiz trip. Great times with family - and I practised the odd word in Spanish! Reading is definitely easier than speaking!! We went to Seville for a couple of days. AMAZING!!! Go if you can before you leave Spain, if you haven’t already. Your decision to cut school short by area weeks makes perfect sense. After all, the Spanish love their fiestas and you certainly deserve a few after months at school! Take good care. Zx

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