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spectators made a beeline along the barricaded
pavements, emboldened by spirit of the fallas,
I videotaped dragons in the midst of the fl ames.
It’s not just the booming sound; it’s the
eff ervescence that comes with it—that’s the
fl avour I enjoyed the most.
La Fallas has changed with time. Centuries
ago, carpenters would set ablaze their parots
(wooden burning device) on the street, feeding
the fi re with old wood and junk, and welcomespring on the day of St Jose. In the
mid-19th century, human-like fi gures,
ninots appeared and the modern-day
festival was born. Now the falleros
spend a whole year to design and
create these—you’ll see in every
block, each more elaborate than the
next. Tall, larger-than-life, these
caricatures explore sexually explicit
themes and use political statements
that you may completely miss if you
don’t pay close attention (I had a guide
to tell me what each one meant to say).
On the last night of the festival at
midnight, these ninots were burnt to
the ground in a ceremony called, La
Crema (not very diff erent from
Dussehra) and the city erupted in
blazing (but controlled) fi res.
The next morning, all traces of the
fi reworks and bonfi res were wiped
clean. The crowds were gone. The
parties were over. The costumes were
packed. What was left was the quiet
city back to everyday realities—
wayward cyclists, runners in blinding
neon colours, bikers in leather jacket,
and seductive, funny graffi ti on the
street walls. ▪Stay at Hotel Balneario
Las Arenas The beachfront
hotel offers garden- and
sea-view rooms, modern
Valencian cuisine at Sorolla
Restaurant, and a wellness
circuit at Las Arenas Spa.
hotelvalencialasarenas.com
Drink horchata Made of
tiger nit, horchata is a cool
drink that you will fi nd on
the streetside—in cafes
and restaurants, and even
supermarkets. It is also very
healthy with very little sugar
and no lactose.
Eat at Lalola The funky
restaurant serves traditional
Spanish dishes; paella is a
must-try here. The decor
takes a cue from fl amenco
and every week, there are
fl amenco nights with a live
band. lalolarestaurante.com
Shop at Market Colon The
Art Nouveau building built
in 1916 houses pavement
cafes and restaurants, but it
is known for its food market.
The structure is beautiful—it
takes inspiration from Gaudi’s
style of architecture for the
brick façade and has the
glass and iron vault inside.
Visit Oceanogràfi c Meet
sea lions, penguins, sharks,
dolphins, and walruses
here—this is Europe’s biggest
aquarium divided into climate
zones of its inhabitants.
oceanografi c.orgFallas is the name of the festival, but it THINGS TO DO
also refers to the communities of which falleros
and falleras are part. The word also
denotes ninots (papier-mâché caricatures).
Clockwise: The falleras parade in traditional silk outfi ts;
street art and graffi ti paint the city in different hues; the old
town in Valencia is lined with bright-coloured buildings.CLOCKWISE: BRUCE YUANYUE BI/GETTYIMAGES; LUZ MARTIN/ALAMY; IVAN VDOVIN/ALAMY
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