Life: Idiotropic

On 9 October 1238, King Jaime I entered Valencia and eventually retook this land which eventually unified into la Comunidad Valenciana, the province of Valencia which is set apart culturally from the rest of Spain. Like Catalunya north, Valencia has it's own distinct dialect they like to consider a separate language and traditions all their own.

This date now, 9 October is the name of many streets, the prominent hospital here, and a huge celebration in Valencia and throughout the province.

At midnight on the eve of the 9th, a huge international fireworks display lights up the Turia. Too late for us with the children (it often goes until 3-4am), I watched part of it from my balcony as the rest of the family slept. Next year I'll go though no matter how late. The fireworks, even from 20 kilometers away, were amazing!

Of course, the kids don't have school on the 9th. So we took the train to Valencia, grabbed take out at Burger King across the street (ack, gross... true, but quick and easy), found seats in front of the Ayuntamieno (City Hall of sorts), and waited for the 5 hour long parade of the Moors and the Christians. Families participate in this parade year after year - the same families with the same costumes. It's something prominent folk do - an even you have to have money to be a part of as these costumes are incredibly ornate and extremely expensive. The Christians enter first. Horses, then lines of women and lines of men each with a leader dressed slightly fancier and carrying a sword they brandish with flare - smiling and egging on the crowd who clap in approval. The Christians also had creepy goat people and girls juggling fire which I didn't really understand, but it was entertaining nonetheless. The Moors had fancy costumes as well - the backs as ornate and beautiful as the fronts. The were all distinctive by the shoes they wore with turned up toes.

Tired children and hunger pains meant we missed the last 30 minutes or so of the parade and the loud mascleta which I heard was one of the best in a while. (This is the video from the one in the day... the one in the evening was supposed to be louder. I'll see it eventually, but without the kids: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8CNPjcZoYQ The mascleta starts at minute 3 of the video - the noise is the point - not the visual, so at the end all you see is grey smoke)

More Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=153039&id=674507268&l=4a8fa6ba34