Life: Idiotropic

This was going to be the lazy interim day between returning from a trip and diving headfirst into the craziness of this very special Valencian holiday season.   I wanted to lounge in sweats all day and do essentially nothing.  Sadly, there was no food in the house.  Children require food even when they are epitomizing laziness during a Brady Bunch marathon, so Elise and I ran to town.

Stopped at the bakery for bread and asked Santi how many Fallas Puzol had.  Cinco.  Really???  I'm shocked that our little town could have that many.  Where?  I got general directions.  Good enough.

Elise and I drove towards Mercadona, passed the normal roundabout, then saw the huge rocketship sitting in the middle of the road I usually take.  One portion of the road blocked and food stands set up.  We parked, then walked.

A parade of bands and falleras came toward us, some pealing off from the line to join their falla group at the house where they organize and others marching towards the City Hall (Ayutamiento).  Elise and I walked around the first one we saw - the rocket ship with a witch and a moon.   The children's falla was just a few feet away.  A small toy booth was open as was the fried foot stand selling churros, greasy donuts, hot dogs and hamburgers.  Another stand sold varieties of olives out of large black rubber bins - the same ones my gardener uses to haul dirt.

We heard another band, so we walked towards the noise finding another falla group where the Tuesday market usually is.  A group assembled in front of the stage, everyone wearing their falla smocks and scarves, playing music and singing.  Elise was excited.  "Hey, I know that song!"  And she began to sing along.

The entire plaza was full of people in red smocks walking around, talking together, drinking beer.  The falleras stood for a moment with the children's falla for a photo op.  We walked around both fallas to get pictures, then just when we were about to walk back, I heard the bang, saw the smoke, and yelled for Elise who was 5 feet in front of me, "Elise!  Cover your ears!!"

Noise, fire, and a chain of smoke.  A large cloud and sparkles rising to the sky.  A minute later it was over.  It was a very simple, incredibly short mascleta.

On the way back to the grocery store we saw one more plaza with a couple fallas and a group of kids throwing fireworks into metal garbage cans so make more noise.  So we've now seen 3 of the 5 and we're deaf.   As we walked away Elise told me her ears were itching.  

It's interesting... tomorrow I head to Valencia to see the big ones and fight the crowds.  Hooray.

PHOTOS:  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=200096&id=674507268&l=36c794bf87