La Mascleta

Las Fallas is a huge festival in Valencia every March.  I will go into detail in another blog.  It kicks off with a ceremony and big firework display on the 1st March and then every day they hold the Mascleta in Ajuntament Plaza at 2pm until the official Fallas week.

We believe it is to re enact the fight between the Moors and Christians, but we really think it is just an opportunity to make as much noise as they possibly can.  They love it.  It starts slowly and goes on for about 7 minutes building up to an almighty crescendo, which comes up through your body and out the top of your head.  Quite a spectacle.  We went to about eight of them.  At the beginning you could walk into the square and get quite close.  There is little to see, just the feeling of the noise.  By the end it was two streets away, packed with people.  The atmosphere was amazing.

And the week of Fallas, as many people in front of us as behind.

Here's just a taste of it.

We understand that the Mascleta is sponsored everyday by a different company and starts small and by the time Fallas week starts properly the big guns come in.... really.  It seems to get louder as the weeks progress.  We called it an artillery barrage, not a fireworks.  The sky becomes full of smoke and the buildings disappear.  Brilliant.

Elaine and Mark came to Stay

We had guests.  Mark and Elaine came to stay for a couple of days!  You can't see everything in Valencia in one day and a bit, so we were a bit selective.  They took themselves off to see some touristy things and we all experienced the Mascleta. (all will be revealed about the Mascleta in the next blog). 

In the evening Rod cooked his famous Paella and we went out for a walk and a drink. A brilliant day.

The next day we caught the bus to the Arts and Science Park and Elaine said how much she would like to go to the Oceanographic Centre.  So we did..... something new for us.  It's really a big aquarium over a huge space with different buildings with different areas of the world, and also a big dome with wetland bird habitat.

What a fabulous place and we spent all afternoon there.

Dolphins greeting us

Stunning Beluga Whales

We staggered out about 5pm, had a quick walk past the science centre and then caught the bus home.  Our feet were throbbing.

In the evening we stayed local for tapas.
And then they were gone early the following morning.   A whistle stop tour.  A great time had by all.

Manises

Today we decided to take ourselves off to Manises, an outer suburb of Valencia that is famous for its ceramics.

It all started well as it is on the Metro and we zapped ourselves through at Colon and headed out on the train.  When we got to the station at the other end the barriers wouldn't let us out, and although there was a ticket office there was nobody to be seen.  Standing there for five minutes like lame ducks and looking stupid, we decided that we couldn't pole vault the barriers, and grumping that we would have to go all the way back, I saw one of these microphones you speak into, after a couple of minutes of a stunned Metro person on the other end, wondering what a crazy foreigner was doing, he obviously gave up and opened the barriers for us....... phew one problem sorted.

Of course there was no map at the station, so headed off down what looked like the main road, but of course it was in totally the wrong direction.  We found this when we stopped for coffee and very nice group of ladies pointed us back towards the station, and then walked passed it going the other way.

So Manises was founded as a pottery town by the Romans and then enhanced by the Moors who produced all the local and beautiful tiles, the Medieval period went even further and course it is only the past fifty years that it has been in decline.

The town has a small old part and we spent hours wandering around the small houses and looking at all the lovely tiled doorways.

The Façade of the Tourist Office

We found a small café and had the biggest bocadillo (ham roll) ever and then went into a small park opposite, which was lovely.  Full of traditional tiles, but all done in the style of Walt Disney.

It also had these wonderful murals.  It's a pity that people feel they need to deface them.

It's amazing the wildlife you find in the centre of towns

Tiled roundabouts everywhere

Arty Farty Stuff

More Sunday

Saw all sorts of things today.  Walked for hours.

All very Harry Potterish

The Station _ I wonder if it has a platform 9 and 3/4

The Order of the Phoenix Building

The roof of the Post Office

Yes they have a bullring, and yes they still chase bulls around it, but today it was open for silliness of the children.  Men with wooden bulls on wheels chased the children around the bullring and everyone had a silly time.

Balcony in Ajuntament overlooking where the fireworks are set off.  On the last night of Las Fallas it costs a pound or two to rent.  Don't suppose we shall be doing that, although the view must be amazing.e

Our favourite coffee shop. 

Rod in his element with Churros and Hot Chocolate.  I may just add that he did have more than one churros.

In the afternoon when went to a photographic exhibition in an old banking building.  The photographs were pretty boring, but they also had an exhibition of Robert Opie, he did one of the covers for Blur.  It was only small, but I really enjoyed his stuff.  I am not sure I should have taken these, but couldn't resist. I am going to look out for more of his stuff, it would be great to see.

Beautiful Doorway, how about walking through this every time you go into your house.

Walking by The Turia