A Month of Fallas

As expected, March was completely taken over by Fallas. Both in my personal life and at TOLA. Even before the official start, the pre-Fallas energy was already impossible to ignore. The whole month feels like one long, vibrant celebration.

I loved wandering through the streets of Valencia, watching them slowly transform: decorations going up, lights appearing overhead, and churros /buñuelos stands popping up on nearly every corner. I’m fairly certain I ate my body weight in churros this month. The best way I can describe the atmosphere is like one big community party, with Fallas (those incredible, decorated art pieces) standing proudly on every corner. There are paellas being cooked right in the streets, music everywhere, and this constant buzz of excitement that’s hard not to get swept up in.

Even though I had quite a few days off, the centre stayed busy with all the Fallas preparations. You could really feel the excitement building. In cooking class, we made churros; with OCIO, we went to visit the Fallas around the city; in creative class, we even built our own “Falla”; and one weekend, I went with a small group to see a Mascletà in Valencia. All in all, it was such an exciting month at the centre; it was especially nice to see how enthusiastic all the usuarios were.

Right after Fallas, I ended up being ill for a week. Which, apparently, is just part of the Valencia experience. Once I recovered, I met up with my parents for a weekend getaway in the mountains of Teruel. We went hiking and enjoyed some fresh air, which felt like the perfect way to close out such an intense and lively month.