Ja estem en Falles!

March was by far the most eventful month until now. It started out wonderfully because one of my best friends came to visit me, even though it was just for a few days, seeing a familiar face was a breath of fresh air. Don’t get me wrong, I love the fact that I’m meeting new people here and that I’m becoming close friends with some of them, even unexpectedly in some cases, but seeing someone I’ve known for years, who is an important part of my life and who I was used to seeing often has given me a feeling of peace and comfort. I’ve taken her to Valencia to see the city center,  to visit a few museums and to stroll around the charming streets, but we also spent a little bit of time in Puerto at the beach. A few days later I got visited by my aunt and my cousin who came for almost a week so we had time to chat, to visit a big part of the area and to simply enjoy the chill time together. I also had a third visit at the end of the month, my dad and my brother came for a few days and I showed them around, took them to restaurants and pastry shops. By the time they came I had a planned route and felt like a tourist guide. It was heartwarming seeing so many people in such a short time!

March was also defined by another very important and unique event: Fallas! I didn’t know what to expect from it because none of the explanations I got was clear, everyone kept saying “you’ll see” so I don’t feel quite qualified to describe the event, I can only say that my experience of it was wholly positive, I had so much fun and I learned so much about the traditions of the Valencian community. For a whole week I went out until very late because every night there was at least one orchesta, basically every falla puts up a stage and every night a different band plays for hours and hours. I also got to try churros con chocolate, buñuelos and other types of food typical for Fallas. It was such a great experience having the opportunity to live the festivity through the lens of locals. My friends from here gave me amazing tips on how to enjoy everything to the highest level and sharing my first Fallas with them was truly a gift! When I saw all the beautiful monuments burn I couldn’t not get a little emotional, but that’s the tradition and, although seeing in person such huge fires was unusual, all the precautions were taken and everything went smoothly. I don’t know if this month can be topped, but I’ll try!