Last night in Valencia, more than 750 monuments were burned during La Cremà — the official end to the Fallas celebrations. Convento Jerusalén was first prize in Special edition. Thousands of people crowded into the streets and on every balcony, to watch a huge fireball raze this beautiful sculpture into nothingness.sábado, 20 de marzo de 2010
La Cremà de las Fallas 2010
Last night in Valencia, more than 750 monuments were burned during La Cremà — the official end to the Fallas celebrations. Convento Jerusalén was first prize in Special edition. Thousands of people crowded into the streets and on every balcony, to watch a huge fireball raze this beautiful sculpture into nothingness.viernes, 19 de marzo de 2010
Programa último día FALLAS (Valencia)
DÍA 19 DE MARZO (Viernes)
A las 14:00 horas
MASCLETÀ en la Plaza del Ayuntamiento.
A las 19:00 horas
CABALGATA DEL FUEGO
Con el siguiente itinerario: Salida calle Ruzafa, Colón, finalizando en la Porta de la Mar.
A las 22:00 horas
CREMÀ de las Fallas Infantiles
A las 22:30 horas
CREMÀ de la Falla Infantil que haya obtenido el Primer Premios de la Sección Especial.
A las 23:00 horas
CREMÀ de la Falla Infantil de la Plaza del Ayuntamiento.
A las 00:00 horas
CREMÀ de todas las Fallas de Valencia
A las 00:30 horas
CREMÀ de la Falla que haya obtenido el Primer Premio de la Sección Especial.
A las 01:00 horas
RAMILLETE DE FUEGOS AÉREOS en la Plaza del Ayuntamiento y CREMÀ de la Falla.
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domingo, 14 de marzo de 2010
Alonso y Santander, juntos dos embajadores

sábado, 13 de marzo de 2010
Atlético de Madrid mira hacia China

viernes, 5 de marzo de 2010
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BlaBla Spain en el Congreso Castellón 2020

domingo, 28 de febrero de 2010
What Gives the Guiri Ganas? Part Two

...continuing from last week's post 'What Gives the Guiri Ganas Part 1'. 21/02/2010
So with our bellies full we turn to the last item on our agenda, something called ‘freedom of spirit’. For me this was one of the determining factors in converting what began as a ‘recky’ to Spain into a life changing decision to stay. For whatever reason, be it political or personal, there remains among Spanish society a general rebuff of the established order. As a teacher you often find yourself a victim of this disregard for authority (rarely does total harmony reign in a class of 12 Spanish teenagers) but this unruly spirit is essentially healthy.
Admittedly it’s not original to say that UK society has suffered an extreme loss of civil liberties in recent years but neither is it inaccurate. Health and safety, average speed checks and an abundance of CCTV cameras have created an oppressive atmosphere in which having fun constitutes stepping out of line. Spain is a long way from being free of bureaucracy but there is a greater reluctance to recognize this petty officialdom.
This “lo que me da la gana” attitude is expressed everyday throughout society; maverick road works, imaginative car parking and extremely liberal queuing etiquette to say the least. Who hasn’t been barged by a noisy granny in Mercadona?
However it’s never more present than throughout the state-sponsored mayhem of Las Fallas. Let off a party popper in Parliament Square and you’ll be lucky to get a trial, let alone a fair one. Throughout March in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento by contrast, it’s not uncommon to see a grown man hand his son a flaming stick of dynamite and encourage him to hurl it at his younger sister.
In any important decision there are always moments of doubt and uncertainty, not least when choosing to move abroad. However, with its cracking climate, wonderful range of food, and the refreshing madness of Las Fallas, Valencia is not short on vindication. So the ganas are growing again. If at times we wonder what on earth we are doing explaining the Saxon genitive to eight year olds then there’s nothing like a mesclatà, followed by a good healthy lunch in the sun, to put us right again.
