Sunday 5 October 2008

I can't wait until Springtime

I really can't wait! I've got the feeling that this Winter is going to be extra dark and extra dense. What I do love is donning my leather riding gear (although I do look like Darth Vader in a nappy!) What I hate is having to stay off the motorbike on icey days (I didn't do this last Winter and ending up on my arse!- Neither cool nor clever!)

Anyways, every Spring for the last 12 years I've fucked off to Valencia for the Fallas.

One solid week in March the Spanish celebrate the Fiesta of the Fallas ("fire stick"). It's been going since 1497 and started when carpenters toiling through the Winter would extend their working days by using a lamp made of candles (called a "parot"). Upon the arrival of Spring the lamps would no longer be needed and the carpenters would celebrate by taking the parots into the street and burn disused wood. Soon whole villages would bring their old items out for burning and hence was born the Fallas Fiesta.

I go to Denia (lucky to have my ex-pat mom there- better than Brum!) 12 areas in the town spend a whole year building a Fallas. They are made out of wood and papier mache and are the size of an 8 story block of flats. The effiges are then judged on which one is the best- on merits of most artistic, best sattire, best constructed etc.

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