So I had a great time in Spain last week. Not only did I spend time in Barcelona but I also travelled to Valencia and Madrid. I totally loved Valencia. It is a unique combination of old world charm and modern sensibilities. And apparently without any intention I landed in Valencia at the right time...which is the time of Las Fallas festival. Every year from March 1 to March 19, the city celebrates the oncoming of spring by bursting crackers, fireworks every afternoon. I am told the intensity of festivities increase from March 15 to March 19, which is the end of the festival.
It was great to see people dressed in all their festival gear to celebrate Las Fallas. The downtown is a more cleaner and less populated version of Chandni Chowk. It has a number of eateries and shops, of course. I was there only for a day and when you are in a city for such a short span, a lot depends on the guide. I was lucky to get a fabulous guide, Rosa Latin. She knew exactly what I would enjoy the most. Because I just don't want to visit monuments but chill and relax as well. It was absolutely a stroke of luck that I landed at the time of Las Fallas and then got a good guide. A good guide doesn't believe in one way dispersal of information. A tourist like me wants to go beyond the facts and know about the life of the people. The information has to be peppered with interesting anecdotes, incidents etc. In this regard this guide was perfect. Even in such a short time she took me beyond to some quaint little shops who were known for doing something different. There was a shop which sells chufa ice cream, which is made of roots grown only in Valencia. The shop keeper didnt take any money for the ice cream and cold drink.
I was not so lucky in Madrid. The guide was horrible. She would start rattling like a tape recorder. After a while I started asking the people on the road or reading the literature.
Here are some pictures of Valencia:
I
It was great to see people dressed in all their festival gear to celebrate Las Fallas. The downtown is a more cleaner and less populated version of Chandni Chowk. It has a number of eateries and shops, of course. I was there only for a day and when you are in a city for such a short span, a lot depends on the guide. I was lucky to get a fabulous guide, Rosa Latin. She knew exactly what I would enjoy the most. Because I just don't want to visit monuments but chill and relax as well. It was absolutely a stroke of luck that I landed at the time of Las Fallas and then got a good guide. A good guide doesn't believe in one way dispersal of information. A tourist like me wants to go beyond the facts and know about the life of the people. The information has to be peppered with interesting anecdotes, incidents etc. In this regard this guide was perfect. Even in such a short time she took me beyond to some quaint little shops who were known for doing something different. There was a shop which sells chufa ice cream, which is made of roots grown only in Valencia. The shop keeper didnt take any money for the ice cream and cold drink.
I was not so lucky in Madrid. The guide was horrible. She would start rattling like a tape recorder. After a while I started asking the people on the road or reading the literature.
Here are some pictures of Valencia:
A woman dressed in traditional Spanish costume in a sea of modernity
Girls getting ready for the procession on Sunday evening
Paella, the famous Spanish dish, being sold at the procession. It is very similar to our pulao or biryani
Modern structures at Valencia
A young couple happily dancing at outdoor eatery
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