The attack of the Giant Statues, part II (Part III will be their burning…)
All the “ninots” which is what they are called, are now unveiled, and throughout the city of Valencia there are hundreds of these statues. They are made from polyurethane and are usually whimsical with bright coloring and creative design.
I went to the Fallas Museum and they have a sample from every year. And every year one ninot is offered a “pardon” and is not destroyed. Kind of like when the President pardons a turkey for Thanksgiving. Anyway, the museum offers the history, which goes back hundreds of years and shows how the designs have changed.
You only need to walk a few blocks and you can see their designs, both small and very, very large. They have small ones designed by kids, and they are amazing in their own right. But it’s the big ones that blow you away.
My page photo (also here) is probably the best and most creative one we saw. And then there’s the crowds…getting worse, as we reach March 18 when fireworks destroy all the ninots. Oh, BTW, that takes place at midnight, and they turn off the street lights. OMG. Did I mention it happens at midnight? Yes, all throughout the day, firecrackers set off everywhere, by kids from grade school on up.
Back to the crowds. Imagine the biggest, most dense crowd of partiers you’ve ever been in. Now double it. That’s what it was like today, after the 2:00 fireworks display. You cannot move against the crowd and you can’t even move with them hardly. What it’s like at midnight I’m not sure I want to experience! The roads are blocked off from most auto traffic and what it’s like driving must be a nightmare.
People visit for the annual Las Fallas from around the world, so it was our good fortune to be here at the Right Time. People, food, drinks, music, fireworks- everywhere.
03.20.19:
You can see the sight and you can hear the sound but you cannot smell the smell and you certainly cannot feel the heat! There are 340 or so of these statues all throughout the city of Valencia and they are all being incinerated tonight.
#valencia, #valenciaspain, #lasfallas, #ninotes, #thefires
