Hello, Gentle Reader! Recent news reports may have shared a recent experience here in mainland Spain: a massive power outage that affected all of Spain, Portugal, and Andorra. Even parts of southern France were affected.

The April 28 blackout, or apagón, was a unique event and helped uncover some interesting cultural reflections about Spaniards in times of crises. (By the way, apagar is the verb to turn off (the lights), and the noun form is apagón, or big “lights out” event.)

When the lights went out, I was in my sewing class, hand-stitching a shirt that I am constructing. A power outage is not usually a cause for alarm, and this was no different. We had windows in the sewing shop, and plenty of light. I just kept sewing. Before long, however, it became clear that that the power was out on the whole block… and then the whole city. Shortly thereafter, there was a growing awareness that this was a country-wide event.

Initially, the Wi-Fi still worked and we were able to communicate with friends around the country and connect to the internet, but that was inconsistent at best. Before long, that completely shut off, too.

In Valencia, April 28 was already a holiday, the fest day of San Vicente Ferrer. He’s one of the patron saints of the city, and lots of people take his festival very seriously. What that means for the city is that most people were not at work, students were not at school, and lots of folks had free time on their hands.

Shortly after the blackout, people started going outside and chatting with one another. The weather was spectacular and many people were at home with their families. The parks were full of shouting kids, barking dogs, and people enjoying time in the sun. When the power went out, the most inconvenient aspect was the lack of Wi-Fi or the loss of the elevator in the building. Spain is able to bounce through all of that, though, because socializing is another common hobby.

On my way home from sewing class about an hour after the blackout began, I noted the number of people in the street was significantly more than normal. Folks were calling out to friends and family in their upper story apartments to check on them. The bars were full and people had reverted to paying cash for their beverage and (premade) snack. More than anything else, people were chatting with each other, perhaps for the first time in a while. In bars and parks, a sense of camaraderie blossomed as people connected.

I also noticed that there was flooding on my street as I arrived back at home. Apparently, a water main on our block had fractured when the electric pressure regulator had failed. So by the time I made it home to our apartment on the 8th floor (actually the 7th floor starting at the ground floor, or 0), we no longer had power, water, or reliable Wi-Fi. The windows were already open, and our world was quiet.

Lunch was easy sandwiches with pantry items. We followed that up with a nap, and then reading and chatting while sitting on the couch. Since my work is online, I couldn’t do the things I normally do in the afternoon. Cooking dinner was not an option, so we enjoyed a leisurely dinner of cheese, crackers, hummus, and a few other things from the fridge, which was staying nice and chilly.

About 8 hours after the blackout began, the power reappeared. Maybe it was just my imagination, but the tone of the neighborhood changed as people celebrated being able to cook, use the elevator to go back to their home, and generally let out a breath they had been holding throughout the blackout. It still took a few more hours for resumed water and Wi-Fi but the power was the thing that was the most important.

The following morning, everything was back to normal, and people now had new stories of the things they did during the apagón. I reconnected with my friends on the Iberian peninsula and found that they had similar times without power. I was also able to access the news that detailed the confusion around the cause of the blackout, although Portugal made it perfectly clear that it was Spain’s fault. Even now, several weeks after the incident, it’s unclear what triggered the outage, aside from electrical system harmonics that disrupted the entire grid.

So, what’s the outcome? There were no riots, no doomsday alarmists, no looting, no explosions, and the world did not end. Quite the reverse, actually. Neighbors checked in on each other. People reconnected socially in new ways. Most people focused on the positive aspects of the event, and while a longer outage could have been much more serious, this was quickly managed and repaired. First responders did an amazing job of responding. The community acted like, well, a community.

The news would have you believe that people completely freaked out over the blackout, but please take that with a huge caution: stories of people freaking out are sensational and clickbait. Hollywood leans hard into this expectation that society unravels within minutes of a big change. That’s simply not what happened. The Spanish virtue of patience is more powerful than that. Sure, there may have been isolated incidents where crazy things happened, but the important thing is that they were isolated and not the norm.

Instead, Spain enjoyed a day of socializing, enjoying the weather, caring for one another, and, frankly, living. Yes, it could have been more serious, but it wasn’t. It was a reminder of the importance of community.

Hello, Gentle Reader! I know it’s been a while, but I hope we can get reacquainted promptly. For those of you who are new to the Valencia At Last family, welcome! I’m Christopher, and I am so happy you are here. I hope we can make some memories together as I share what I am experiencing as an immigrant to Europe, to Spain, and to Valencia, my adopted city!

Many people focus on the new year as a time for starting new habits, but I have found that springtime suits me best. I’m simply more energized by the onset of sunnier weather and warmer days than the chilly gloom of midwinter. Springtime is all about growth and renewal, and I have so much to share about my life here in Spain!

Who am I?

Let’s start with a check-in. I’ve been living in Spain since 2021 and I have grown so much in the last 3.5+ years. I am an online science teacher for a school based in the US and now work in that capacity full-time instead of as a contractor like before. I also have a companion website, www.CleverExpat.com, where I share my organizational expertise and help others make the move abroad. Over the last few years, my Spanish has improved significantly, although I know that language learning is a task that will continue for the rest of my life. Even though I have been here a while, I am always discovering new corners of Valencia to explore!

With that, I want to tell you about one of the newer creative adventures I have embarked upon: sewing. This is a skill that has always fascinated me, and finding clothes that fit my body here in Spain is a great motivator to make my own. Over the last few years, some of my clothes that I brought here have started to wear out, making the timing right for a new hobby.

New hobby in a different language and culture

I decided to start sewing while I was out to dinner in late December with a friend and my husband. We started talking about new endeavors for the upcoming year, and our friend said he was taking classes in Valenciano in January. (FYI, Valenciano is a local language and is closely related to Catalan, which is spoken all along the central and northern coastal regions of Spain.) My husband said that he, too, wanted to learn Valenciano. When the conversation turned to what I wanted to accomplish in 2025, I said I wanted to learn how to sew.

All three of us are taking classes in the same place, a church located in downtown Valencia. The church’s outreach mission historically to provide education to the community, especially for women new to the country. As the world changed, so did their outreach efforts, and now there are more courses available at a very low cost (60EUR for a whole year of instruction). The range of classes is quite impressive, including home skills like cooking, sewing, garment construction, crocheting and knitting, language skills like Castilian Spanish, English, and Valenciano, and family and elder care skills, like in-home elder care.

How it started

At the time, I had never taken a sewing class before and didn’t know what to expect. I started watching YouTube videos about beginning sewing practices. I purchased a good sewing machine. I looked for super-beginner projects that would familiarize me with my machine and working with fabric. I was definitely surprised when the first trimester of the course was sewing by hand! I’m almost finished with a hand-sewing sampler of different stitches and sewing styles.

I learned much more than sewing, however. The classes are all taught in Spanish, and everyone else in the class was from Latin America. It’s a dynamic, friendly, and chatty group, and the instructor is a volunteer with a kind demeanor but obviously a master of sewing in many different techniques. Since the course is held in three trimesters, and I was starting in the second trimester, the focus was on hand sewing. This trimester, however, I’m finishing my hand sampler and we are moving on to using the machines in the classroom. There are three or four electric machines in the classroom, and the rest are pedal-operated machines. I’m honestly kind of excited to learn how to use a pedal-powered sewing machine!

You may ask if my machine has been gathering dust since January, but I assure you, it has not. I also started a machine-oriented sewing class at a local tailoring shop. A friend and I signed up for classes there, and I have really enjoyed the process. I’m getting even more practice speaking Spanish in this class, and I’m really quite pleased with what I am learning. Much of the time, it’s one-to-one instruction during my weekly four-hour classes, and I’m able to make so much progress each class. We have developed a pattern for a favorite, if getting threadbare, shirt. I’ve made a prototype shirt as well out of an old sheet. We’ve adjusted the pattern to fit more effectively. I’ve been able to apply my hand-sewing skills to my projects. And overall, I am enjoying every minute of both classes.

Cultural differences

But there is one other learning that comes as a cultural observation. From the US, I am used to sewing supplies that are readily available, available for me to pick and choose, and I simply take what I want to buy to the attendant or the register. That is NOT the way things are done in Spain. Here, there are two types of stores: fabric (tejidos) and notions (mercerías). (By the way, if you don’t know what sewing notions are, those things are the non-fabric part of garments, including buttons, zippers, thread, hooks, and straps, as well as sewing supplies like pins, needles, and tapes.) So one morning when I was feeling particularly brave, I went into a fabric store and chose a fabric for my first project, a simple tote bag.

Here’s what I missed: I must be assisted. Here in Spain, sewing culture was a kind of protected space for women that was focused on learning new skills, collaborating on projects, and social interaction. So when I, completely unaware of this culture, showed up and took the bolt of fabric to the register to be cut, I broke the rules. I was supposed to take a number and wait for the attendant, who would consult with me about what I needed. Their role is to help me select the fabric, cut the fabric, and help me finalize my purchase.

Next, I went to a nearby mercería to buy thread and some other supplies for my project. Again, I broke the rules. I picked up a pack of pins and some thread and went to the register. I made the same mistake. I was supposed to tell the attendant what I wanted and they would advise me on what they had to suit my needs. For both of these businesses, waiting my turn was important, and no rush was expected of the attendants, who are often already helping other customers.

Lesson learned, Spain. I have since applied my understanding to subsequent visits to fabric and notions stores, and have had better results. I have made one more step toward these types of cultural interactions. It’s a process that I can appreciate. I’m trying to fit in here, and understanding the rules means I must be prepared to change my expectations to fit Spanish expectations, not the other way around. Nobody likes that foreigner who demands that things be done their way.

Looking forward

So, Gentle Reader, I’m glad to share this with you. In the future, I’m hoping to share photos of some of my creations. I just bought some new fabrics (and followed the rules!) and I’m excited to transform them into creative projects, all while learning a language, making friends, and practicing new skills.

One last note (and thank you for reading this far!): If you know someone who wants to move abroad and doesn’t know where to start, has lost motivation, or needs help with the process, please refer them to my other website, www.CleverExpat.com. I coach people on their expat journey and and teach classes with a colleague who lives in France. I would appreciate the referral!

As you may have guessed, I’m one of those “museum visitors.” I’ve found that exploring the local museums provides a quick course on the culture of the area. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised at the comprehensive collection in the Alicante Archaeological Museum, often referred to simply as MARQ.

Not every town has a museum. Some museums are not kept up well, leaving me with the impression that everything could use a cleanup overnight. That was not the case with MARQ. The museum is pristine, well-constructed, and the lighting is both atmospheric and designed to emphasize the richness of the local culture. Most of the exhibits are behind glass, but I think that helps protect the artifacts as well as the comprehensive display signs. Most of the signs are in Valenciano and Spanish, but there may be guides to the museum in English as well.

This museum is significant in its comprehensive treatment of the rich history of the area. Similar to my visit to Elche in 2022, Alicante’s focus on displaying its history proudly and effectively made visiting the museum a pleasant excursion. There are also a number of multimedia displays that helped place the artifacts into a more relatable context.

The building itself is impressive, having formerly been the site of the hospital San Juan de Díos. There’s a lot of space, and there’s a lot to see, too. MARQ is structured into a set of halls connected to a main “spine.” Each hall contains collections related to different eras in the area’s history. From the lighting to the cases of the exhibits to the large screens displaying recreated scenes of the time period, each era is an impressive collection of artifacts.

Similarly, the “spine” hall contains several outstanding exhibits, too. You can see an entire ship, recreated buildings and rooms, and atmospheric representations of life during multiple eras. Overall, the detail applied to lighting, displays, and structural elements of the museum set this location apart from many other museums I have visited.

In the photos below, I have tried to give you a quick survey of the overall museum experience. However, there is so much to see here that I had a hard time covering it all in a single visit. Museum fatigue is a real thing, and I would like to explore a museum this comprehensive in a different way, over several days and exploring several eras in detail.

Personally, I enjoyed the prehistoric, Roman, and Moorish eras of Alicante. The use of art in everyday life was apparent through the artifacts on display. Whether it is the colorful glaze on a bowl, the ceramics chosen for floor and wall tiling, or details found in coins and jewelry, the cultures reflected an appreciation of creativity.

If you visit the area, definitely give this museum a look if you are interested in learning more about Alicante.

A couple of years ago, we visited Alicante. Aside from being shocked that almost two years had passed, we found Alicante just as charming as always. As I mentioned in my previous post, we avoided the last week of the festival in Valencia. After a short train ride, we were back in the center of Alicante. A few minutes later, we were in our hotel room.

Since we had six days to enjoy the town, we had the luxury to explore some museums and enjoy unique and local sights that only Alicante can provide.

I was aware that Alicante, like many cities and pueblos in Spain, has its own flavor and unique festivals to celebrate the seasons. In Valencia, the most prominent one is Las Fallas, but in Alicante, it’s La Fiesta de San Juan, or the celebration of St. John. Unlike its Valencian counterpart, the event only lasts for four days, but there are many similarities.

Since Alicante is a popular destination in the Valencian region, you’ll often hear Valenciano spoken. And like Las Fallas, many of the festival components are specifically referenced and named in Valenciano, not Castellano. I’m letting you know that because there are some potentially confusing alternations to festival events:

• Hogueras (Spanish) = Fogueres (Valenciano)
• San Juan = Sant Joan
• La Belleza del Fuego = Belleses del foc – this refers to the women who are chosen to represent the festival annually. Translation: Beauties of the Fire

For four days, fogueres are erected in town squares and in front of the city hall, and all will be burned on the night of June 24. There are somewhere between 70 and 90 displays every year, constructed and promoted by the “foguerils” groups. These are social groups that promote their neighborhood fogueres through fund raising activities, social events, and different party events. In reality, the model of the Valencia Fallas is imitated with a great deal of gusto.

That also means there is judging. Nine jury members review each of the fogueres throughout the city. Three members come from foguerils, one is a former belle del foc, and the remaining come from the association governing the event. Of course it’s a big honor to be part of the judging committee, but I imagine it’s a lot of work, too.

There are fireworks. There’s music. There’s a whole lot of partying. And there’s community.

That brings us to our exploration of Alicante. There is a Fogueres museum in the city, and it’s definitely worth a visit. As you can see from the pictures below, there are a lot of similarities between the fallas and the fogueres. There were many more religious themes present in Alicante, as well as tributes to the founders and patrons of the festival.

In one section of the museum, there is a collection of models of the winning Fogueres. Intricate, colorful, comedic, and idyllic themes are all present in the displays. You’ll see quite a few similarities to the fallas, as the artists may be the same ones working in Valencia. I thoroughly enjoyed the museum, and it will take somewhere between 30 minutes and 1 hour to experience.

We had plans to escape.

During Las Fallas, the city population changes and over a million visitors appear in Valencia. For the second year in a row, we made plans to go somewhere else the final week of the festival. While I know that might be an unpopular choice for many locals, the constant sound of fireworks starts to grate on my nerves.

The competitions are fierce and the noise is fiercer. The last week includes the judging of all of the fallas, and some of the categories are truly spectacular. However, as the judging announcements are made, there are fireworks celebrations for every third, second, and first place awarded. In addition to those fireworks, there are also daily “sound events” where fireworks create percussive sound events. And then, on March 19, all of the fallas (except one*) are burned by being filled with (you guessed it!) fireworks.

It’s a cultural celebration that defines the unique characteristics of the Valencian people. Highly social, extremely competitive, and spectacular in every sense of the word. It seems like all rules about noise regulations are thrown out the nearest window and forgotten until March 20. People are outside, visiting the fallas and making note of the construction of each sculpture.

Rest assured that the hearing aid business is alive and well in Valencia, where you can get hearing aids and glasses in the same locations.

Want to see more? Check out this link: https://www.visitvalencia.com/en/fallas

So one Monday night in March, my friend Manu and I walked through a good portion of the city center. We were looking at the different fallas and tried to guess what was under the plastic wrap for remaining figures. Obvious or not, these in-construction pieces tell their own story. Additionally, while we were in the city center, we were able to see teams of workers assemble the falla in front of city hall.

Similar to the incredible decorations of the sculptures is the lighting displays you can see in the streets, the streets are also lit up in creative and beautiful ways. In Rusafa, there are a few streets that basically build a “light tent” above the streets, and these lights are often synchronized in color and illumination to musical presentations.

For our walk, though, we were able to see some more typical lighting options. Banners of lights and reflective materials span the streets, sometimes with the names of the falla association that builds the local falla. In smaller neighborhoods, the lighting takes the form of more sedate, but equally beautiful, suspended art.

If you’re wondering, there’s no lighting on our street, and for that, I am thankful. We do have a Casal Faller, or fallas association club, in front of our apartment building, but the falla—and the lighting—is located around the corner. I can imagine that both sound and light can be real distractions for people on busy or heavily decorated streets.

So, it was with all of this in mind, we escaped for the last week to have a more placid and calm week in Alicante. They have their own version of sculptures and fires in Alicante, but it’s during the summer, for the day of Saint John (San Juan with the festival day of June 24). More on that to come!

*Which falla is saved? That would be La Virgen de los Desamparados, in the Plaza de la Virgen. As the patron of the city, she is decorated every year in flowers brought be each of the fallas groups during an event called La Ofrenda, or the offering. Her dress is constructed completely of flowers and is a unique design every year.  

Gentle readers, while I was not here for the final week of Las Fallas, I can wholeheartedly recommend my friend Manu’s Instagram reel with his pictures: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18026361433981220/ He takes great pictures and often shares them here… worth a follow!

Occasionally, some real gems show up unexpectedly.

Recently, we went to a trivia night held in English in a small cookie bakery in Alicante.

We found the place because they also sold bagels, which has become something of an obsession for us here in Spain.* When we arrived, we found out the owners of the bakery are North Americans, too. When he told us about the trivia night, we decided that this might be something fun and uncomplicated to do on our vacation.

We joined a table of four other folks and found that they, too, were from the States. After introductions, we realized that we have a lot in common, and the evening was off to a running start. As we answered questions with various degrees of knowledge and guessing, we found out that the other two couples both had plans to visit Valencia in the near future.

And that leads me to the questions. Trivia aside, they asked what our top “must see” destinations are in Valencia.

That’s given me some thought, and I definitely want to share a few places that I can recommend.

Museums:

1. Casa de las Rocas. This is a fascinating stroll through history, specifically the celebratory nature of Corpus Christi. The artwork and displays there are used annually, and reflect events beginning in the early 1400s.

2. Centro d’Art Hortensia Herrero. I recently visited this new museum, and if you like modern art in a wildly historical setting, this is a great option to see something new. Be prepared: this is a deceptively large museum and varied collection.

3. Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia. This is a more traditional art museum, but through the eyes of the Valencian community. You’ll see quite a bit of art from various creators, including some of Valencia’s sons and daughters.

Walks:

1. City of Arts and Sciences, including the Oceanografic. Some of the most iconic parts of Valencia are the buildings designed by Santiago Calatrava. It’s unique, it’s an easy walk, and it’s even the set for various movies and concerts.

2. Túria Riverbed. Simply called “el rio” by the locals, this is a former river that was diverted and eventually used for a fantastic walking park that connects to many parts of the city.

3. If you are in the downtown area, there are a number of incredibly historic sights to view. From the city center (Ayuntamiento) to the Plaza de la Virgin, you can wander side streets and see some incredible buildings and monuments.

Restaurants:

Caveat #1: I am NOT a paella expert. There are many people who claim to be, but I will never say that I am the right person to ask about paella. For that reason, I will not be weighing in on where to find the best paella.

Caveat #2: I am a vegetarian. I will only recommend places that are vegetarian-friendly, and there are many great vegetarian and vegan restaurants in the city.

1. Four Coffee Bar and Bistro and Rogel Café. Both of these places are a great place to go for bites to eat that are quite satisfying and varied. Each also supports non-Spanish-speakers. If you don’t speak Spanish, these are both great places to go for breakfast or brunch.

2. Cento per Cento Caffe y Pizza. Great pizza, best enjoyed as a lunch menu that comes with a drink, starter, a whole pizza, and a dessert for around 10EUR.

3. Café Madrigal. This is vegan, but don’t be mistaken… it’s tremendous food. The specials and options change daily, but I’ve never been disappointed.

I know I am missing a number of favorite places, but I need to create specific posts just around food or museum or city hikes. If you only have 48 hours here, and want to make the most of your time here, you will at least have some places to start!

*About bagels: Obsession may be too gentle of a word. We miss bagels, probably more than most other foods or luxuries from the US. Normally, bagels here are bread in the shape of a bagel, but lack the texture of a bagel (chewy, boiled prior to baking, and flavored with seeds or toppings). We have tried bagels where we could find them in Valencia, but we also searched for them in Madrid and now here in Alicante. Still haven’t found our “dream bagel” in Spain, but I am optimistic and hopeful. There are some options in Madrid that we are going to try the next time we are there!

A friend and I recently visited a new museum that opened in 2023, El Centro de Arte de Hortensia Herrero (CAHH). He and I visit museums and other interesting places here in the city. Adventures like these are quite rewarding, and it’s an opportunity to practice my Spanish. On this day, we arrived just before the museum opened and paid for our tickets in the gift shop across the street from the entrance.

Who is Hortensia Herrero? She’s a major patron of the arts here in Spain, and is a billionaire businesswoman. Married to the owner of Mercadona, an international supermarket chain, she owns a large share of the company, too. Additionally, she and her husband are both Valencian, and have funded many unique causes in the cultural scene here in Valencia. She has contributed to multiple museums, dance companies, contemporary art installations, and now this artistic center in the El Carmen neighborhood.

Some of the first impressions of CAHH are based upon the building itself. The museum is housed in the Valeriola Palace, an historic site in its own right. It was originally built in the 17^th century, with a location that connected to the ancient Roman circus structures in the city and adjacent to the old Jewish quarter of the city. Frankly, it was a ruin, missing a roof and only partially structurally sound. But wait, there’s more! While excavating beneath the palace, artifacts began to emerge of a richer history, including remnants of the Muslim city of Balansiya between the 11^th and 13^th centuries.

In 2018, the renovation of the building started with a goal of preserving as much of the original structure as possible. The museum structure itself is quite large, with four floors of exhibits that range from historical artifacts to mid-century pieces to digital art. Many of the pieces are quite large. Color, texture, lighting, and setting were all considered throughout the museum.

My favorites in the collection included several “experience” pieces including a chromatic glass walkway, a room featuring stained glass and natural lighting, and several 3-D exhibits that kind of defy description. You’ll see what I mean below. At various points, you can also look out the windows to the surrounding neighborhood and courtyard.

Probably the most fascinating (to me) piece was a digital “town” that was developed by a team of programmers and artists. External conditions, like the weather, reflect the conditions in Valencia, and you can interact with the artwork by touching the figures. According to the description, you can cause the inhabitants to fight one another. At the point where the town and its inhabitants are destroyed, the exhibit will only show nature reclaiming the buildings. There is no restart to the exhibit.

I recommend seeing this museum if you are here in the city! Check it out at www.cahh.es.

It started out just like any other Friday night. We had dinner with our friends at an Indian restaurant in the town of Torrent. It’s easy to get there, because you can just take the metro to the town center and then walk to nearby shops and eateries. There is also a large park near the metro station, and it was curiously blocked off. In fact, in the metro station, the exit that put you out to the park was also closed, and guarded by some very gruff-looking policemen.

Paying limited attention to the barriers (honestly, food and friends was our focus, not the idiosyncrasies of the town of Torrent), we were able to make it to the restaurant in about 5 minutes. Tasty food, good service, and pleasant conversation was the first thing on the agenda. However, as the meal conversation topics turned, our friends said that there was to be a fireworks display about the time we would be finishing dinner.

Of course, we wanted to watch it. First, it was a much less populated event than any of the fireworks shows in Valencia, so there was no crushing crowd surrounding us. Second, after being filled with dinner and maybe a couple of adult beverages, we were definitely interested in seeing the fireworks display.

And this is where I should take a pause and say a few things about Las Fallas, the spring festival here that is a unique Valenciano tradition. I’ve written about Las Fallas before (it’s pronounced “las fah yas” with the two L’s being converted in to a “y” sound to us English speakers). It’s an annual tradition that is a region-wide celebration of light and sound that lasts from March 1 to 19.

While I find the Fallas celebration fascinating, it’s a bit much for me toward the end. The noise and number of tourists in the city can be overwhelming. I have experienced the whole spectacle several times, but I think for now, we will continue to escape the city the last few days of the festival. What I will say, though, is that Las Fallas is a festival that captures the heart and emotions of the Valencian people and region. Celebratory, participatory, city-wide… complete with sights, sounds, and experiences that are uniquely regional.

This year, though, there have been some changes. Shortly before the first event of Las Fallas (called La Crida), there was a horrible fire in the Valencian neighborhood of Campanar. You may have caught it on the news, but multiple people died in a sudden blaze that erupted in an apartment building. To show respect for those who lost homes and loved ones, the events were postponed a week. So that made the night that we were in Torrent the first night of any Fallas celebrations.

That brings us back to the fireworks display in the town of Torrent. During Las Fallas, there are usually fireworks events on weekend evenings. Coupled with the daytime fireworks events (yep, that’s a thing, too), the city can’t avoid the sounds of explosions or the smells of gunpowder that accompany the spectacle.

So it was not really a surprise that Torrent, just outside of Valencia proper, there was a fireworks display. Enough people live there, and the connection to Valencia is so deep, that the local celebration of Las Fallas is normal. However, you will not find tourists clogging the streets or restaurants in Torrent. What you will experience, though, is a fantastic fireworks display that lasted for about 10 minutes.

Since we were eating dinner quite close to the park where the fireworks were launched, we basically had front-row seats. Some of the fireworks ended up overhead, while a drifting cloud of firework smoke also enveloped us adding a more ethereal feeling to the moment. I took a few pictures and some videos, but then I put my phone away and just enjoyed the spectacle.

What started as an ordinary dinner with friends ended up being a delightful surprise!

If you are able to view a flashing image, then you might like to see the following videos (they open in new tabs):

Video 1

Video 2

For the past three years, the music lovers of Spain have turned their rhythm-loving hearts toward Benidorm in February for an event called Benidormfest. This, year, we were able to go with some friends, and had a great time!

What is Benidormfest? Well, to answer that question, you have to know a little something about the annual Eurovision Song competition. Eurovision is an enormous music event that brings together the best musical and performance acts selected by the members of the Eurovision community. While originally only in Europe, other countries have also joined the European Broadcasting Union, and have elected to compete.

Every participating country has its own methods for selecting their “champion” to go to the finals, and there are multiple rounds of competitors and eliminations. In Spain, the final selection was eight songs/performers/acts. At Benidormfest, the finalists performed live, and then the voting begins.

A panel of judges provides one round of voting, including other musicians and producers. The remaining votes come from a public vote, which is called in by the festival watchers throughout the country (and beyond, I suppose!). After all groups perform, there is a period of time where voting lines are opened and people select their favorite performer or group.

This year, the acts were quite interesting. There were various styles of artists, including flamenco, pop, dance songs, and ballads. Each song packaged lyrics and performance styles in a powerful combination of pop art. I was impressed by the variety of music, but really, I shouldn’t be too impressed. Spain’s musical history is legendary, and embedded deeply in the culture.

(Completely off-topic note related to music culture in Spain: We were with a group of friends for an afternoon, and the topic turned to the local songs for different towns and regions. They asked us to sing our local state or town songs, and we pointed out that we don’t have those in the US. Our friends thought we were just trying be coy and not sing, but finally realized that we have nothing like that in the US. They thought NOT having a local song was weird, while we thought that having a town song or anthem was definitely unusual. We felt very foreign.)

In December or January, a friend invited us to join a group going to Benidormfest. Without knowing any of the details or really any of the friends participating, we said yes. Little by little, the plans emerged. While we would not be attending in the performance venue because Benidormfest tickets are very hard to purchase, we would watch from a city plaza that had a projection stage set up to watch the competition in real time.

Thousands of people had the same idea. We were luckily able to get to the plaza early enough to see the screen and secure a spot to stand as a group. The crowd was rowdy, enthusiastic, and many were dressed to show support of their favorite artist in the contest. There were bridal party groups, families, people from other countries, and clusters of friends.

When the competition started, the crowd went wild. When the songs ended, the crowd went wild. When new artists were announced, the crowd went wild. When the voting was being reported, the crowd went wild. Definitely a theme for this event!

But then, the final judging was concluded and the winning artist took the stage again to perform, and the crowd around us sang along.

The winner of Benidormfest, and the representative of Spain in Eurovision, was a duo name Nebulossa.  Their song, Zorra, is somewhat controversial (you can watch a video with official English subtitles here). Technically, the term is a formal name for a vixen, or female fox. Over time, it has become more of a derogatory term, not unlike the word for a female dog, or bitch.

To me, the song represents a departure from the traditional expectations of the highly-socially-regulated Spanish culture. Nebulossa captured this perfectly when they have taken back a word with negative connotations and have publicly said, “I live my life my way, and it’s none of your business. I won’t be bothered to change myself to make you happy.” Personally, I am 100% a fan.

Aside from the music festival, the entire weekend was a delightful departure from a typical weekend. I really enjoyed meeting new people, seeing friends from Benidorm, walking around the older part of the city, and basically taking a break from the routine. So much fun!