Alfaz en Fiesta

They don't do things in halves round here, not when it comes to fireworks. Jess, Beth and I went out last night to join in the fun. We watched the mad people sending firecrackers down the streets, then went to the funfair for a couple of hours. At midnight we went to watch a pyrotechnical theatrical mime in front of the Casa de Cultura. It was on the history of Spanish maritime exploits (at least that's what I reckon). Actors constructed a boat against an outdoor stage made of scaffolding and black tarpaulin while descriptive mechanical building music blasted out. Then, amid celebratory fireworks the boat set off for the new world. It appeared to travel through time, enduring shipwrecks and storms and ultimately the degradation of the lovely wooden ship into a more modern metal steamer covered in nasty rottings things. Actually, I've no idea what it was about but it was VERY GOOD and VERY PROFESSIONAL. Also, it was very loud and very smokey! Funny how ten minutes of solid firecrackers can sound just like a battle. Or how ten minutes of solid firecrackers can sound just like a strom at sea. Most of us have probably never contemplated such things but these Valencianos have. I wonder if they practiced? Anyway, it was very loud, very colourful, very smokey and very....different. Tonight there are floats and a carnival queen (and fireworks). Tomorrow the various penyas (which seem to be like fraternities of friends who all wear specially coordinated clothing and have set up their own free beer bars in the abandoned garages of the town) will have fireworks 'wars' in which they push carts about the streets and send fireworks towards other penya groups. Everyone dresses in protective leather coats, gloves and anything else they can get their hands on. The yound men then do a kind of running of the bulls, only there are no bulls...just rockets and catherine wheels and firecrackers.... Sounds like madness? Apparently this is the big event of the Alfaz fiesta and is billed for 11.30pm. You can still get tickets with Easijet for £29 if you fancy coming over!!