Ah Spain!

AI generated, please excuse any errors!

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[Music]
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Welcome back to uh Spain. Hi Tanya. Hi.
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How are you today? Oh, superb. Superb.
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I'm excited because there's a lot going on in the city now. And even though I don't live in the city, it gives me the
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opportunity to pop in and then leave and then pop in and leave and see things I want to. So, it's a fun time of year
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here in Valencia. Yes, because it is Fias, right? That is that's the
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festival. Um, Fias is a surprise. I think I I was not
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totally up on it when we moved. Um, I had read a bit about it and I just was
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like, "Oh, yeah, there's a city that has a festival. Great. Wonderful. They do things great." But it is a level up or
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500 levels up from any festival that I've ever experienced in any city. It is
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like nothing else in this in the world. And um uh I will say when before we
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moved here, I was like I watched all these videos on fires and I was excited and last year was our first one and we
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live in the city as you know and in the middle of three of the biggest fires are
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in our neighborhood like when the three of the official big ones are in our neighborhood and when it started last
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year I did not expect it to be
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It was not at all what I expected. It was so much more. It was insane. Um I
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guess we should I mean for people who don't know Fias is this festival in Valencia that lasts for about three
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weeks, but really the about half the year it feels like they're getting ready
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for this thing, right? I would say it's year round because I mean not you don't see it year round but the um the the
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feros the clubs that that create all the all the activities and do everything for
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those weeks that the festival is on. It's a year round experience for the families that are in those and and each
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every part of the city and the cities outside like we live in a little mountain town they have the FIO club
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there too. So all the kids are involved, the families. It's a it's a very um just
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community amazingly like communitydriven event that is that they have dinners and
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things throughout the year as they're planning and then obviously it ramps up humongously during the festival. Yeah.
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Throughout the year here there'll be blocks of the the the streets will be blocked off because they'll have these big um like cookout things to raise
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money. Ironically, you kind of have to be invited to them. So, as a as a foreigner living here, I I can watch so
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close yet not be a part of it. And I I I haven't met enough Spaniards yet to be
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like, can you please get me in through the velvet rope of this this exciting thing? And in the city, these
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neighborhood councils are on pretty much like every block, every other block. They're everywhere. like I'm on my
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street alone, there's one on every block for the next to to to the next neighborhood
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basically. And it's and it's generations. I mean, these, you know, it's generations of of families that
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have been doing this together. And I I think you it would be something that you
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could probably get into if you have um very if you speak Spanish and maybe
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Valenciano very well because I think it is since it's such a valencian festival. I I think those
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activities are still quite sort of done in Valenciano and that's how people are communicating as well. Not that you
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couldn't speak in Spanish but it's I think there's also just like a it's just a very valencian thing. It is. is I mean
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it doesn't exist anywhere else in Spain. It's it's only here um in the Valencian state, right? So the other towns will do
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it like you were saying, your town. Um but what really strikes me um as kind of
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amazing about the whole thing is that it's still going on. like it hasn't been jaded by time that these women spend
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thousands and thousands of dollars on these traditional gowns and and the hair
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the hair everything is it and and and it's still going on because like for me like
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as an American like this wouldn't this would have not this would have ended years ago in America. No, no one's too
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everyone's too cool to be dressed up. I'm not gonna put that thing on. Oh my god. Could you imagine an American
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teenager getting those hair do the hair the hair done the hair did and the combs and the dress and and and the girls here
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are just so proud and and and loving of it. It's just amazing to see in Spain
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how they do hold on to these traditions and it's still a real thing. And I mean
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that said I I think that I think that my daughter might at her age is 12. I think
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she would do it now because she loves clothes and hairs doss and stuff. So I think for her she would totally do it.
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Come back to me in two years. Don't know how that would go, but right now I think she would love to dress up and do all
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that. And I think dressing up is the wrong way to put it. Um it's a it's a cultural um activity obviously, so
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they're not dressing up, but to put all that on and be part of that and be part of that community and be there also
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don't forget with your friends doing it. So, it's not like you're just the only one doing it. This is what people are
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doing at that age and everyone's doing it. Uh, and it's it's it's it is really
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quite a spectacular event. When we first met, which was funny, we decided that we
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were going to meet um because we didn't understand how these things worked very well. So, we
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decided we were going to meet with the girls in the town square to to go see the mascetas. Right. Right. Do you
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remember? and and we were like it was just so we were badly organized cuz we
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didn't realize we had to be organized for this, right? I had I had no idea how many people were going to show up there.
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It was like oh there's like mascetas. So the mascetas are every day they do these massive parnchnic
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um exhibits and they're at 2 o'clock every day for from the 1st to the 19th.
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For how many minutes? There's seven minutes. Feels like 30. Feels like 30.
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and and you can hear them as you as you have told me, you can hear them from your your porch in the mountains, but
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here in this city, I mean, it's it's a wakeup call. You're like, well, it's 2:00. It's like, oh, you know why I
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thought they were longer? Because I think on the very last day, they do them for
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longer. Um, because there is like a I feel like there's a 20-minute one, and I could be wrong because I know that we've
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been we've been up at our house in the mountains, which we overlooks the city. We can see the fires burning when they
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burn everything at the end of the festival and we can hear the mask letters every day and we can hear the
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fireworks. So, it's like I know there's I really feel like there's one part where they do it for longer, but it may
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have just been a random thing that happened. Um, but when we I think they were just echoing in your ears
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afterwards because probably because it is it's it's it's like seven minutes you're like all and and and when you're
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you know as when you're there in person and you just realize it's during the day and Valencia
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like they love a firework right like they do fireworks because it's Tuesday in July and why not because why not have
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fireworks tonight? Like there's but I would say often it's not fireworks it's just bangers. They do a lot of just
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bangers without the fireworks and that's where I'm like I want the fireworks cuz that's fun. But they will do bangers
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like all day of just noise. Well, yeah. But I'm trying to say like is is the fireworks displays the ones at night
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because we have those tons throughout the year. But those are still more about
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the noise versus a long show because our firework displays here are only 20 minutes long. They're not longer than
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that. Even on like New Year's Eve and that kind of stuff, they're 20 minutes. But what they pack in that 20 minutes is
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like a an hour show in the states because the whole thing is a grand finale and then the grand finale is just
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a they blow everything up and it's just like light at you. You're like go to the light, go to the light, you know. Yeah.
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There's no there's no part of the fireworks show where it's like just poof poof poof. It's always it's this grand
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finale from start to finish and then extra at the end. So when we when we organized to meet in the in the town
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square, we thought, "Yeah, we'll just come there and we'll meet and I said to you," which I thought was a perfectly
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acceptable way of meeting. Let's just meet at the Starbucks and then we'll we'll go from there. Now, as it turned
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out, we took the metro in and we came in from one side of the square and you came
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in because you live on the other side of the square and there just happens to be a Starbucks on both sides of the square there. That was super. What's funny is
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because this is a city that has no Starbucks. I think there's four total and it just happens that there's two on
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the town square on on the town square. And what happens what happens during FIS on when they have the mass letters, you
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probably have to get there actually around noon if you really want to get a good spot because uh from that time on
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people are just coming from all sides into the town square. Coming from the
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metro stations like we did, coming from home like you did, coming from the train station, coming and they're just like coming into the town square to the point
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where the whole town square is completely packed. You cannot move. They actually block Yeah. They block off
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streets so that because they're I think they have the emergency vehicles probably need to be able to come in and out. So they have blocked off some
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streets that you then can't cross over, right? So you can't just walk across the town square and get to the other side at
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that point. Mostly because of people, but also because some things are blocked. So it is impossible. So we were
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just talking and we were just like we're here and you're like well we're here. It's like well we are not going to be
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watching this together. And we were like and we were like arguing with each other. No you're not. Yes I am. I'm I'm
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at the Starbucks side. I'm next to the Starbucks. Where are you? And then so and it was raining. I forgot it was also
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raining. It was miserable and raining as well on top of it. So, everyone has umbrellas and you're walking into people's umbrellas, which is also a joy.
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And it was and it was just packed. So, it was I was with Zena and you were with your girls and we were just separated
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and we were like, "Okay, we'll just watch it from where we are and then we'll try and connect afterwards." Well, I think in your in your in your your
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your your Britishness, you're like, "Well, we don't really need to be with you to enjoy this." I was like, "You're right.
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You're right." Well, I mean, that's I mean, it was kind of like we have no choice. We have no choice
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in this scenario cuz I if we had tried to come out of the town square and walk
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around the people that were coming in to come in to it would have been over because it goes for for several blocks
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out. So you have to walk all the way out and then it was getting more and more packed. So if we had left the town square, we probably also wouldn't have
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got back into it because then Yeah. We would have been behind all those people. Yeah. And and that's the thing is
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um the mascul it's the the the blocks
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are packed two to three blocks outside of the the square. Like you have to get there early because I've heard the masc
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like a block away and it's just not the same. you really want to be in the town square because the the feeling the way
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it pounds in you. I mean my first one that the first one that I ever went to I
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was like this isn't anything like on like you I mean you can watch YouTube videos
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but it does nothing. It does not say anything about fight like it don't even watch them. It's not even comparable to
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being in person. the noise it's like it you feel it in your body like it's uh
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you you it your your heart pounds your I mean people people are like cry I mean
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people are literally crying because it's like this beautiful movement of music right it's the bombs is actually they're
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making it like an orchestral arrangement with with noise and it's yeah because I took a video one of on one because we've
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been to many at this point and I will say like I thought we heard we could hear it up in the mountains So, it must
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be loud, right? But the, like you said, the experience of being there when they're setting all of this stuff off, I
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don't know how the buildings are still standing. They do this every year. I literally don't know how those buildings haven't vibrated to a crumble. I don't
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know either because you feel like you're going to vibrate to a crumble yourself when you're standing there. You feel it
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from your head to your toes. It is a It is a physical experience on top of an
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audio experience and a visual experience. It's all of the above. And that is so you and you take a video of
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it and then you just have a video of a bunch of bangs. What?
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Just and and and the people like go crazy. Like you would think they were
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seeing the Beatles for the first time, you know? It was like and I and I am too. I mean I'm
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screaming. I'm clapping afterwards, but like in the end like the last 30 seconds
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they call the earthquake, right? And it's just like it just pounding and it's it's like all of it going at once and
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you're like, "Oh my god, this is insane." It's insane. So yeah, and we we ended up ducking into the Burger King
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cuz we had been to other ones. We were meeting you, but we had been to other ones. I was like, "Maybe we should see what it feels like if we're just like
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not quite on the square, but maybe like in inside with the door open and everything." And it was a little bit
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less, but we met somebody in there that was funny because I ended up chatting. It was also packed in the Burger King.
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So, we were like jammed up against people in the Burger King. Um, which was delightful, you know, my favorite thing to do.
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But this guy was was sort of standing near us and turned out he was Scottish and and I was like, "Oh, you came for
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the mask letters and he's like, "What?" Like, um, you know, there's this thing going on. And he's like, "Oh, I have no
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idea. I just followed a crowd. I'm just here for the weekend and I have no idea what this is." And I was like, "Wow,
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okay. There are people that literally fly to Valencia for this festival and you just like accidentally came across it. And I was like, "Buckle up because
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you're going to about to feel like it's insane." And then, you know, after the after the mask letters, I was like, "How
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was that?" And he was like, he was just stunned, right? I've never experienced anything like this in my life, you know?
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And so, he got lucky, I guess. But even if you're it's nice to kind of just have a feeling that it is extra especially if
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you're if you have kids and things um that don't like that type of thing. Valencia at this time I mean it's
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bangers everywhere right? I mean it's the kids are buying fireworks everywhere. They're bang they're
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throwing bangers. They're everything's just it just 24/7 it does not stop. And I know that I see a lot of people asking
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for places to stay outside of the city with their pets you know because that's another thing because it does not They're they're American pets. Not in
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the Spanish pet. Also, this also I think there's a lot of Spanish people that leave. I do because it's quite busy and
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it is very loud and so if you're not in if you're not in the fire thing as that
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you you when you've done it a few times or maybe grown up in the city, there might be a point where you're like, I don't really need to be here for this.
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Well, I mean, I've talked to the girls. We probably think this will be our last bias in the city because it's also the
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perfect time to leave because airfares are dirt cheap and hotels are dirt cheap around Europe. So, and the kids have the
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last few days the kids have off school, right? So, it's the perfect It's also a school holiday. Yeah. Yeah. And no one
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else in Europe has it off. So, you're like this is perfect to get out of town and Yeah. We're going to England, so
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we'll be And the festival is three weeks. So, it's the last three days that are really, really insane. But you can
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blow off the fireworks. There's fireworks, night fireworks every weekend and then there's the masculas every day
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for two and a half weeks. So, have you guys done fireworks yourselves? Have you Have you been the kids? Have your kids
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been the kids going out and blowing things up in the street? So, last year was our first one and so we were really
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excited because we lived in LA. You can't have fireworks in LA. I mean, people do, but you can't buy them. I don't know where they're getting them,
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right? So, we were so excited. And there's a little corner the the corner store is one of the official fireworks
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stores cuz you can't buy them everywhere. Like every neighborhood has like one store that you can I think they also pop up. I mean there are there's a
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fireworks place right next to the town next to the train station. I think that's there permanently. But I think they also pop up during this time to
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sell. I haven't seen them here. I I I haven't seen them in the city. It's just like there's like this one shop. There's
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like one in Rousafa. Our neighborhood has one. And um and it's like a new
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stand year round. It's is what the the shop is. Um and so and and there's a
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line of people once it starts, you know, once you get more into the Fiestas, right, as as March goes on, there's been
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lines outside the store for everyone to get their fireworks. So last year we I spent like €200 over the weeks on
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fireworks. And mind you, the fireworks are anywhere from like 1 to5. So that just lets you know how many we bought.
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We were a little addicted to it, but and excited to do this, of course. But what's is the little kids I mean there's
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like little old ladies that will just pull a firecracker out of their purse, light it, and throw it in the middle of
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the street and just go on their day. Like it it's it's it's like it's like she like there's no pomp or circumstance
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to it. It's just like oh just do one now and continue on. Right. And I think it I think Yeah. Coming from America too, I
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think there's not a lot of there's not a lot of just free fireworks going on. And not in the places that I grew up, maybe
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in the Midwest or something, but in Cal not where I grew up, sorry, where I was living in in California, like you said,
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no fireworks. And they also have these ones that I remember when I was a kid, but I've never seen a kid playing with
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them in America anywhere that I've lived, which is those little bangers that don't need to be lit. You just throw them in the ground. Yeah. Yeah. So
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the little kids have boxes and boxes of those and they're just being thrown in front of you and behind you as you're walking. I mean it's just like those are
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what the little kids are just throwing everywhere every but they're they're throwing lit fireworks too and lit ones
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too. Yeah. And so and we live like in the city so we have a balcony over the it looks over the street and so we'll
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just go down there and last year the kids and I like parental supervision anyone because there's like a group of
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like 9year-olds out there literally lighting fireworks and throwing them at
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each other and I don't understand why there aren't like ambulances everywhere like as an American where we we over
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helicopter everything and everyone has a rule and regulation what can be done for safety which is good and somehow they
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don't need safety here and no one's like They've been doing it since they were two. Like this is this is the thing. You
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need a safety if you've never seen a firework before, right? They grew up with fireworks here. It is not an issue.
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It is safe. Like you said, I've never seen anything bad happen. The kids are doing it. Everyone knows you're kind of
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aware that it's going on. So, it's not it's not like you're walking down the street and randomly a fireworks going off. It's going off everywhere all the
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time. So, it's Yeah. And you have to watch where you're walking because they're like they're just everywhere. And Yeah. So, we So, I'm going to tell
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you this story. So we had got fireworks. It was the first day that we bought the fireworks. It was it was the Paloma and
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I were out and um and so we bought some fireworks. We
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asked the lady, you know, and they spoke like Valencia, not even Spanish. And so I was like, I don't even know what I'm
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just smiling and pointing and they're like, "Oh, do this one." And I'm literally saying like, "This one looks pretty." Yeah. And I'm like, "I want it
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to go poo poo poo." And she's like, "Or do you want it to go poo poo poo poo poo poo?" Like she was that's how we were talking to each other. Well, I mean
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that's all you need, right? By fireworks. So, she hands me a bunch of fire. Was there a discussion of like how
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like wide your hands getting wider and wider? Like, I want this much fire, not this much fire. Yes. Because that's how
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we learned to communicate. Now, mind you, I just went last week to buy some fireworks and we had that same
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conversation and she remembered me. She's like, "Oh, hi." And I'm like, and she's like, "What do you want? Do you want the poo poo poo poo?" And like, and
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I'm like, "Yes, poo poo poo." Then I went up up up, right? I'm waving my hands all over the the store and then
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the other Spaniards are laughing at me but like with me because it it was I have to admit it was an adorable scene.
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Um but well, you know, you're adorable, so I suppose that just goes goes with it. Oh, yeah.
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Whatever. So, we get the fireworks and they they're like big firecrackers we're
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assuming. And then and the ones we're lighting, that's what they're doing. They're big fireworkers. Maybe a little poo poo poo on the ground. and some
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sparkly stuff going on. And so then we then we light this one that looks like the others and it lights, it spins, and
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then it flies 30 40 feet up into the air. It's wasn't on a stick like it was
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like and like how it got that I don't know. I don't know how fireworks work. It went up and then it came down and
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landed in someone's balcony and we were like Paloma and I were like, "Oh my god,
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do we fire department help? Do do we run? Do are there closed circuit TVs
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here? Are we Do we arson? Do we do we call the authorities? What? And we're like looking. Oh, you're you're still
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getting exported for that. And and and I'm like, "Oh my god, what
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do we do?" So, we just stood there. I'm like, "Let's see if a fire starts or whatever." And then we're like sweating bullets. And then we walk back to the
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store and I tell the lady and and she's an older woman, probably like in her 70s. And I'm telling her what happened
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like in my very little Spanish but with my hands and everything. And I'm saying
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it went up and it went down. It's like fire. And she looks at me and she just starts laughing like I'm an idiot.
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Right. Like it's like right like I saw milk for the first time, right? Like she's like what do you mean? Like and I
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was like but she's like and she laughs and she goes oh no no no. And then and she basically someone then translated to
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me what she said is oh no if it's coming down it's not on fire anymore so you
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don't have to worry when it's going up not when it's coming down. I'm like but it was embers. Embers
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are what start fires right? That's how I understand things. And we're like whatever. And so then she looks at us
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and then she comes out and and go to your point earlier. How are these buildings how is the city not burnt like
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Nero's Rome? Right. Like I don't understand because there's fireworks going everywhere. There's and then and
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and there and the loud the mass is crumbly and then she comes out from the store. She has one of those like Roman candle type um thing that she just has
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in her hand and she lits it, lights it and just starts aiming it towards a building in the intersection to prove
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that the buildings are not going to catch on fire. So she literally shot the firework at the building. Yeah. At the building. We
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were like we're like what? And she was like, "Oh, here." And then and then she gave us a box of fire crackers for for
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our you know cuz she was so for your stress and for and for making her laugh because now she has a
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story of this crazy American that came in and was worried that the firework was going to set the building on fire and and she's like have they never been to
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fires before? We literally set fires in the in every single town square at the
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end. I mean these so these these I mean I guess we should tell our listeners I mean you should Google Fias but the in
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these like there's 800 of these ginormous displays of statues gorgeous
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artwork and that can be up to 50 feet tall or higher.
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[Music]
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Yeah. So this this festival is actually um for St. Joseph who is the patron saint of Valencia. And so it's a
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carpentry you know historically a carpentry sort of celebrating carpentry festival. So they they spend the whole
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year designing and building these um usually very political displays of
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tongue and cheek political. It's tongue and cheek political. Yeah. Um sort of beautiful if you Yeah. You need to find
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you need to just Google it because I'm not going to do it any justice. But they're huge. In the middle of every town square, they they put these things
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and you can then go around and and do a tour of the city during the fire during fires and and look at them all. And it's
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really truly so creative and amazing and beautiful. So that's another aspect of it. And they have a um some of them are
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big and some are small and they and they all have to be done by the 15th is like
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they all have to be finished constructing and they're just now starting to set up our intersection. So
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this week is when they'll start building them. It's about they have like a week to build them. They have to be done by
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the 15th to be judged and that's how they choose who's the winner. Um and
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then they save the winner. So when they when they burn them all at the end of the of of fires, the winner doesn't get
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burned. Correct. No, no, no. The winner that's gets burned last. That gets burned last and then they keep a version
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of it of it. They Well, no, no. So that those are two different things. So there's that. So right now at the m at
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the museum, the of arts and sciences, uh, the science museum, they have an exhibit every year which is they pull
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one of the smaller. So the the fias is the big display but each statue was called a noteote and then there's tiny
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displays called the n the fias infantil which is like the baby fire. So like the
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big fire. So every fiero fire whatever the neighborhood fireos
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foss club thing they have they present a a woman to represent them and there's
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like a I hate to say beauty. Okay. So let me just do one thing here. Disclaimer, all of our information might
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not necessarily be factually true. This is just our observations and hoping to give you as true as information as we
26:10
can. So, if you find out the truth, please leave it in the comments section. Okay. So, anyway, have we have we ever
26:16
suggested that we know what we're talking about. I'm not sure we've ever said that. No,
26:21
there may be further information needed on this. Let us remind you, we are two expats living in a foreign country
26:26
trying to figure it out. So here's exactly the best we can. the best we can. And and so so there's this exhibit
26:36
where all the neighborhoods present one of their literal statues and they present their infantile their infant
26:42
display display and the whole town can go and watch them and then you vote. you
26:48
could you vote for your um favorite bigger one and your favorite smaller one
26:54
and then they have that by the they choose the winner by the 15th and that
26:59
is the one that gets saved and goes to the Fiestas Museum, right? And then the
27:05
and we went to the we went to the Fiestas Museum by the way, didn't we? And it was so you can actually go there
27:11
and look at all the ones. I think it goes back to the 30s I want to say I want to say somewhere around that. But I
27:16
will say, well, I'm a graphic designer, so this was my favorite part of it were the posters. They also have all the
27:23
posters for each of the years. And they were so very cool. I love that. And I
27:29
think that that museum might be possibly the only place to see that. Yeah. And that was really cool. And it's it's a
27:35
tiny museum with so much history and information. Like it's just it's it was
27:41
amazing and and for what it was. So they they choose the keynote and that one
27:46
gets saved and then they take all the notes back to their big displays, their big the big Fiestas display and then
27:53
they vote on which Fiestas is the winner and I think I I believe there's
27:58
categories, right? Because there's I did buy the Fiestas guide. Um mind you, it's all in in Spanish and Valencian so I
28:06
can't um necessarily read all the Yeah. Speaking of that, speaking of that, I will say when when we walk around, the
28:12
descriptions are often in Valenciano, I think, and I do feel as as a foreigner
28:18
that maybe doesn't know all the political aspects of Spain, plus not knowing Valencians super well, some of
28:25
the some of the the tongue-in-cheek political stuff that you mentioned is a little lost on me, which I'm really
28:31
bummed about. So, I do one day want to go around with somebody that's from here
28:36
and kind of get a proper insight because I'm really enjoying how beautiful they all are, but I'm definitely missing a
28:42
lot of the secondary tertiary like stuff that goes along with these displays cuz it's very interesting. So, I did they
28:49
they do have a guide book that has the sketches of what each statue is going to be with descriptions. Like I said, it's
28:55
on Valenciano, so I can't understand any of it and I haven't done my but I think you have to know a lot more for that as
29:00
well. You have to know the politics of the country and they have world politics and they're making fun of celebrities too. So they're you get sure. Exactly.
29:08
And I think so I think what's fun is the festival has like um also some parades
29:13
that go on throughout you know during during the festival and I think the really some of some some of the really
29:19
cool part is that at the end of it all these fires are burned and that is an evening thing where literally and I can
29:26
tell you from being up in the mountain watching it the whole city looks like it's on fire. There is a cover of smoke
29:33
on top of the city. And in addition, if you live outside of the city, like where
29:38
we live and all the little all the little towns and villages outside of the city, they will also have their own fire. So they have their own little um
29:45
pheros clubs and their own like little parades and their own like everything just smaller. So if you also just want
29:52
to experience that somewhere else in a little less, you can have that in any of the little towns that are around in
29:57
Valencia. And it's all and they do the same thing. And then they have the fire department there and they burn it. And when they burn it, this is what I love.
30:05
They literally have again these fireworks that they put on a string. So
30:10
they have someone a little far far away from the display. They set up a string with these little fireworks and they
30:18
also have a tank of petrol with them because they also douse it in petrol. So
30:23
it's not like I don't know. I think they're sort of paperiermâé type um things that burn and they have a
30:29
structure inside of probably some wood structure inside. So it's all ready to it's not paperiermâché anymore. It's all
30:35
styrofoam. It's it used to be right. So it does and I think some of them are going back for for um sort of good
30:42
reasons going back to more of a papermâe. I think there's a bit of a discussion about what they should be made of now. I won't get into that
30:48
because I don't know. Yeah, there are traditional there is a section for there is in that kind of voting thing. There
30:53
are like five or 10 that are the traditional they call them the aventg guard ones that don't look like any of
31:00
the other fias because yeah the fiases I mean I don't want to be and feather
31:05
when I go out on the street they kind of blend in like the artistry is very similar like the color palettes how
31:10
they're how they're designed they're not looking different yeah and so they have these aventard ones that one might be
31:16
built out of straw it'll be a completely it's a completely different look and last year we didn't go to see that and
31:22
that's my goal this year is to actually switch. We saw the one that was made out of straw last year. It was very very interesting. Oh, cool. But if it's made
31:29
the regular way, they have these they so they have the string when they're going to set it on fire. They put the little um little fireworks along the string.
31:36
They have one of the one of the girls, you know, set that piece of string from afar, but they then generally have all
31:43
already doused it in petrol. And on top of that, they have people waiting with more petrol if it doesn't burn. So if it
31:48
starts to dwindle a little cuz they want like a really good frigin fire, right? You want like a bonfire. You don't want
31:54
this thing to just like burn. It has to burn. And so in like in the city it's a
32:00
whole day thing. So um in the in the earlier part of the day um
32:07
uh the fireworks they do a ma a mini masca. Every fas has a mini masca in the day.
32:15
And so we didn't realize that was the thing because we woke up and like god
32:20
there's all these like it's not 2 o'clock yet like where are all these things going off and then we left our apartment building to go walk around to
32:27
see some more of the statues and the girls I and we were stopped and the guy
32:32
was like no you can't move and we didn't realize they had set up a mascot on our little tiny street and we had to stay
32:39
there so we were literally five feet from the bombs And that's not good. How
32:46
I can hear, but like that was amazing. And those were like 3 minutes long. But they did that at every block. So after
32:53
you're finished with us, then the fire brigade had to go to the next block. And then at night, you know, it's they have
32:59
fire trucks at every intersection. So this burn takes hours and hours because they have to make sure the firemen are
33:04
at the next one. And they're hosing down the buildings while they're setting the intersection on fire. And before they do
33:10
it, so you don't want to be standing on your balcony watching this. Then you're going to get hosed down by host down and then they have a fireworks. So, not even
33:17
the bangers, they each have a fireworks display at like a a castle in the sky, which they they call them castles, which
33:23
are the night ones. So, they have that goes off before they have the bangers. That's like the wick thing to light the
33:29
wick one. Yeah. Yeah. And it's like last year we were lucky enough to go to a rooftop party in the town square and it
33:35
was like we were sitting there and my oldest one Omar says to me, she goes, "Dad, how did this how does this city
33:42
get the to be the greenest city in Europe every year?" I'm like, "I don't know." She was like, "Look at that. The
33:47
sky is black. We're burning like just styrofoam. They must be doing a really stellar job in all the other areas, I
33:53
guess." But I will say if you're going to be talking about fires, you know, Valencia is surrounded by fields and
33:59
it's surrounded by farms. Literally, you go it's not it's not a sprawling city. You you drive out and then you're in
34:05
you're in orange fields and avocado fields and stuff. So those fields also when they trim and and trim all the
34:14
trees and stuff, they'll just make that into a bonfire and burn it. So you will see, you know, and I think for
34:20
especially coming from California where you don't see fires unless it's really bad. Um, and you're not allowed to have
34:26
anything like that. I think it's it's it it's a mind change that you have to have to just be like, oh yeah, there's a fire
34:33
burning in the fields or you don't know, you're driving, you just see smoke and you're like, oh my god, our house is on fire. And it's like, no, it's just a
34:38
field burning, right? You know, and then during fires, obviously it's very, very organized the burning. They have the
34:45
fire department at each one as they burn it and then the fire department moves to the next one like you said. So it is it
34:50
is organized. It's just surprising. They love a fire here, right? Because there's also that in coming up in the end of
34:56
June they have the feast of San Juan which is that it's a huge bonfire on the beach and there's literally hundreds of
35:03
thousands of people on the beach and that's a really great tradition. And when it happens, we'll talk about it
35:08
some more, but like there's all these bonfires on the beach and like you can't breathe and you and you and you smell
35:14
for weeks. And again, Omar was like, "How are we getting green of the year?" Well, and it's funny cuz when we first
35:20
moved here and we went to the beach as one does with some people that we met and they happened to be from Valencia
35:27
and it was some friends that we had met um through school and we go to the beach
35:33
and then the sun goes down and it's you know it's this beautiful weather here and in the summer so we were kind of
35:38
there weren't a lot of people so I think it must have been coming up to summer or something or you know the summer would
35:45
end. It might have either been September or or like June, you know, right before the tourist and before or after. And we
35:51
were at the beach and the sun goes down and then and then she's like, "Okay, well, let's just build a fire." And I in
35:56
my mind, having lived in LA, I'm like, "You can't build a fire on the beach,
36:03
right?" But I'm thinking, well, I don't know. I mean, so I'm thinking that if we build a fire, am I with somebody that's
36:09
being really like scandalous and get arrested by the police or is it okay to build a fire? like I don't even know. I
36:15
don't even know what to think, right? Because it's like, oh my god. But, you know, the girls went and got stuff and
36:20
we built this little fire. It wasn't it wasn't a bonfire by any means, but I was like, this is really nice that that you
36:26
can do that and it's it's very cool. So, that was a lovely experience as well. I mean, that that feast is just we'll come
36:32
back to it later in a few months, kids. But, um, the city actually hands out free firewood for the firefighters to
36:38
make sure it happens, right? It's insane. But what I'm Oh, so so what's funny with the fireworks and the kids,
36:44
which I So I had got used to the fireworks in kids in Spain, right? The kids, like you said, they're three
36:51
throwing fireworks like it just doesn't matter, right? And there are fireworks places everywhere and you can buy
36:58
fireworks and the kids go and buy fireworks. And what was funny is we were in England at Christmas and we have
37:05
these little things called crackers. Are you familiar with crackers? like you put them on the table and you pull them and
37:11
they make a little pop and then there's like presents and hats and things and that's a very British thing, right? So
37:17
everywhere in England before Christmas you can buy boxes of crackers literally everywhere. And I we had seen some
37:24
crackers but we didn't buy them at that point and then so I just parked outside the the shop and I said to Zena, "Just
37:30
go yeah, just go in and get the ones that we saw cuz those are the best ones." cuz we were like, you know, we were going around and checking all the
37:35
stores to make sure we got the right stuff inside the crackers cuz that's kind of important. Okay. And we established that this shop had the best
37:41
ones. So, I just parked outside. I'm like, I'm not going to go in. You go in. Here's the money. Go in and buy the
37:46
crackers. She comes out 5 minutes later and she's like, she asked me how old I was. And when I told her how old I was,
37:53
I wasn't. She said, "You have to be 18 to buy crackers here." And I'm like, "Crack? That's crazy. Not to buy
37:59
crackers." That's not what she said. She goes, "I have to be 18." Yeah. Yeah, she said I have to be 18 and I was like for what? To buy something. So, having lived
38:06
in Spain more, I just send Zena into shops and she can shop herself and she's 12 and she's been doing that, you know,
38:12
she can go into the grocery store and get things and come home and that's fine, you know. So, I thought we were
38:18
having a cultural issue of a child shopping by herself, right? And I was like, this is super weird, but it's
38:24
England maybe. And then I complained to all my friends here in England and I was like, oh, you know, they're like, no,
38:29
no, no. It's because it's a firework. I'm like, this little thing is a firework. This little piece of paper
38:35
that goes when you pull a cracker as a firework. And then in Spain, you've got like six-year-olds buying real fireworks
38:43
that could actually destroy a house. Just anywhere. And I was like, okay, different rules everywhere, I guess. You
38:48
know? Well, I mean, as an American, you're looking at just amazement that this is going on and you're like, no
38:54
parents are superficial. Like, it's it's it's insane. And I love it. I'm here for it. I am so on the ball. It is intense.
39:03
I mean, it's the last few days, it really is, people are blowing off fireworks every single night. Um, but
39:10
and that last night, the 18th, the night before the last night, that's the night where the fireworks because usually
39:15
about 2, three in the morning, they do end. Everyone does have to go to sleep. So, they do end at some point. They do.
39:21
I figured people went till 3:00 and then the other people woke up and started at 3. No, but that happens on the 18th. So
39:27
on the 18th, I was laying in bed and that was the night I was like, you know what? I think this is a bit much. I
39:33
think I'm at my limit because it was like four in the morning, 5 in the morning. I'm like, I'm not falling asleep. This is just non-stop. And well,
39:41
in all fairness, it took you two weeks to get to that point. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like I said, I'm here for this. Yeah. It's not
39:47
bad. But what's so this is insane, right? And then the 19th is every every intersection is doing a masceta all day
39:53
long. They have to get through that and then they start burning everything at 7 because the little statues start burning
39:58
and then they burn the big ones but they have to go around and then that goes on until it's supposed to be done by like
40:03
midnight but it goes on until like 2:00 in the morning because they can't burn them all in time and No, that's
40:09
impossible, right? Yeah. And what's the most amazing thing about it is the next
40:14
morning you wake up on the 20th and it's all gone.
40:20
Like there's 3 million tourists that come for those last three days in the city and they're all gone on the 20th.
40:27
All these bonfires, everything's clean up. The portaotties, the the the churo stands, that's the other. They have
40:34
churo stands on every corner, temporary ones. Everything's gone on the 20th.
40:39
They clean up. They clean up good in Spain, right? Like they want to when they when when a festival has happened
40:44
and it's like confetti everywhere, fireworks everywhere, just stuff on the ground, everything's everywhere. And you think, "Oh my god, this is a disaster."
40:51
Yeah. And then you wake up and you're like, "What h? Nothing happened." Can Can I Can Can I Can I bring up a you
40:57
story then? Oh my god. This This should actually This is Oh my god. This will wrap up our fire talk because it goes
41:03
from the beginning of when we tried to do that maskleta together in the rain and we did meet up when it was over.
41:10
You're like, "Stay where you are. We'll meet you." when we met. And what was hysterical is you in your
41:17
you were so upset that there was beer bottles and trash. Oh yes. The oh can
41:23
these people are disgusting. Why can't they put it? And to me I was like it's fine. There's no they took the trash
41:29
cans out so there's nowhere. And you're like but they could take it with them. I'm like but they're not going out. Like where are they going to put it? There
41:34
are no trash cans. But my logic was if you went like two blocks out you could probably put it in a trash bin. Do you
41:40
know what I mean? Like they literally just people just left cuz of course people are drinking and drinking a lot
41:45
and just leaving beer can and it was mostly alcohol just overflowing of all the trash cans everywhere. Well, no
41:51
there was no there are there were no trash cans because they there are no trash cans in the city square because of
41:57
terrorist threats. So that's Oh, right. So it was the it was the tree things. Yeah. Yeah. They were
42:03
all over the and they were just on the street and you were like this is disgusting. And remember, we went to Five Guys and when we came out, I was
42:09
like, "Are you still complaining?" Because it was all gone. Like within the 30 minutes we were eating, there was not
42:15
a bit of trash on the street. And it was like, "How do they do?" I had not seen that before. I had not seen anything get
42:22
cleaned up that fast in my whole entire life. And that and I will say consistently in Spain, I've seen that
42:29
like if something like that is happening, they have a cleanup plan and it happens immediately. Not later, not
42:35
you know I mean they are cleaning as people are walking out of the square. It's amazing. It's truly amazing. It's
42:41
like living I've said this to my kids a million times. It's like living in Disneyland here because one one the
42:47
buildings are really authentic, right? You're just like you're like it's like it's like too authentic. Like they had some It's almost like they designed it
42:54
that way. Yeah. But like they they're washing sidewalks at 4:00 in the morning here.
43:01
Like I don't know. Do they do that? I mean in America we don't wash sidewalks. Like that's that you would never see. I don't think I've ever seen that. No.
43:08
And did it rain? And you're like, "No, they were washing the sidewalks last night. That's why everything is wet." Cuz the street's not wet if you notice.
43:15
It's just the sidewalks are wet. Right. And then I see trash bins in so many places that I think, well, they can't
43:21
possibly be monitoring all these trash bins, but they are. Yeah. And then what I saw, which was really cool, speaking
43:26
of trash, not to completely diverge into something different, but they had these the when the trash bins when the
43:33
trash truck came, the bins are like they come in from underground. Have you seen them pick up trash? That's probably a
43:41
whole other discussion of how we'll talk about trash cuz I mean, yeah, it's so interesting. I mean just the way the mechanism speaking of cleaning that they
43:48
have to clean and to have people to do it and getting it done properly is is really amaz it's really it is amazing
43:55
because it was I mean we'll talk about bureaucracy in another episode but it's funny they are so efficient in some
44:01
things and other things not at all. Yes. My conclusion of this is when they want
44:06
to do something, it gets done super well. Really, but that's some things don't need to get
44:12
done, you know. I think that what I I think the last thing we could talk about with the Fiestas, which we didn't
44:17
mention, is so we've been talking about the explosions and the bombs and all that stuff, which is like so amazing.
44:24
But to me, what is really moving and is there is this sacredness to it and
44:31
that's the offering of the flowers. Have you witnessed that? Yes. I think that's so that's so beautiful because that's
44:38
that's a a couple of parades that they have during the festival, right? Where everybody is two days. Yeah. It's like a
44:46
hundred thou about a 100,000 people are dressed in the traditional dress and they start from their neighborhood
44:51
Fieros and they walk to the city center carrying bouquets of carnations and
44:57
roses to to build this statue of Mary and and the baby Jesus out of these that
45:03
is made up of the roses that they're bringing. So I do think I mean I I think that is the that is the center of why
45:09
they are dressed and do all that because that is part I think that is like you said that's a sacred part and a and a
45:16
center point of the whole festival and it's and also the men are dressed as well. It's not just the women. So
45:22
everybody is dressed. It's just the women is obviously much more opulent and and sort of um and it's women of all
45:29
ages. I would imagine little kids. Your little kids are dressed up with that. Little kids and 80y old women in these
45:34
gorgeous these gorgeous gowns. The tapestry of these the fabrics are just
45:40
insane. And it's amazing. And there's whole shops for that that you'll walk by and see. And then in school, I don't
45:45
know if your kids did it. They they do have a like a little fires festival where they can dress up in in sort of as
45:52
they're not going to put the full um dresses and everything on I don't think but they will come in with like just
45:59
these little handkerchiefs and smoks and things that you can buy anywhere and the kids will dress up put those on and go
46:05
to school um on certain days for that as well which I I just think it's really nice how it's all encompassing. Did Did
46:12
your school do a burn? Cuz the our school does a burn so we We're in We're
46:17
in the mountains, so I think that would probably actually not happen. I mean, we have them in the town, but where the
46:22
school is is literally surrounded by trees and stuff. I think it would just be too dangerous. Too scary cuz our
46:27
school they the kids are right now in their art classes building notes and then they do a big burn. That's so cute.
46:34
And they and that day they cannot wear their uniform if they wear the traditional dress, which is the the smok
46:40
that you can buy that blue plaid things. If you if you wear that, you don't have to wear your uniforms. And you And I'm
46:46
sure some of the kids just wear whatever they want with just like a blue and white handkerchief around their neck cuz you could do that, right, without
46:51
actually going full full on. And we and we have our blue and white handkerchiefs. And we have And Paloma
46:56
did wear the schm the smok. I think a schmuck is something else.
47:04
Schmata. I don't know. So that's really nice that the school gets
47:09
into it. Yeah, I like that. and and they and they send the video home like they they they send the video and to us which
47:16
is great but um but that the the the the marching through the city I had never
47:21
seen anything like that and it to me it's like it's again like in America this one still keep going on I'm just
47:26
I'm overwhelmed how revered it is and it keeps going on and no one's lost interest and it's it's it's their whole
47:33
year is based on this day and and it is amazing that they build these statues and they just they're all burnt like
47:39
they they're only enjoying for I would be so destroyed to just burn my artwork. I mean, I realize that you're prepped
47:44
for that. But, you know, I feel I would feel a little um upset to see, but I
47:50
mean, what are you going to do? It's enormous. There's nowhere to put it. It's not like you can have it in your house, so it probably has to burn, but
47:56
still, I mean, it's so much work, I think. And then, like you said, the the
48:01
statue that they make with the flowers is really really gorgeous. And I think
48:07
that just stays up. It doesn't get burned, but it's it stays up until it dies, I suppose, or starts looking like it shouldn't look like that anymore. Um,
48:14
but there is a lovely aspect of it as well. Yeah. So, I think even as a foreigner, if you're if you're not sort
48:21
of in on it, you are so in on it. I mean, you can so get involved and and be
48:27
a part of it and enjoy it. And it's really and again it's a festival beyond
48:33
all festivals that I've ever seen anywhere. I think I don't I I don't want to butcher it. I think it maybe compares
48:39
to that festival they have in October in India, right? I think that's probably the only other place and I don't know
48:44
how you pronounce it so I'm not going to I'm not so we won't even try. But also the length of it, right? I mean I think
48:50
some festivals are kind of like a day or a weekend. This also goes on for a few weeks, several weeks and it starts it
48:56
starts before people get excited before and things start happening before. Yeah. In January or and there's like the they
49:03
have the there's fireworks then because they've had like the I don't I don't want to call it a beauty contest, but
49:09
that's when they have the the contest where they choose the king and the queen and the prince and the princess of Fias, which is all these Fiero organizations
49:16
present their who they've chosen to represent them. And then I'd never been to this ceremony. Maybe I got to figure
49:22
out how to get tickets if you can get tickets if you're not part of that to to see that because I would love to see that. And after that, then they have
49:28
fireworks and then they have fireworks for something else and then they have fireworks to open it and then there's but that wasn't the official opening
49:33
because the next week is the creda which is the official opening which is the fireworks over the the the gates and um
49:40
yeah, it's just amazing. It's amazing. Yeah. And I think it's it's worth experiencing at least once and then that
49:47
might be enough. We we I I will end with I had visitors last year and they were a
49:53
little reticent um about it like I was like you got to come and and as it was
49:58
building up I was like oh I think this is bigger than I thought it was maybe you guys shouldn't have come for this thing cuz they and they were like I
50:04
don't know this sounds like a bit much and then when they got here they were like oh my god and then they went to the
50:09
mass glad they're like we don't really like fireworks and then they went and they're like I am so glad I went to that
50:14
I was crying this was amazing oh my god I don't never have to see it again. But oh my god, I had no idea that's what you
50:21
were talking about. And I was like, I know, right? I know. And I think that's something that's important to remember is I think like when we're talking about
50:28
it and if we talk to friends about coming to see it, it's it's not about scaring people about what it is. It's
50:34
just preparing you because it is it is a lot. And I think if you're prepared, then it's super fun. But if you're not
50:40
prepared and you're somebody that maybe likes your comfort and sleeping and certain things, it it's not it's going
50:47
to be difficult to adjust really quickly that you would need to adjust so quickly if you came in the middle of it. So if
50:53
you're prepared, then it will be a it'll be a blast. And I will say that it's for
50:59
someone who doesn't like fire that's it's convincing someone who doesn't like fireworks, you have to sit through it just once because even the person who
51:05
doesn't like fireworks gets it and then they're like that's different. It's different. Yeah, it is different. Well,
51:15
I think that covers everything we know plus a bunch of things that we got wrong about bias. Yeah, we'll hear about it in the comments
51:21
pretty accurately. Pretty much. Well, then I guess until next week, we'll find
51:26
something else to talk about. Absolutely. And we're going to go enjoy some mascetas and fireworks and churros
51:32
and choos. I'm a bunwell fan over the churros. Me and my daughters fight over
51:38
that. Yeah. Okay. That's a whole other discussion because that'll be a fight. Yeah. Okay. Next week we'll fight over
51:43
that. We'll fight over that next week. You know what we should do? You should
51:49
come into the city and we'll go try if you stand. We'll do that. We'll do both. And then I refuse to change my opinion.
52:00
All right, Tanya. See you later. Bye. Bye.
52:07
Hey, can't get enough of us? Follow us on Instagram and Facebook at Ospain Podcast and on our website.com, which we
52:14
will be updating with exciting new things as we grow. We would love for you to message us with any topics you would
52:19
like to hear about. See you next time. Bye. [Music]