Entire families, but especially school age girls, are attired in these traditional custumes during the festival.
Las Fallas (meaning fire) is one of the most unique and crazy festivals in Spain. What started as a feast day for St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters, has evolved into a 5-day, multifaceted celebration involving fireworks.
Randy with these young girls in Fallas festival costume.
Elaborate structures, such as this lion, are created then filled with fireworks and burned on the last day of the festival.
Another structure that would go up in flames at the end of the festival.
Some streets and many walkways use tile.
The bullring is located next to the train station. (See below) Bull-fighting (corrida) in Valencia is still fairly popular. However, it is not a regular event and has only three short seasons of bull-fighting including during the time of the Falles in the spring. Spanish corrida is a deeply traditional event and is linked to religious dates and festivals.
Since I met a bullfighter (torero) from Mexico ... a long time ago, I was interested in seeing the entrance into the bullring.
The flags signify the week-long Las Falles festival was underway.
The Art Nouveau train station dates back to 1917.
On the ceiling is Art Nouveau glass and tile.
There is much to absorb within the Nord (north) train station, which interestedly is located in the south of the city.
My attempt at a panorama view of train station lobby.
We sampled Horchata, a sweet drink made from tigernuts, water and sugar. It's good for those who are lactose intolerant. Tigernuts date back 9,000 years are also called earth almonds. The tubers are soaked in water and the "milk" extracted.
Many pastry shops in Valencia. The St. James cakes in the center caught my eye because I tasted it several times when I walked the Camino de Santiago across northern Spain on the pilgrimage of St. James. See link below:
Among many other items Valencia is also known for its traditional lace work on tablecloths and bed linens.
The Metropolitan Cathedral–Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady of Valencia, alternatively known as Saint Mary's Cathedral
First founded in 13th century right after the Re-conquista, it is a spectacular hybrid of styles, from Gothic to Baroque and Neo-Classical.
The Valencia Cathedral is believed to hold the authentic cup - the Holy Grail made of stone - used by Jesus in the Last Supper.
Back on board
The Al Safat was arriving as our ship was leaving Valencia. Last December Al-Safat was in the news. Egypt’s Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat ordered the captain and first officer of a Kuwaiti container ship Al-Safat are to be refereed to a criminal court over charges of manslaughter in connection to the collision in the Red Sea when 25 Egyptian fishermen died, with several more injures.