VALENCIA: las fallas!

This weekend was the infamous “Las Fallas” festival in Valencia. I went to go visit Kime and to experience this crazy weekend with her. And crazy is an understatement. It is something that you need to see for yourself to really understand but ill do my best to describe it. First of all, the word FIRE should come to mind.

Fireworks, burning, (kind of) bonfires, firefirefire. Basically the festival is for each neighborhood/area of Valencia to spend thousands and thousands of euros (yes, even in this poor economy) on these large “statues” (also called, Fallas) that are very artsy, bright and very random. I think they are made from wood and a Styrofoam-esque material. There are contests for the biggest, best, etc. And after all of that money and hard work spent over the year, they BURN them on the last day. So imagine 350 HUGE bonfires (I mean, HUGE) in these residential areas all over Valencia. No, not dangerous at all. This is Spain. Meanwhile, they have these firework shows both during the day and at night. The “big one” during the day that I saw was just weird… I’m not sure why people gather around to watch, I mean LISTEN, to fireworks during the day but they do – and they are SO loud that you can feel them all over your body. These people love it. Smiles all around. The crowds of people were impossible to get through if you wanted to escape the insanity. The fireworks at night however were pretty cool…but they would be more enjoyable if you were not scared that some kid in the street would throw a firework either AT you or so close to you that it kills your eardrums. Now, not to be confused, Kime and I had a really, really fun time despite all of this craziness. Somehow we really enjoyed ourselves and laughed at the fact that NONE of this could ever happen in the USofA. It was really cool to see the beautiful attire that the women wear – incredibly gorgeous dresses and crazy hairdo’s and the different fallas that were constructed by the different neighborhoods. And you could definitely tell which fallas came from neighborhoods with more money. Also, the lights that decorated certain streets were unbelievable and really fun to walk through. So despite our fear of the whole city going up in flames and our hair getting singed, we had a really amazing time at Las Fallas!

So, Las Fallas aside… Valencia is a really beautiful city. Kime gave me a great tour of the city -- It is full of cool things to see (which of course there is never enough time…) such as the aquarium, science museums, art museums and planetarium. The city is full of parks and incredibly interesting architecture, which combine to create a lovely feel for such a big place. The cathedral was gorgeous and of course the beach was nice – and had SAND! I could not leave Valencia without eating Paella (it comes from that area) so despite our difficulty finding a place that was not “completo” we finally found a place and stuffed our stomachs with deliciousness!! (But really, over 15 different restaurants told us they were full (completo)…for the whole day… when we saw empty tables. You mean, youre just exhausted from all the people this crazy weekend and you are too lazy to serve us? Yeah, I think so). Although the sky was full of smoke and haze, we had nice weather and of course wonderful conversation nonstop between the two of us. I would love to return to Valencia – I loved it! and to visit the places I didn’t have time to.

Now… after a long, (about 10 hour) long trek back to Motril I am preparing for the big family visit! Papa arrives on Tuesday and the rest of the family (including Øistein) this weekend! I am looking forward to seeing them all and showing them around Andalucia for the next (almost) 3 weeks – phew!

Oh, also worth noting – before I left for Valencia we made a huge discovery. OUR ROOF!! Not only does it give us a 360° view of the Mediterranean AND las Sierras Nevadas, it is a perfect place to soak up the rays. It will be a good next few months…

soaking up the sun on my roof / bernardo and me out in motril

BUDAPEST. oh how i love you.

The short three days I spent in Budapest were full of wonderful experiences, delicious (cheap) food, great company and an endless number of beautiful sites to see. I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to see such a beautiful place and share such a special occasion with Kime's family. To make a long story short, Kime and I had talked months ago about going to her cousin's wedding in Budapest. Later, her parents decided they could not miss this exciting moment so they made reservations. I was graciously invited along and was included in the wedding festivities and Don and Joanie (Kime's parents) invited me (and Zack Saupe--a close family friend of Kime's) to stay with them at their quaint and beautiful hotel. I cannot tell you how many times during the weekend that I wanted to cry because I felt so lucky to be there.

Where to begin? If i went into detail of everything we did, saw, ate... this would never end. I had the unique experience to be a tourist but to also see "real life" in Budapest with Kime's cousin and partner, JoZach and Péter. The night we arrived we were invited by JoZach and Péter to a typical Hungarian restaurant (delicious!) and then they planned a special walk back to our hotel which took us by St. Stephen's basilica and along the Danube river. It was a perfect way to start the trip. I immediately fell in love with JoZach and Péter and their kindness and I was so excited to get to know them better.

On our walking tour by Péter : St. Stephen's Basilica and a panoramic view of Castle District (click to enlarge).

Our first full day was cold and rainy. Budapest is a wonderful city to walk around but just like anywhere else the weather sure does make a difference. We didn't let it stop us though and we went to the Dohany Street Synagogue, St. Stephen's basilica, the Opera House and the Central Market (for a typical Hungarian lunch + strudel for dessert all under 5$). I have to say the Synagogue was the highlight of my day. It is full of (sad) history, GOLD, and beauty. It was built in the middle of the 19th century and it is the the largest Synagogue in Europe. The Weeping Willow memorial outside was incredibly moving -- every leaf represented a family who died in the Holocaust with their name engraved on the leaf. The memorial was beautiful alone but it really touched my heart.

That night we were invited to dinner at JoZach and Péter's apartment. It was a cute, simple warm apartment that I would love to live in. We enjoyed incredible food, dessert (including a typical Hungarian cake made by Péter's mom who is said to make the best and it sure was good), and great company. Here I was first introduced to the circle of friends that they are blessed with and I felt lucky to get to know them. JoZach and Péter had people come from all over the world to share this special day and they were all so nice and interesting to talk to. After dinner, Zack, Kime and I went "out on the town" and experienced some nightlife in Budapest which was really fun -- and quite entertaining to observe the ridiculously slutty outfits. We also met a gorgeous, young "famous" singer from Vienna - or so we thought until we googled her and found out she completely made it up... I should try that sometime.

Okay, time to start really summing up because this is already long (this is hard!).
Saturday was the big wedding day: the actual "wedding" was very short, in Hungarian of course, in a beautiful hall, and a very simple, legal ceremony. JoZach and Péter looked great and there were some fabulous outfits at the wedding (including 3 ladies who had special hats made and promised Péter they would sit up front).

Joanie, Don, Kime & Zack: all dressed up for the wedding.

The reception afterward was...unreal. The venue was a chic restaurant with various types of food in buffet style (my favorite was the hummus, and the meat wrapped in pastry (name? i dont know) -- it was some of the best food I have had in a long, long time. The wedding cake was chocolate-y with MARZIPAN on the outside -- man, they have great taste! yum! There was an open bar and once the music started, everyone was on the dance floor. The music was a combination of American oldies, 90's, Greek music, and classical music, too! JoZach loves classical music so of course there were some Waltzes -- which I was lucky enough to be asked by a German who was shocked that I didn't have to learn how to Waltz in school. It was SUCH a fun night...I kept wanting to tell Péter and JoZach over & over how special it was to be surrounded by such a warm and fun group of people who all came to celebrate their union.

At the reception dinner/party.
As if it could get any better... Sunday topped it all off. It was a sunny, beautiful day for walking. We started the day off in the best way possible; at the Széchenyl Baths. There are cold, warm, and hot baths both indoor and outdoors. I preferred the outdoor ones not just because it was a beautiful day but the smell of sulfur got to me after a while inside (however good sulfur may be for your health, it really is not a pleasant smell).

Click on photo to enlarge it, it turned out really well.

We enjoyed the baths for a few hours and then made our way to Heroe's Square, and eventually up Castle Hill. We crossed the Chain Bridge which was incredible and made our way up to the Royal Palace, Matthias Church and Fisherman's Bastion in time for the sunset. The views of the "Pest" side were unreal and we saw them in the daylight and then at night. We planned it quite perfectly. To celebrate (except in a sad way...) my last night we went out for yet another delicious meal at an Italian Restaurant. I became so sad to leave because it had been such an amazing trip.

Photo from Heroe's Square and view from Castle Hill/Fisherman's Bastion below.

That night I discovered I had made a huge mathematical mistake and had taken out FAR too many Hungarian Forints which was quite embarrassing but it gave Kime, Zack and I a good laugh. (I have yet to find out if my bank will exchange them). I packed up my stuff and woke up very early to make the dreadful and very long trip back to Motril.

I cannot express my gratitude for Joanie, Don, JoZach, Péter and of course Kime. I will never forget my trip to Budapest and all that I was able to see and experience with them. And then there is Zack who never lets there be a dull moment so I thank him for that. I have been so fortunate to see many places in this beautiful world and Budapest truly is one of my favorites...

Kime & me with the best view behind us.

For more photos click on http://www.flickr.com/photos/46877791@N06/sets/72157623541923740/