Las Fallas: Mardi Gras Meets Burning Man

We spent last weekend in Valencia, Spain's third largest city, for the festival of Las Fallas. Las Fallas is kind of like Mardi Gras: neighborhoods around the city build huge and elaborate Fallas, which are cartoon-like structures that poke fun at politics and current events. It's also kind of like Burning Man: the fallas are on display across the city, but then, at the end of week, they burn them down in huge bonfires. It's also kind of like that scene in the movie Boogie Nights where a guy keeps randomly throwing firecrackers: all day and all night the city is full of kids (and adults) lighting off firecrackers and exploding things. At 2PM every day in the main square they have The Mascleta, where they set off enough firecrackers to shake buildings and set off car alarms blocks away, and at midnight each night they have a huge fireworks show. Crazy loud fun.

A few photos below, full set is here:

 Tom's 2015 Valencia Photos

Neighborhood falla.

Nighttime falla detail.

Valencia street by night.

Just a Little Bit Longer......

I've always loved David Lindley.  And to answer the question, yes, I think we will stay - just a little bit longer.....

Around the world in February: From Factories in India to Skiing off a Mountain in the Alps

We had a busy February. First, Julie and Leo were invited to visit India with our friend Astrid and her son Tjade, one of Leo's school friends here. Astrid founded a nonprofit that runs educational programs for girls and women, including programs in garment factories in India. The group spent several days visiting factories and schools in India, and mixed in some sightseeing in Kerala as well. It was an inspiring and eye-opening trip, further supporting the vision of One Sky, the giving circle that Julie helped found: that the key to peace and economic progress lies in tapping the potential of half the developing world's resources:  women.

Leo at factory in India (photo by Julie)

Not wanting to be to be left out of the traveling, Lindsay and I decided to do a quick trip to London while they were in India. We had a great time visiting the sights, museum hopping, and going to shows. Highlights included the London Eye, the Egyptian rooms at the British Museum, and the remarkable puppets of Warhorse, which we added last minute when we discovered it was playing around the corner from our hotel.

Aboard the London Eye (photo by Lindsay)

Lindsay at Matilda

We finished all that traveling just in time for "Semana Blanca" - the week-long February holiday here in Spain. Julie and Leo had 24 hours in back in Spain before we headed off for a wonderful week in Verbier in the Alps. So lucky to have great friends come over, including the Blachfords, the Raneris, and Claudine and Ian Ryan. Micky and Lizette were also in town. Eight children and seven adults for a week of skiing, sledding, Swiss chocolate, and congealed cheese. Pretty much heaven.

One of the highlights for me was watching my son, my daughter, and my wife ski off the side of a mountain (albeit with parachutes and instructors). I did briefly wonder whether it was wise to send them all off at the same time, but decided it was an apt metaphor for our time here in Europe. Strap in and go, and hope for the best.....