School group visits Valencia in 2008 for Festival Fallas
Nov 29th, 2006, 05:19 PM
#1
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School group visits Valencia in 2008 for Festival Fallas
I will be escorting a school group (30 students, aged 15 - 18) in March 2008 to Valencia (March 17 - 20) and have planned it so we can be a part of Festival Fallas. Our hotel is in central downtown Valencia. Can you recommend activities we should attend and do you have suggestions for things we should avoid. This is the first time we have visited Spain on a school trip.
Nov 29th, 2006, 05:43 PM
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Oh, my !! You will have a hard time escorting the students in such a big festival 
I live 67 km north from Valencia, in Castellon. The festival is everywhere in the city during those days and, as all the central zone is closed to traffic, you should be prepared to walk A LOT being the metro the only transport that runs in the city centre.
You also have to get used to the sound of the fireworks, they are everywhere too. Activities...a lot also, some of them change each year so you have to wait till 2008 to know, and some are the same each year , the visit to the monuments (fallas), the offering to the Virgin (you must see this, even if you are not catholic, it's all about costumes, music and great quantities of flowers, really, it's a must see, it's beautiful), the "nit del foc" (night of fire) where there's a big display of fireworks that last for a couple of hours and a million people joins to see... There are music concerts and other cultural (or just fun) activities.
I don't think you should avoid anything, just make sure you and your students don't carry anything valuable with you during those days. Millions of people in the streets are a good business for pickpockets. Young locals only carry their ID card and the money for the day on their jeans pockets.
And don't forget to try "buñuelos" , hot chocolate and of course, "horchata" !!! There are many stands on the streets selling that in Fallas.
If you have any question, just ask.
I live 67 km north from Valencia, in Castellon. The festival is everywhere in the city during those days and, as all the central zone is closed to traffic, you should be prepared to walk A LOT being the metro the only transport that runs in the city centre. You also have to get used to the sound of the fireworks, they are everywhere too. Activities...a lot also, some of them change each year so you have to wait till 2008 to know, and some are the same each year , the visit to the monuments (fallas), the offering to the Virgin (you must see this, even if you are not catholic, it's all about costumes, music and great quantities of flowers, really, it's a must see, it's beautiful), the "nit del foc" (night of fire) where there's a big display of fireworks that last for a couple of hours and a million people joins to see... There are music concerts and other cultural (or just fun) activities.
I don't think you should avoid anything, just make sure you and your students don't carry anything valuable with you during those days. Millions of people in the streets are a good business for pickpockets. Young locals only carry their ID card and the money for the day on their jeans pockets.
And don't forget to try "buñuelos" , hot chocolate and of course, "horchata" !!! There are many stands on the streets selling that in Fallas.
If you have any question, just ask.
Nov 30th, 2006, 03:50 AM
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Good Luck,
Kenderina mentions millions of people in the streets and that is almust right, not millions but one million is calculated to be visiting the city during the Festival.
It is a great BIG BIG party all over the city. I will recomend to avoid getting involved in lighting or using fireworks. Let the locals do it and just enjoy it. Every year a big amount of people, mustly in your students age group, have accidents with fireworks that go from minor to important.
There are a lot of ilegal firewoks that may explode before the three or four seconds needed to stand aside.
You will have a lot of fun and very little sleep, specialy with your hotel downtown.
Kenderina mentions millions of people in the streets and that is almust right, not millions but one million is calculated to be visiting the city during the Festival.
It is a great BIG BIG party all over the city. I will recomend to avoid getting involved in lighting or using fireworks. Let the locals do it and just enjoy it. Every year a big amount of people, mustly in your students age group, have accidents with fireworks that go from minor to important.
There are a lot of ilegal firewoks that may explode before the three or four seconds needed to stand aside.
You will have a lot of fun and very little sleep, specialy with your hotel downtown.
Nov 30th, 2006, 07:39 AM
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One million of visitors..and almost a million the Valencia population... I read it at the newspaper last year ! They concentrate specially at the "nit de foc" and also the music concerts at the Alameda (big concerts with international artists...free, go figure 
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