Las Fallas — Valencia illuminated

One reason why there were so many churros stalls around was that we arrived during the annual festival of Las Fallas. This coincides with Carnaval in other parts of Spain but it's actually a celebration of the patron saint of the Valencia region, Saint Joseph.

And by happy coincidence, our hotel turned out to be right by the entrance to the finest of the street illuminations.

These images give an idea of the complexity of the illuminations, but nothing of the sounds or smells. Throughout the day and into the night, the streets echo with the beats of disco music and the incessant explosions of fire crackers (mostly set off by kids). And the air is perfumed with a heady cocktail of gunpowder, cigarette smoke and the oily aroma of the churros stands.