Campanar Nou and their 600,000 euro Falla

It was announced this morning that Campanar Nou's 600,000€ masterpiece (pictured above) came second to Convento Jerusalem's latest work costing only half - we'll have pictures of it for you tonight. Fallas, meanwhile is hotting up with the wonderful spectacle of the ofrenda starting today, 150,000 costumed women (falleras) parade though the streets to the cathedral to offer flowers to the Virgin.

Las Fallas

Las Fallas is almost upon us. It officially starts on the 15th of March and ends on the night of 19th March with La Cremà - when the entire city appears to be on fire. For a full description and everything you need to know about the wonderful Festival click on the headline.
All Photos ©2008/9/10 Diana Birch

More on the Ninots exhibition

One of our fine readers, Paul BK, inspired by this very blog, got the family together on Sunday and went to the Exhibition of Ninots we talked about at the Nuevo Centro
He very kindly sent a raft of photos - some of which we publish here for your pleasure.
They are usually satirical, a comment on the politicians and life in Spain and the world. When they are finally erected in the streets and plazas of Valencia on the night of La Planta (the planting), they are each accompanied by 4 line poems - Prizes go to not only the Ninots (Papier Mache Sculptures but to these, very important little satirical verses.
Thanks to PBK!

Not unlike a saucy seaside postcard

A children's ninot

A very unkind one of Rita Barbéra -Valencia's Mayor

HRH Juan Carlos and the Princess Letitia




Some of the ruder Ninots

Fallas begins with an exhibition of Ninots

Fallas really got under way yesterday with the opening of the Exhibition of Ninots on an extremely hot day, at Nuevo Centro. There were demonstrators with placards outside, against the banning of the fireworks for children, and in response to the news from Tenerife that part of the Carnavale has been banned because of noise. Valencians are worried that Fallas will be next affected.

Though Mayoress Rita Barbèra, below arriving to open the exhibition, has publically stated that she will not allow Fallas to be affected

At one o'clock the first Mascleta was set off- quite a small one and the wind was high so the coloured smokes didn't hang around. But it was good and loud!

We snapped the firemen leaving after the show was over, they were not the ones in the Calendar we talked about last month!
The Exhibition, by the way is open every day from 10.00h to 20.30h and is 2euros for adults and 1euro for children