As I write this, I can hear the bang of fireworks and firecrackers somewhere outside. It’s officially the start of Valencia’s  (and arguably Spain’s) biggest festival: Las Fallas.

It’s all that anyone can talk about here. The streets are full of people dressed in traditional costume (think puffy and colourful aristocratic dress from a 19th century English novel, combined with hair resembling Starwars’ Princess Leia), hoards of people playing instruments and fireworks that go off every day at 2pm.

Starting now and running for 3 weeks, the festivities build up and almost crescendo-like, will end on the 19th March with the burning of hundreds of monuments which will be erected across the city. With only very basic knowledge of this traditional festival, I went last night to ‘Crida’, a kind of outdoor opening ceremony with fireworks and music,where I had hoped to find out a little more. Unfortunately, I failed to realise…