Yesterday as we wandered around Valencia, we discovered we were here for their holy day celebration. I first got a hint of this when I emerged from the train station to a plaza literally jam-packed with people and the sounds of bombs going off in the background (I think they were fireworks.)
Streets were lined with chairs on both sides, and we stumbled upon a security guard trying to explain to some tourists that they had to pay if they wanted to sit there. After helping bridge the language barrier between the two, we found out that a parade was taking place that night.
So we headed out to the streets with the Valencian population to watch the procession. Four members from every original Valencian family (there were about 700 families) marched in costume. It was really interesting to see the different adornments. Then the Valencian flag came down the streets, which everyone cheered for and threw flowers at.
The main attraction of the parade was a float with a statue of the Virgin Mary on it. Everyone cheered wildly and thew lots of rose petals on her. She was preceded and following by armed men, kind of like the secret service for the president. My favorite part was watching people standing from their apartment balconies in the streets that lined the parade. When they threw rose petals, it looked like it was raining flowers.
The impromptu parade was a nice surprise that made us feel like we really got to soak up the local culture!
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