El Orgullo

Pride: The state or feeling of being proud.

Pride: A becoming or dignified sense of what is due to oneself or one's position or character; self-respect; self-esteem.

Pride: Pleasure or satisfaction taken in something done by or belonging to oneself or believed to reflect credit upon oneself: civic pride, national pride.

Pride: Something that causes a person or persons to be proud: His art collection was the pride of the family.

Pride: To indulge or plume (oneself) in a feeling of pride (usually followed by on or upon): They pride themselves on their beliefs.

Pride (idiom): pride and joy, someone or something cherished, valued, or enjoyed above all others: Their daughter is their pride and joy.

Pride (movement): Is the positive stance against discrimination and violence toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people to promote their self-affirmation, dignity, equality rights, increase their visibility as a social group, build community, and celebrate sexual diversity and gender variance.

For the purposes of this blog post, I have selected the most appropriate definitions of pride from the countless definitions that exist. If your particular favourite (e.g. Lions) is not in my little list, I apologise. 

The Valencian flag hangs above the
Torres Serranos - one of the gateways to the old city.

October 9^th is the national day of the autonomous region of Valencia, Communidad Valenciana. The celebration as a whole is known as “Nou d’Octubre”, and is celebrated with events over several days leading up to its climax on the 9^th.

It is a major event for Valencians across the entire region, and we wanted to experience it.

Arriving late on the 6^th, it was drop bags and find food. In a very busy old town, we were lucky to find a table in a tapas place. The place was packed and typically deafening. We now fall easily into the way Valencia works. Service is slow, but who cares? Some dishes have sold out, so we’ll choose something else. The waiter seems rude, but engage him a little, and you’ll realize that he’s busy, not rude.

Marina Real Juan Carlos I.

The 7^th is a Sunday, and we like to spend these Sundays around the Marina Real Juan Carlos I where there are sunny, comfortable bars overlooking the marina. We’ll wander down to Paseo Maritimo for lunch. Here, you choose your eating venue with care. There are informal café bars and formal restaurants, but many visitors have been fooled by a linen tablecloth. Having booked what we think is the best, we enjoyed the usual quality experience. Good service, great food.

At this iconic old restaurant, their pride in their work is obvious. As is often the case, there is a young man experiencing his first busy Sunday as a camarero. Nervous as a kitten, he’s only permitted to clear tables. His only mission is to not drop any crockery. Mission not accomplished. We’ll see him again next year as a confident, professional, waiter taking pride in doing a good job, highly valued by colleagues and customers.

Salon Dorado in the Palau de la Generalitat.

There is also the aged Jefe. He must be in his 80s, and he clearly cannot tear himself away from making sure the huge dining room runs as he believes it should. Every time we visit, we silently implore him to swallow his pride, and go home and get his feet up, or at least sit down with his family and enjoy lunch!

Monday 8^th is where Nou d’Octubre really starts for us. We start to immerse ourselves in this celebration of Valencian culture.

To mark the celebrations, many of the civic and parliamentary buildings are open to the public. The Palau de la Generalitat is a magnificent 15^th century palace, now the headquarters of the Valencia government. It towers over the Plaza de la Virgen so it’s never far from view, but you don’t get to see inside it every day. It’s a privilege to stand in the immense entrance hall and see the golden ceiling and the incredible tiled floor of the Salon Dorado.

The Real Senyera de Valencia in the Salon de Crystal.

We visited the Ayuntamiento (city hall), which is an eclectic mix of 18^th and 20^th century construction overlooking Plaza Ayuntamiento, the civic heart of Valencia. From its balcony, the mayor and other dignitaries preside over events and celebrations. It’s where the Falleras gather to view the Mascletas during Las Fallas… the best seat in the house. For Nou d’Octubre, the breathtaking Salon de Crystal displays the Real Senyera de Valencia. This flag (here we go with flags again) is symbolic of Valencia itself for many, and is carried at the head of the main parade on the 9^th. It was fascinating to see other rooms in the Ayuntamiento also, displaying maps and artifacts from a proud and dramatic history.

Plaza Ayuntamiento is a fitting centerpiece to the city. Entering from the Estacion del Norte at the southern end, you pass the Hard Rock Café and the Valencia Club de Futbol shop. The main Post Office is an incredible building that faces off against the Ayuntamiento across the square. Countless buses and taxis mix in a coordinated chaos of traffic lights and noise as you pass the imposing Ateneo Mercantil building and approach the northern end towards Mercado Central. Chain shops and restaurants crowd the apex of the triangular square, but a glance upwards and around you confirms that here is where the “soaring architecture” of Valencia has its home. Hotels, banks and apartment buildings rise like the sides of a steep ravine above the mass of commercial clamor, as if to hold it firmly in its place.

Plaza Ayuntamiento - the pointy end.

We knew that the next day, a large part of the square would be dedicated to a keenly anticipated Mascleta, the traditional daytime firework display.

That evening was wet. We enjoyed a fantastic meal just around the corner from the Correos building, and made sure we were in time for the highlight of the day, and the event that heralded the arrival of Nou d’Octubre itself.

We know that the Valencians love fireworks, you hear them randomly around the city all the time. We know about Las Fallas, and we know that pyrotechnics are a major player throughout. But nothing can really prepare you for unbridled Valencian fireworks when you have a front row position.

The skies had cleared out of respect for what was to come. At 11.50 pm a single explosion above us gave a 10-minute warning. Another at 11.55. Then we enjoyed the first colours and noise of the display from our position close to the riverbed park between two bridges, Puente del Exposicion and Puente de las Flores. We watched alongside thousands of Valencians and visitors standing in the closed roads that run alongside the riverbed park. We see excellent firework displays on November 5^th and on New Year’s Eve in the UK, and across the world on TV.

Nothing compared to seeing this up close.

There was an overwhelming sense that this had been designed and executed with great skill. The very knowledgeable Valencian crowd showed their appreciation as the display built in colour, noise and intensity. As inexperienced firework spectators, we sensed the climax of the display was close, but it continued to reach new peaks. Again and again we assumed a big finish was imminent, only to see it surpassed. When the display did finally reach its big finish, it was awesome enough to be emotional.

I get it now. I get why they love this so much. I’ve never really been that impressed by fireworks, but this was incredible. I got the impression from the Valencians around us that this display had been marked at around 8 out of 10 by their exacting standards. For us, it was an amazing experience.

Midnight had passed, it was Nou d’Octubre. A drink for luck at Café de las Horas, and home.

The weather was moody on the morning of the 9^th. It was humid, cloudy, and very warm. On our walk into town from La Saidia, we walked through the Medieval Market specially set up on Puente Serranos and all the way up to and through Torres Serranos into Plaza dels Furs. At times, it was almost impossible to get through the crowds on the bridge, so you had no choice but to be assaulted by the sounds and smells of this market. Mostly smells. The cheese stalls had a distinctive odour before the big day, but by the following Friday we were using another bridge.

In 2017, there had been violence around the main Nou d’Octubre parade. Political groups know the eyes of Spain will be on the city today, and they will use this day to make their voices heard. We were unable to walk through Plaza de la Virgen that morning, as the policia had isolated one protesting group in there, waiting for the appropriate time to release them to exercise their right to demonstrate.

La Senyera proudly worn.

Flags. As we got closer to Plaza Ayuntamiento, flags were what you could see. Mostly the Valencian flag, but mixed with the Spanish flag "La Rojigualda” and those of various political movements. No Bob Esponja balloons here… this wasn’t a joyful Easter Sunday in the Cabañal, the atmosphere was very different.

A tide of humanity had moved into Plaza Ayuntamiento. Unsure of the best vantage point, and acutely aware of the violent exchanges of 2017, we moved through the crowds towards the Ayuntamiento.

Choosing a position where we could see the balcony of the Ayuntamiento, but also most of the square as well, I kept an eye on the throng. All Valencian life was here, plus many visitors. Most had flags. The Valencian Senyera was carried in its thousands of course, but many others also. The group had been released forom the Plaza de la Virgen, and carried blue flags, but I wasn’t sure of their allegiances. There were many versions of the Spanish flag with various black symbols added, signifying beliefs and movements. There was the LGBT Rainbow flag and the flag of the Republic. The police had permitted some small marches, and one passed by us… a young moderate right-wing group it seemed, peacefully demonstrating alongside those who championed Valencia as part of a unified Spain, untainted by the extremism of the Catalan struggle for independence.

Nou d'Octubre in Plaza Ayuntamiento.

There was a sense of excitement and anticipation, perhaps even tension, but trouble did not flare. The neo-nazi ultraderechas who had been at the centre of the violence in 2017 appeared to be absent. There was chanting and posturing from many parts of the square, but everyone appeared to be coexisting in relative harmony.

Later, we learnt that most of the ultraderechas had been held by the riot police in a square close to Plaza Ayuntamiento for the duration of the day. Only a few stragglers had tried (and failed) to cause trouble on the edge of the square, which barely anyone noticed. I got the impression that the police and security forces had handled a very difficult situation extremely well. There was certainly no leave granted that day, they were a big, visible, proactive presence.

The parade makes its way along
Calle San Vicente Martir.

Several loud firework explosions heralded the start of the main parade. The Real Senyera de Valencia was slowly marched onto the balcony and lowered to the Valencian politician who had been granted the privilege of leading the parade, and so it set off at a stately pace towards Calle San Vicente Martir.

We used the alleys around the square to move to a place on the very same street. The atmosphere was intense by now, and you felt much more up close and personal with this parade than you might feel at Easter in the Cabañal. San Vicente is quite an enclosed street as you get towards Plaza de la Reina. It was packed, and many people had an opinion that needed to be loudly directed at some of the parading dignitaries. Very suddenly, a large group of forest firefighters appeared across the street from us, chanting loudly in a protest about their rights and conditions, closely followed by police in riot gear who allowed their protest but hemmed it in.

Beautiful traditional Valencian dress.

The parade filed past, led by the traditional uniformed riders. Politicians and their parties, the leaders of the military and security forces 6 or 7 abreast, the Falleras and their entourage and the many cultural organisations were all represented, and most were applauded with real pride and appreciation. Our firefighter friends of course, saved their very loudest jeers for the Government leaders, and for the Mayor and his team. Husbands made their views loudly known, and wives tried to silence them. Old ladies rudely pushed to the front and cared not how they brandished their flags.

Along with many others, we broke away once the main parade was past, and made our way down the Plaza Alfonso el Magnanimo. This is where the head of the parade lays a floral tribute at the base of the magnificent statue of King Jaume 1. This King of Aragon liberated Valencia from the Moors. It couldn’t have happened without him. A few flowers are the least he can expect.

We couldn’t see any of this… too many proud Valencians!

So in our thousands, we made our way back to Plaza Ayuntamiento. As soon as the parade returned there, and the great and the good filled the balcony once more, it would be time for the Mascleta. This was a watershed moment in our Valencian experiences. We had heard so many things about the Mascleta. Pregnant women shouldn’t attend, hearing can be damaged, etc, etc, but we had decided that we needed to experience this.

We found a place in front of the Correos, facing the middle of the square, only 3 back from the barrier. For Mascleta first-timers, this just might be too close. The anticipation was palpable. These people absolutely love this stuff.

No photograph will ever do justice to a Mascleta.

The sun came out, and it was hot. Cans of beer were sold from dustbins full of ice. People peered from the parapets of the huge buildings, countless floors up. Someone fainted at the front, and was rescued by an ambulance crew. People of all ages waited until that balcony was full again, and the Mascleta could start. The emergency services took their positions.

Eventually, a series of single airborne explosions heralded the start of the display. Every pigeon fled simultaneously from every building in the square. The police helicopter stayed at a respectful distance. The explosions and smoke built and built until the sound physically pushed at you. To rapturous cheers, a series of fireworks exploded upward with smoke that painted the colours of the Valencian flag into the blue sky. The display approached its climax with an intensity of noise that moved the air around you. I think the crowd gave this one a 9.

This was amazing. I really do get it now. You can consider us converted. So much so that over lunch, we readily agreed that we would go to Las Fallas 2019, for (much) more of the same!!

Here come the Christians.

Later that day, the traditional Moors and Christians parade celebrated the expulsion of the Moors from the city. A heavy shower turned to steady drizzle, but the enthusiasm and colour of the parade remained. As with the Easter parades, it leaves one wondering how all of this is prepared and executed. The thousands of costumes. The training of people, horses and even camels. It is an amazing undertaking.

As the last group of Holy Knights and their accompanying musical entourage passed by, Nou d’Octubre was over for 2018.

Amazing details at La Lonja.

We spent the remaining days of this visit just being part of a slightly quieter Valencia. Coffee and empanadas standing at the counter in Mercado Central. Buy some saffron, some bargain pictures for the single room, a cushion cover, and a bigger sugar pot. Get lost in La Xerea and discover the amazing San Juan del Hospital purely by chance. Marvel at La Lonja once again. Stare up at a building for sale just off Plaza Ayuntamiento, and discuss unrealistic plans to buy and refurbish it. Make running repairs to the apartment. Explore the fascinating “Bazar Chino” shops that appear on every street. Pick up a bit more Spanish. Take our time at Café Sant Jaume, the world’s premier people-watching venue.

A peaceful part of the old city.

Once or twice, I caught myself feeling something new. Then I realized it was the feeling of being completely at home. It took me by surprise… but it was oddly comforting at the same time. And of course it made me feel proud. The apartment was no longer a project or a novelty. It was now much more than a comfortable base from which to explore the city and area like a tourist. It had become a home that we were lucky enough to have. A home that means we can live in Valencia, only not on a full-time basis.

In conversation, I heard myself telling people that we had a home in Valencia (to make sure they knew I wasn’t a tourist!), where I had never described it as a home before. There had been a shift in how we perceived the apartment and the city, and what it meant to us. I think maybe I was a bit proud.

On our last day, we went to Meat Carnival 2018. Billed as “the greatest meat and live coal festival in Spain”. It was all set up in part of the Marina. We ran the gauntlet of Vegans holding up signs about murder (but who were oddly inactive in any other way, so it wasn’t much of a gauntlet), and walked into a large collection of outdoor stalls cooking up barbecued meat dishes in various forms, plus 2 huge outdoor bars (qué sorpresa) and numerous other drinks outlets. Carnivore heaven.

We took it all in, and surveyed the meaty options over a beer. There were 4 whole lambs spread over coals in one corner. There was a cooking demo where the enthusiastic host talked us through how the lady next to him was making a chicken sandwich. Cutting this sandwich at attractive angles appeared to be the highlight of the whole operation. The next demo involved whisky tasting, and attracted a larger crowd for some reason.

We opted for Argentinian choripan and steak. People were walking around with oysters on ice for tasting. The sun blazed down, and most Valencians found shade at the bar. There was a Fallas-style ninot of a 3-foot steak over a grill surrounded by bags of charcoal. A guitarist belted out the tunes close to a double-decker bus selling chicken wings. A whole row of other stalls grilled up beef, meatballs, various sausage varieties, and pulled pork (obvs).

We had another beer and tried to imagine what all of this might be like by 10pm. I think they’d have got through an insane amount of Amstel Oro and wagyu burgers by then. The diet of champions.

The upstairs chamber at La Lonja.
Those Valencians and their tiles.

We packed a lot into this visit. So many new experiences. A Nou d’Octubre parade. The inside of the Palau del la Generalitat and the Ayuntamiento. A Valencian firework display. A Mascleta. Seeing a camel walking up Calle la Paz. A Meat Carnival. A forest firefighters demo. New enchanting parts of the Barrio del Carmen. The sights and smells (but mostly smells) of a “Medieval” market, that wasn’t very Medieval.

And the feeling of being completely at home.

Perhaps a visit at Christmas, and then what will be an amazing Las Fallas 2019. This will all happen well before the dreaded Brexit date of 29^th March, so we will be able experience the flames and the fireworks and the joy.

It remains to be seen how the shambles of Brexit will affect our visits to Valencia, and the degree of permanence we can enjoy as time passes.

We’ll see. At the moment, I don’t know if I’m going or leaving home.