We have been going to intercambios Spanish-English here and meeting some interesting people. It happens in a bar run by an American and he makes a few beers of his own and likes to support intercambios. Last night we met a group of IT people. Their English was not bad, they all have jobs and read English a lot, but they do not get much chance to speak.
Getting to meet some locals is always interesting. You learn how they live, what kind of work they do, what problems they have with family or job and so on. They also are an excellent source of local knowledge. Last night we were talking about the Fallas. This is an annual celebration that has been going on for the last 100 years or so. It is notable for the large floats, firecrackers in abundance, firework displays and very crowded streets. Locals who have been here more than a few years generally leave town at that time if they can. We will be here and see it for the first and probably only time. In fact we will be living in the middle of it and ‘enjoying’ the fireworks until well into the wee hours. From our terrace we might have some interesting views.
Here are examples of Fallas floats: