Preview of InterPore2019 Valencia #8

Dilly-ding, dilly-dong: the first of March is approaching! And so what? Firstly, March 1 is a Friday, typically a well-liked day in most countries. The special thing about Friday, March 1 is that is the last day for early bird registration to InterPore2019. For speakers, this is even more important because you must register by that day to have your talk included in the program. So, be sure to register! Once you have taken care of registration, you might just want to keep the ball rolling and address all issues at once: you will find that InterPore2019 Local Organizing Committee has issued the list of hotels at special rates. There is a lot to choose from; a detailed description is on the website. Some listed hotels are close to the conference centre, some close to the city centre, some half-way, and more—you just need to take your pick!

Another exciting thing about March is that, in Valencia, it means las Fallas time. Even if InterPore2019 isn’t taking place during las Fallas (that would be probably too much even for Valencia), we will keep you posted and we will follow las Fallas action together as it happens. Expect art, noise, light, and fire to get the feeling of Valencia ahead of the conference.

You might be wondering, “What on earth is las Fallas?” It is the main celebration of Valencia and several other towns in Comunidad Valenciana (Valencia’s region), and it is not that kind of fest that starts and finishes in one day. This year the celebration started on February 1 and will finish on March 19. But still, what is exactly las Fallas about? First things first: las Fallas are kind of big “sculptures” and “constructions” that artists and workshops build during the course of the year. There is one rule about these sculptures: they must be made of flammable materials (otherwise it would not be fun, check here why). Fire marks an end to the party, but this will happen only in one month. Some of these sculptures have been on display to the public since February 1. That is, about 700 sculptures are exhibited in the so-called Exposicio del Ninot. This is not just an exhibition; it is actually a special kind of election as only the Ninotwith the most votes by visitors will be saved from the fire. This saved Ninot (called ninot indultat) will be the only thing left from the whole las Fallas 2019; by the end all the other things created for las Fallas 2019 will just be a heap of ashes. If you are curious to see which was the saved ninot of last year, here you have it. In itself, it is a tribute to Valencian traditions because it represents a Valencian master of silk in his workshop with precious textiles and falleritas (a kind of special Valencian creatures). You will have the chance to see it because it is exhibited in the Museo Fallero together with all the saved ninots of past las Fallas, something you might want to visit next May.

Now, you have started to familiarize yourself with las Fallas, but do not forget to register! We know you might be tempted to postpone. But if you book early, everything will be smooth as silk (and silk is soValencia). In fact, we bet you will find yourself in the same spirit as the happy silk master and as light as a fallerita! Don’t wait and get started planning your InterPore2019 & Valencia!