As the wheels touched down on the tarmac, I felt a sense of ease. The city streets that emerged from the subway metro were clean. No garbage to step around. There was a welcoming feeling of familiarity being back in Valencia. It doesn’t take long to unpack a backpack. There were people to see. More mountains to explore. A bike ride to the south to explore the Castle of Xàtiva. As with all of Europe ...…[read more]
Blog Posts
I had to stoop to get through the black metal door. My biggest concern was finding this door again. It was at the end of a network of dimly lit narrow streets. I had closely studied the markings on each street that led to that door. It would only take one wrong turn. I noted the over flowing bins. The undernourished cats scavenging what fell to the ground. The odd stranger seemingly lurking in the darkness. ...…[read more]
Have I told you Valencia is such a vibrant culture! With all its cafes and bars on just about every corner. But what’s behind all the food and wine culture here in Valencia. I’d like you to meet a very special local chef. Born and raised in Spain. Has traveled the world. Worked in some of the top restaurants in Paris. And has even been a private chef to a royal family. He knows something about ...…[read more]
I can confirm Spain is Mountainous. Another group hike this weekend has clearly established that fact. But what I also like about these hikes, are the interesting people you meet. We were trekking up the mountain side as we were chatting. This time with a University lecturer. What she told me would explain the dilemma I found myself in this week. I had been slowly working on increasing my Spanish vocabulary. It reminds me of ...…[read more]
There’s been a lot happening on the world stage of late. What with the likes of the Brits and their friends across the Atlantic wanting to go back to the good old days. Building walls and shutting their doors to the rest of the world. Shame really. We’re going to miss them. So counter trend. The world has become amazingly small. Technology and communications has brought us unbelievably close. Just the ability to video chat ...…[read more]
Valencia may have lost its river to a lengthy patch of park lands. But the nearby beach certainly makes up for it. A pleasant 20 minute bike ride from the heart of the old city takes you to the enticing beaches on the Mediterranean Sea. But it’s clearly not a proper sea. There’s nothing there to eat you. What an odd experience. Swimming without fear of sharks or even crocs. What is this place? And ...…[read more]
We were staring down a steep drop off the side of this mountain. It was then I suddenly appreciated that perhaps Spain could actually be one of the most mountainous countries in Europe. Some claim it to be the most mountainous after Switzerland. We were two thirds into our hike. Regardless of which claim is right, right now we had a choice. We turn back. Or, we tackle this challenge that lay immediately below us. But as ...…[read more]
If you’ve ever thought someone needed to get a life, spare a thought for this guy. I was peddling the treddly through nearby Plaza de la Virgen on the weekend. It’s a very popular part of town. It’s a big open public space. At one end is this fossilised looking guy taking a bath. He’s there day or night I’ve noticed. (Whatever floats your bath I guess!) Lined with open air cafes at one end, ...…[read more]
People refer to it as the river. I could see the river on the map. I’ve always found it an exciting challenge arriving in a new city getting your bearings. I kept looking for this river. The map indicated a sizable river circumventing half the old city. I found what possibly could be a river. But there was no water. Turns out there is no river. But they call it a river. And so I ...…[read more]
I have a lot to thank Manuel from the popular British TV series, Faulty Towers. He equipped me with at least two survival words for living in Spain. “Que” (what?) and “Si si” (yes…). I’m convinced you can travel anywhere in the world with not much more than a very limited vocabulary. When it comes to food, a chook is a chook (chicken for those north of down under) and a pig is a pig. Whether ...…[read more]