Howdy!

Buenas !

I am well here in Valencia and have solved the photo uploading difficulties.  So, I will post some photos today.   Hace mucho calor aqui.  It is very HOT here, and I know if you are in the Northeast it is very HOT there also.  I am very grateful to have central AC in this apartment – many, many people do not have AC, and many restaurants don’t either.  Lots of people are still sitting outside of cafes, etc.. at tables under umbrellas.  I will say that sometimes on the shady side of the street if there is a breeze, and I am not moving, it is bearable!   According to the locals, July has been unusually hot; the weather has been more like Aug.  So I am prepped now for August.

Unfortunately, the beaches have had a bacteria problem, so I’ve stayed away now for several weeks.  Next week I am going with a friend by train to Gandia, a small town, south of here on the coast with a “blue flag” beach. The train is only 4 euros.   It will be nice to get out of the city.   I also just recently found out there is a public pool in my neighborhood for 1.50 euro a day, so I’m going to investigate that later today.

I did have a barking dog problem recently and had an interesting interaction at the local police station.  All I can say is that the language barrier was truly a problem in this instance and the police have very specific jobs around here. Zero English. So no policia for perro problemas.   My Spanish landlady ended up calling the right people and the problem has been mostly resolved.    I also went to my first movie theater called, Cines Babel.  It is 3.50 euros for Wednesday showings.   They show the movies in their original language with Spanish subtitles.  The theater was small, but at least it was air conditioned – my main requirement for any activity.

On to the pictures.  These first three include my cousin Rachel’s visit, my two friends Maria (Miami) and Denise (D.C.); they are both expats here in the last year and are planning on staying for good.   The third picture is of me and my dear Holly, who passed away last month; it’s still surreal.

Next up are pictures from L’Almoina – the Roman ruins of “Valentia”, pre-dating Spanish occupation.  Here is a link for more info and pics. https://valencia.for91days.com/a-city-under-the-city-lalmoina/

And what would a post be without FOOD pictures!   I am only spending about 35 euros a week on groceries ($39 us).   I am not a fan of most of the Spanish restaurant food.   So, mostly I cook, have lots of salads and occasionally go out for a platter of mussels – 7.50 euros. (pictured below).  I also went out for pancakes once. They were more expensive than the mussels!! And the bacon – meh–not crunchy – very meaty and chewy.

And by accident, I did find the yarn shop street–I spent some time talking to the owners.  Both shops are run by Spanish men, non-knitters-family business-zero English.   There are two shops across from each other  that have basically the same stuff–mostly yarns that I don’t knit with – Katia – which is a Spanish brand, factory dyed and spun and lots of acrylic which I don’t knit with.  I def. don’t need yarn.

Currently, I am working on a pair of socks with yarn that was gifted to me by      Susan B. from Maine and a short-sleeved sweater called Soldotna to wear to Rhinebeck -NYS Sheep & Wool Fest in October.  I also started a Scottish reproduction cross-stitch sampler & I’m very happy to be stitching again after many years.

And that’s all I’ve got for this post.

!Feliz verano! (happy summer)

Love, Caterina

 

 

 

Dia de St. Joseph, etc. (tech diff)

Edited to Add:   I’m experiencing user error in uploading photos to the blog.  So until I can figure out a better way, the blog will be on break.  That is why this post is already 2 weeks old – I haven’t been able to upload photos, but I’ve uploaded a good photo link

To update, it’s been nice and quiet here now that Fallas is over.  We’ve had some chilly (for Valencia) weather and even thunder and lightning which was quite a show from my 6th floor balcony.   There is an annual pillow fight going on in Plaza De La Virgin this weekend.  Crazy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vsfb5BRRck Can you imagine a bunch of Americans having a pillow fight in a town square…it would turn into Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery.”  The Americans just can’t handle it IMO.

Here is the original post:

“St Joseph’s Day on March 19 became a compulsory Catholic feast day in 1621. Pope Pius XII introduced the Feast of St Joseph the Worker on May 1 to honor workers around the world in 1955. The tradition of constructing and burning fallas arose at some stage in the Middle Ages.”  St Joseph, in Spain, is described as the husband of Mary and the legal father of Jesus.   THREE WEEKS of fallas is supposed to be in honor of St. Joseph.  Not for nothing, I think somebody (ahem, entire city) got carried away.   Even so, today is the formal, official St. Joseph’s Day in the Catholic world.   This is news to me of course.  And, today I just learned that ST. JOSEPH is the reason for Fallas.  Connection made.   Self-learning is indeed a curve.

This is a really good overview of what’s been going on here the last few days.

http://247valencia.com/fallas-inside-deal-fallas-veterans/?fbclid=IwAR2O0JWPUt9bJre-4aPn_Wl1fzVsoUniKjD_42vQR7yg6Ez9iNLCbtbwpZY

I did get out and about to see things for myself.  What I saw was pretty amazing – literally hundreds and hundreds of men and women and children – whole families pageanting through the streets, offering flowers to the Virgin with tears in their eyes. The positive and loving energy of the people here really come through during fallas.

The thing that really amazed me:  the orderly, non-disruptive hours and hours of procession.  The watching crowds are calm and lovely and respectful.  I don’t know how things are late at night besides very noisy but police oversight is very slim to none.  The people here do the right thing – that’s it.  Simple.   While this festival has been super noisy, it has given me a window into the pride and love the Valencians have for their city and their culture, and I am lucky to be part of the city.

I will be extremely happy to move on with life in Valencia, especially now that I have my beach chair and cooler.

Love, Caterina

 

 

 

¡Fallas y primavera estan aqui!

Hi Everyone – Fallas is here in full swing. And SPRING – my favorite season is here daily.  Sunny, pleasant breezes and low 70’s.  It’s the Spring I have dreamed for in Rochester, only to see it come and go in a week!

I am posting links today for Fallas events because these facts and pictures tell the story of what is happening much better than I can.  I hope to see some of these spectacular mammoth Fallas today as I walk around the city with my Fallas map.

http://valencia.for91days.com/la-planta-fallas-comes-to-life/

I bought ear protection after I went to my first mascleta.  The mascletas get increasingly louder each day.   I’ve been to two mascletas & may attend one next Monday.  For now the constant sound of firecrackers day and night is plenty of noise for me.   The worst of the noise will be Saturday-Tuesday night.   Many locals leave the city, understandably, for these four days.  I will stay close to home with my earplugs, however, I will venture out to see the spectacular flower offering to the Virgin on Sunday or Monday.   Here is a link for La Ofrenda.

http://valencia.for91days.com/la-ofrenda-flowers-for-the-virgin/

Until next time,

Love Caterina

ETA:   “The falla commission of CÍSCAR BURRIANA stands with the NINOT INDULTAT INFANTIL, and the fine work of the artist Bernardo Estela, with a total of 5,385 votes.”  These are the fallas created by adults with children’s themes.  The votes are cast by anyone who visits the ninot exhibit (I voted).   “This will be saved from the flames of “La Crema” on 19th March!

 

 

 

 

Tres meses viviendo en Valencia

Soooo, I had to have a big mac with a beer.  I don’t really like beer, but I had to say I did it. Beer is a choice with your McDonald’s meal in Valencia just like water, soda or milk.   I’ve learned that lunch is definitely the large meal of the day here and the most inexpensive.  The restaurants prep for lunch the same way USA restaurants prep for dinner patrons.  Table cloths adorn and staff put on their best manners.

My favorite thing about lunch is to find an inexpensive Menu del día.   Most restaurants have a chalkboard/sign announcing the all-inclusive meal.  The meal includes one beverage (agua, vino, cerveza, etc.), Primero Plato:  usually this is a choice of appetizer, salad, soup or even pasta.  Segundo Plato: this is considered the main course.  There are always 3 or more choices.  Then dessert or coffee is the last plato. Quite a bargain, considering an ala carte main dish may start at 10 or more euros.  The variety of food I’ve eaten has ranged from excellent to average; the wine always excellent.  An ala carte glass of wine is 2-3eu, never more (compared to 8$ + per glass in the US). Cheap wine, expensive epsom salts.   1kg. of epsom salts is 14eu and I won’t buy them at that price!

Top left:  1 eu each…mini-subs (chorizo, jamons, quesos) A wednesday special.        Top right: primero plato of beet and roasted red pepper spreads and bread – this was really delicious.

Hot sauce in a shop at the train station and McDonalds with a cerveza.

In case you didn’t know, there are two main languages in Valencia and four official languages in the country of Spain (Spanish/Castilian,  Catalan/Valencian, Galician & Basque) In Valencia the other language besides Spanish is called Valenciano & that is why sometimes I don’t know what word to use.   I use either depending on what rolls off my tongue.   For example, the word “street” is either calle or carrer – I have no clue which is which.  So I say calle because that is what I see in print most often and on the street signs. Valencia street signs are posted on the upper corners of the cement buildings. The streets can be one name on one side and another name on the other side.  I would be lost without my phone map.  Fun in the old city:  notice in the last row, the elevator buttons.  I’ve never seen -1 as a floor.  Also in the row above the elevator buttons is a centuries old confessional.   There are four altogether in the remains of this old church.   It was fascinating to think about the confessions that may have be told centuries ago right in this very spot.   Note the street art.  I could spend an entire day just taking pics of street art in Valencia – it’s quite beautiful and sometimes kinda primitive; either way, it belongs.

My 1A Spanish class ends tomorrow and then begins again on Monday.  We will finish 1A and start 1B over the next 5 weeks.  I have improved.  Here is my recent paragraph, mostly done on my own.

Me llama Jo-Ann Caterina y vivo en Valencia, España.   Tengo dos hijos, Zach y Garrett.   Garrett le gusta esquiar y Zachary le gusta acampar en las Adirondacks. Tambien, tengo dos hermanos.   Creo que soy una persona muy carinosa sobre perros, especialmente Maggie y Kelsey que viven en Nueva York.   En mi tiempre libre me encanta leer, escribir, pasear y ir a la playa.  Otros cosas que me gusta hacer son escuchar a la musica, hablan con amigas y tejer.  Mi comida favorita es el pizza, pero no me gusta polla nada. 

How’d I do MARY?

Lastly, I’d like to mention the visceral flamenco show I went to with several friends.  It is in a small venue called Cafe del Duende that seats about 50 people.  We got there early and had the front/best table around 2 feet from the stage. The price was 12 eu which included one beverage.

Flamenco is comprised of footwork/dancing, clapping, singing, la guitarra and in this performance, castinets (not usual).   I did not take photos bc it felt rude–people were just not using their phones to video and photograph, and I loved that.  It was a mindful and present hour. This was the first time since arriving that my life IN Spain felt real and the country’s past and present  were a blur.   A truly memorable experience and difficult to describe.  Organic to say the least.

Tata for now,

Abrazon, Caterina

Las Fallas Comienzan (begins)

The most waited for time of year for the Valencianos is Las Fallas,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falles

a festival that actively begins in mid-February with the display of the “ninots,” followed by the “awakening” of the city with the first “mascleta”

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mascletà

this Saturday night (2.23) at the port of Valencia.   What are all these strange words and what is the purpose of Fallas?  First and foremost the Valencianos love festivals, fireworks and pageant-like processions to display traditional costumes and customs.   The story behind Las Fallas, varies, but “The most popular version says that Las Fallas comes from a centuries-old Valencian tradition in which the city’s carpenters would burn old materials they didn’t need on the day before the day of St. Joseph (March 19), the patron saint of carpenters.”

This became connected to the Spring Equinox and “the burning” grew to become what it is today – a massive city blaze and combustion (on March 19th) of the “Fallas” that are built by each barrio all year long.  This year there are 400 fallas being built in the city neighborhoods.  There are committees where the “Casal faller” is in charge.

During the main week of Fallas the gigantic displays will be judged and all but ONE Fallas will be burned to the ground, a night that goes on until the wee hours of the morning.  Firefighters stand by and crowds visit the various burnings and throw firecrackers in the streets all night.  It is the quintessential PARTY OF PARTIES.  The city center has already fenced off  the courtyard where the “best” fallas will be displayed and burned.   The activities that go on all month include an “awakening” in the city center consisting of mascletas that are fired daily at 2 p.m.  Each day the mascletas get louder and fancier.    For a more thorough explanation here is one link and there are many videos and articles to read about this globally attended event. The last word for now on this event is: NOISY.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falles

Here are the pictures I took of the ninots at the opening day of the exhibition.  Each ninot represents a barrio and is a part of the larger Fallas (like a float).   The winning surviving Fallas will be represented in the Fallas museum by the ninot that represents it.  The ninot is very small compared to the gigantic size of the finished Fallas.   Many ninots/fallas are political, social, culture symbols representing the past year.   I heard there was a Trump ninot, and I must have walked by it! Darn.

The public gets to vote for their favorite ninot.  I voted on the top corner (left) ninot.  She sparkled and was so colorful and like a goddess.   There were 400 of these and then several hundred that represented ninots for children, not made by them, but with childhood themes – those were only  1-2 feet tall.   The large ninots were 5 feet +. I look forward to seeing the Fallas being built in my barrio – Saida (Trinitat).   A map will come out showing the locations of each fallas in the barrio so people can visit these masterpieces before the official week of the FIRES!

¡Tenga buen dia!

Love, Caterina

Mish Mash

GROCERY PURCHASE FEB. 2, 2019

• 6 L jug of water /1.58 gal.
• 1 L (qt.) milk
• 1 bottle chardonnay
• 1 loaf of fresh French bread 240g./ 8.4 oz
• 1 package of soft tortillas 360g/12.6 oz
• 1 package of sliced havarti cheese .298kg/10oz
• 1 container of hummus 240g/8.4oz
• 2 pieces of Norwegian salmon 250g/8.8oz
• 4 pieces of spanish chorizo .336kg/11.8oz
• 1 bag potato chips 180g/6.3oz
• 1 package of spanish sandwich cookies 500g/1lb.
• 3 large mandarin oranges
• 1 black tomato
• 1 bunch broccoli
• 1 cucumber
• 1 package cashews 200g/7 oz.
• 1 bag spanish figs 500g/1 lb.
• 1 package mushrooms .241kg/8.5oz

Valencia cost:  29 euros ($33.23)

Lunch in El Carmen with small women’s group. Represented: US, Germany, France.

Bookstore near the Xativa metro stop in the “center.”  My first Spanish newspapers.  Murakami in Spanish!  They have an English section downstairs; I ordered a collection of Hemingway short stories – Papa Hemingway is Spain’s American icon.

This store is called Taste of America.  This is what is displayed in the window! ugh.

The metro in Benimaclet that is closest to my apartment.  I take this to school MWF morning – it is about a 6 minute walk there, then a 7 ish minute metro ride, then about a 7 min. walk to school.   I usually walk home from school which takes about 25 minutes.  The two pics on the bottom are at the train station, right near the Xativa metro. A metro card is 7.60 eu for 10 RT’s.  Pretty cheap I think.  An autobus card is about the same.

Vincen’s (from France) to-go cup…why bother?  Just gulp it down at the cafe! Then during spanish class break he goes out for another one.  cracks me up.   I don’t think the French “gulp.”

Fin de semana!

Love Caterina

¡Soy un residente oficial!

The big news in the last week is that I got my spanish residency card. This allows me to live here legally for one year at which time I will renew my residency if I choose to stay in Spain longer.   So, the legal aspect of the journey is over and my relocation company, Moving to Valencia has been more than I could have ever hoped for in helping me make this challenging transition.

For anyone who is following the blog bc they are thinking of relocating, getting your residency card in Spain would be very difficult to do by yourself if you do not have strong spanish language skills, have a car and understand the process.  I don’t recommend it.   Reaching out to FB sites like “Expats in Valencia” and “Valencia Information Exchange”, for example, are good ways to find professionals who you can hire to help you.  The visa process is much easier by following your consulate’s directions on line.

Other highlights of my week include:  my first trip to the beach, A la Mavarossa.  This beach is a 15 minute tram ride from my apartment.  I had lunch so I could soak up the sun and look at the Mediterranean Sea in awe and joy.  There are more beaches south of Valencia, and I will be sure to do some exploring.

Yes, it is really winter here…which is hard to believe! Here are some versions of winter in Valencia: leafless trees, a woman in a fur coat, me sweating and de-robing after an hour walk, topless guys in the park –they must be from Buffalo.

Below are city sites on my hour walk to Franky’s Restaurant where I met a women’s group and had New York style cheesecake (delicious!).  If you look at the map and see the green curvy line, that is the Turia River Bed; I walked about half of that to get to Franky’s.  I think the whole thing is 9 miles in length.  I live quite close, about a 6 min walk to get to the river bed.

 

Valencia’s Basilica for the Pope

Above Left: Valencia’s Basilica for the Pope.

Below:  The main Post Office in the “city center.”

I started my first Tai Chi class on Saturday mornings in the Jardine de Real park near my apartment.  Tai Chi outside is pretty darn cool.  I joined two Internations groups.  Time to make friends.

I’ve arranged a meet up for tomorrow to explore the barrio of el Carmen.           Torres de Serranos is one of the many architectural delights in Carmen.

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I’m going to see a Brazilian jazz guitarist this Saturday in Valencia who lives in New York City.  His new album is called Nu Brasil. I like it very much.

https://open.spotify.com/album/1TfHUAeJDn4I8VcJh3f4Yg

I’m also listening to this:

https://open.spotify.com/album/5SbylfazVixJi7hahuuzvH

On my kindle:  I just finished Killing Commendatore by Huraki Murakami. This one is heady and existentialist.  Murakami is very unique and a great author if you have the mind for it.   My favorite is 1Q84 .  If you want to try Murakami, I would start with Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage.  

What do kindle and Apple Music have to do with living in Valencia?  Great question!  This is not a vacation – this is my life and part of my life includes the hobbies I love:  books and music, mindfulness, my yoga mat, knitting and walking…

And in case anyone is wondering, I miss a couple of things:  a larger kitchen sink  and AMAZON USA!

Until next time—May you be happy.  Puede que seas feliz.

Love, Caterina

 

 

 

¡Tengo muchos frio in Valencia hoy!

 

Buenas Tardes!   Here “tardes” is until 8:00 p.m. and then “noches” begins.

brrrr.  For those of you in the northeast, there is of course, no comparison here to your weather, but, today was the coldest day since I arrived here cincuenta y cuatro (54) days ago.  The temperature was not bad, probably around 54F, but without the sun, and with the high wind gusts, it was cold.   My blood is already getting Spanish! Because, I’m used to such calm, pleasant weather here,  I wasn’t wearing my winter coat, or my gloves or a hat.  I could have used all three.   I walked quite a bit bc I had a dentist appointment.

Some cloudy city photos:

El dentista

I was due for a dental cleaning, and today was the day.   First, I walked 10 minutes to the tram and took the #4 to University of Valencia, where I was supposed to walk for 13 min. and be at the dentist.  HA.   It took more 30+ minutes, mostly bc of the wind and the TRAFFIC CIRCLE.  Rochesterians, imagine you have arrived at the 12 corners in Brighton for the first timed on FOOT.   And your phone map is your life-line.  How are you feeling right about now? Traffic circles are still not my friend.  I was hoping by now I would have the hang of it, but my walk to the center doesn’t include traffic circles and I got rusty.    Mi dentista tiene treinta y siete años.  Ella es muy bonita, y she plays squash with Linda, my relocater. Not only that, but Dr. Manzana owns the practice with her brother.  She liked my teeth.  The cleaning itself was interesting.  The usual tartar scraper looked the same, but it is electric with water shooting out of it.  The cold water was not nice to my sensitive teeth.   The only other difference was that there was no choice of paste – NO GRAPE!

In my clase de español  which has grown to 7 estudiantes, one of the students does not have any built-in heat in his apartment.  I’ve been told that many apartments do not have heat because winter is so short, and the apartments are built for summer weather.   He has a portable heater.  There is a girl from Australia in my class named Ingrid!  She heard about my Ingrid, 1991 volvo.   Mi profesora es Pilar y tiene cuatro y uno años.  That is another example of using the verb tener (to have) when talking about age.  A person has # of years.   I remember that very well, Mary! (mi SUNY profesora)

Spanish Wegmans

In Valencia the two main grocery stores in every neighborhood are Consum and Mercadona.   They have the basics and each has a few different things.  Cashews in Mercadona, but I can’t find them in Consum in my neighborhood.  I finally made it to El Cortes Ingles. It’s like the Pittsford Wegmans of groceries here.  I found cottage cheese, FAGE greek yogurt, wedges of bleu cheese, bleu cheese dressing, EARL GREY tea (finally) and PRETZELS.   Out of site out of mind,  but some things are pretty exciting when you find them.  I almost jumped and shouted hurrah when I found all of the above. !!!!  El Cortes Ingles is also a department/clothing/beauty/appliance store.   You can buy Chanel makeup and toasters depending on which ECI you are in.                     Below:  Iberica Jamon = puerca is king, Raf tomatoes —better than any USA tomato, and Valencia wine.

Jamon is king…

Raf tomatoes are amazing

Valencia wine

Lastly, the most exciting find of all – today I ran into Mercadona for milk after my dentist appt. and there it was…the swiffer that is not a swiffer.    In Spain the floors are not carpeted and because I have indoor allergies I’m not going to get rugs.   To wash the floor and keep the dust mites at bay, I have an old-fashioned wet mop.  People obviously throw away the mopheads, detaching them from the handle because there is an entire section in the grocery devoted to mop heads of every color.   I looked again at all those colorful mopheads, and what before my wandering eyes did appear????   A swiffer HEAD to screw into the mop handle!   I wanted them all.  And they came with swiffer wet thingy pads!!   I never thought a cleaning tool would make me so happy!  I hate to clean!  But, now I’ve had a change of heart looking at that old grimy, stringy mop head…good riddens to it and to the dust mites! Swiffer is here!

My laundry on the balcony, My entry way to the elevator, a beautiful flowery winter day, and roots.

Love, Caterina

¡Me estoy convirtiendo en u local!

 

I had three important experiences this past week.   The most impressive:  someone asked me for directions!!!   And, I knew where they wanted to go and was able to tell them how to get there.  That was astonishing to me, and I smiled for a long time.

Secondly, after a bunch of bureaucracy, I managed to walk out of the town hall with residency paperwork. Now the next and last appt. will be to receive my NIE/residence card.  Lastly, I signed up for escuela de Español.  I will start on the 16th, class runs M,W,F for 5 weeks for course A1.   Then I will progress to the next course and so on.   My school is called Understand Valencia.  https://www.understandvalencia.com

Today I made an appointment for a dental cleaning. That could be consider BIG DEAL #4.

Here are some pictures from my week walking into the city.  It is about a 12 minute walk over the bridge & then another 15 minutes or so depending where I want to go…all flat walking.   I have decided that I will take the metro to school (10 a.m. class) and walk back to the apartment.   Valencia is getting easier to know.   Several times last week I knew exactly where I was…oh, this is the plaza de la reina and this is the plaza ayuntamiento…oh, there’s that Taco Bell and Macdonalds, and there is the train station.   It’s getting familiar & that is truly incredulous to me who is definitely directionally disabled.  I didn’t say I knew how to get there, just that I knew where I was.  haha.

Back to the pictures:

1.  A 5 euro breakfast.  I wanted lunch, but, dang, it was too early–12 p.m.  Lunch doesn’t start until 1/1:30 or in Spain 13h/13:30.  So I had this lovely breakfast buffet, which included everything you see & more that I did not ask for.  Orange juice is my new thing.  It is fresh squeezed and delicious.

2.  Signs & Shops – The Aqua Aura shop had energy healing stuff – lots of amethyst.  Most clothing stores are having after xmas “rebajas” (sales).   That’s the way to Barcelona I guess.   The American Cereal store blew my bind.  When is the last time you guys had a cocoa puff or Cap’n Crunch?  ugh.  In the next row is the very disappointing “Taste of America” store.   It’s mostly baking ingredients which is good, but the rest is mostly JUNK.  I mean not even GOOD JUNK.   So, this is how the American palate is portrayed in Spain.   I did buy a packet of Ortega seasoning to make lentil chili.  The candy store was a caramel candy store which I didn’t realize until I left.    I couldn’t understand why there was so much caramel candy. Go figure. I did buy a few pieces and found some black licorice that I needed.

3.   This grouping is more blue sky, nice buildings and at the moment I saw them perfect moments.  I was walking home through one plaza which was almost empty except for one lone woman playing a violin in front of a church.  She was a distance away, and the solitary sound of the violin in that big empty plaza was just one of those moments & then, the church bells went off as they do every hour.   Quite a concert in tandem with the violin.  Notice some of the alleyways, they are quite beautiful and frequent throughout the city.  Cars and motorcycles and bikes do squeeze through.

That’s a wrap for now.    Paz y tranquilidad.

Love, Caterina

La belleza está en todas partes…

1. -in a good haircut
2. -in the Jardins de Real
3. -in the sheets hanging in the Spanish sun
4. -in the brisk air (yay)
5. -in the next day after a crappy week
6. -in the church bells
7. -in a package from Rochester                                                                                                                                      ya gotta translate the header if you want the list to make sense

Have you made time to think about the littlest things that hold beauty for you?

Who can guess how many euros (to the nearest euro) these four items cost me at the grocery store—a good bottle of dry white wine, a bag of cashews (200g) a bag of walnuts (220g) & a package of gouda cheese (450 g).  The winner gets….to win.  haha. All I can say, if I could save all the money I don’t spend at Wegmans, I’d be rich.  AHEM:  CHRISTOPHER, YOU MAY NOT PARTICIPATE.  (having have lived in Val.)

It’s been 10 days since I physically moved into my new apartment in Trinitat and let’s just say, thank goodness that is behind me.   A fun thing I did besides move and buy supplies and furniture (read: not fun) was walk to the center city to see the Three Kings Parade on Jan. 5th.    There were lots of sparkly floats, tons of people and lots of kids.  The parade people threw LOTS of candy to the kids as a symbol of the gifts the three kings brought to the baby Jesus.  (“gold, as to a king, myrrh as to one who was mortal, and incense as to a God.”).  Here are some not very good photos (duly noted).

I live close to some wonderful areas,  part of the attraction of choosing this apartment: the Turia River Bed (miles of park), The Jardines de Real (ancient palace site), the City Center (heretofore known as “The Center”) and Benimaclet.   Sunday I took a stroll through the muy grande Jardines de Real which are the grounds of the ancient Palace of Valencia; Valencia was once a walled city.  You can find excellent pictures here:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187529-d574594-Reviews-Jardines_del_Real-Valencia_Province_of_Valencia_Valencian_Country.html#photos;aggregationId=&albumid=101&filter=7&ff=23282323

and interesting history here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Palace,_Valencia

And my lame pictures here:

Here is a picture of some of my new furniture (from the store that shall not be named) & my balcony.

And from above left to right:

1. Isn’t Spain a clever country?  Ricola in a box!
2. My visit to Museo de Bellas Artes to see some sculpture (around the corner);
3. and 4. Fresh squeeze orange juice maker (Valencia oranges) in the grocery store.  I never cared much for orange juice until NOW.
4. and 5. Same grocery store: fresh made every morning: PAELLA.  I brought some home and it was purty good.

As many of you know, I am a voracious reader and my books are friends to me; I like to be surrounded by them.  I couldn’t bring them with me, so I chose six books to bring:

1. The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger (read many times – my go to in times of stress)
2. Atomic Habits – James Clear – (a new book I got before I left about habit changing.)
3. 365 Days of Tao – Deng Ming – Dao.      (no explanation needed)
4. Ibsen – Four Major Plays   (a genre I enjoy and haven’t explored much)
5. Claro Que Sí – my SUNY New Paltz Spanish text
6. AND !!!!!!! My Kindle – THIS IS NOT CHEATING – IT IS CLEVER!

What six books would you bring if you moved abroad? Share your choices in the comments…not an easy decision is it if you are a bibliophile.

Lastly, many of you also know, that my hair is my THING and a bad haircut is not allowed in my life.   OR ELSE.   Today I was brave and got my first haircut in Spain.   The owner and hairdresser, David, was truly brilliant.  He was very artistic in his cutting mannerisms, and I love the hair cut.   I’m not a good selfie-taker either, & for those of you nit-pickers, that piece of longer hair in the front matches the other side, but snuck it’s way into the front for the picture.  And need I add that the price was incredibly low AND he spent over an hour styling drying and styling my hair.   Good place.

Hablamos Pronto!  ~ Caterina