Picpost: Valencia Still Surprises Me
To be honest, I have no idea why this happened. Behold, Gentle Readers, at one of the surprises I captured out of the window of my flat. Really, stranger things have happened, but I have found that this city still surprises me. Sure, the occasional bang of fireworks...
Castle Hunting Near Carcasonne (Languedoc-Roussillon Region of France)
The Languedoc-Roussillon area in France has been important for many years as a strategic military and trade center due to its relationship to the nearby Aude River. As a result, other small cities emerged nearby to take advantage of the location and resources in...
A Year and a Half
Strange as it may seem, I have been in Valencia for a year and a half. When I arrived, I really did not know what to expect of my new life here, and have been through some adventures of both the good-fun kind and the good-terrifying kind. Living in another country has...
Carcasonne is Calling
According to my friends, it's very popular to travel over Easter weekend, since there are so many bank holidays surrounding the actual event. That's how I got the opportunity to visit Carcasonne, France, with a group of friends. This, gentle reader, is definitely an...
A Mix of Valencia Fallas 2015: Part 2
I know, I know, Fallas was several weeks ago. My apologies, Gentle Reader, because I have been occupied by things that limited my time to work on the blog. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean that I have neglected you somewhat. Don't worry, though,...
A Mix of Valencia Fallas 2015: Part 1
Gentle reader, Fallas ended on March 19, and I am just now posting some more pictures from the event. The weather was really unsuitable for this past Fallas, making picture-taking jaunts a little difficult. However, I think you might appreciate a few of the pictures...
Fallas 2015: La Ofrenda
Gentle readers, I posted a little last year on la ofrenda, where the communities, towns, and villages throughout the Valencian Community come to the city to pay homage to the Virgin Mary here in Valencia. The processions last for hours and cover wide swaths of the...
Fallas Paella: Cookouts Gone Wild!
Gentle reader, you may remember this post from last year, where I chronicled a Valencian paella in some of its glory. To be honest, last year the paella took me by surprise, but this year was a different story. I was prepared! From bringing my own meat-free lunch to...
Fallas: Historical Fallas Exhibition
Unlike the permanent museum celebrating Las Fallas here in Valencia, there are often a few temporary exhibits celebrating this unique cultural heritage here. I went into the city center one afternoon specifically to visit the Exposición "Falles de cartó," a...
Fallas: Schools are Involved, Too
The amazing thing about Las Fallas is that encompasses so many aspects of the local culture. Businesses hold massive paella gatherings, friends and families reunite for spectacular celebrations and dinners, and the streets are alive with tourists, music, and...
Fallas: And Then They Lost Their Collective Minds
One of the more interesting aspects of Las Fallas is from a sociological perspective, in that the behaviors of so many Valencianos changes overnight. Think about the fairgrounds when the state fair comes to town, then expand that to a neighborhood. Lots of people,...
Fallas Ninots Part Three: Politicos
Gentle readers, so much has happened in the last few weeks, including the beginning of Las Fallas. I'll write more on that later, but this post is based on some juicier details: Politics. One of the key ingredients of Las Fallas is the lampooning (and occasional...
Fallas Ninots Part Two: Plenty More to See!
Gentle readers, in my last post, I provided an overview of the Expositión del Ninots, a huge exhibition of some of the smaller artwork surrounding the fallas that will be on display during the month of March. I know, it is a lot to take in for a blog post, but you can...
Fallas Ninots Part One: So Many Sculptures!
On a somewhat gray and brisk morning last week, I took the time to visit the Exposició del Ninot, or exposition of the smaller figurines surrounding the larger fallas that will be on display throughout the city in March. Some of the best of these ninots, or smaller...
Bad Weather but Good Humor
Gentle reader, I must admit that it has been pretty darn cold here in Valencia, and even moreso in the northern regions of Spain. Yes, yes, I know that there are lots of places that are much colder in the States and other regions of Europe, but for the few months that...
Day Trip: Montanejos and the Not-So-Thermal Baths
After impulsively signing up for the trip to Montanejos (pronounced mon-ta-NAY-hos), the group was to meet at Torres Serrano, one of the city gates, to leave on our all-day excursion. The weather was clear and crisp, with lots of sunlight, and the bus was full of...
Day Trip: Brides Can’t Jump
This past weekend, I joined a group going to Montanejos for the day. I'll admit, it was an impulsive thing to decide to do. Meeting my friend Angela for her birthday in a crowd of expats, and then, and fueled by beer and wine in a restaurant the size of a postage...
Neighborhood Oranges
There are several parks surrounding my apartment, and one behind my flat has a playground in the middle. This is a great place to relax and enjoy the orange trees that are planted along the streets here. As I noted in an earlier post, the non-edible oranges throughout...
Morning Walk and a Few Pics
With all of the festivities of the holidays, sometimes it's kind of nice to get out and walk around in the chilly morning air. These pictures were taken over several days, so there are also some of the nativity scene in front of the city center before Tres Reyes....
Nothing Says Christmas Like Bethlehem in Miniature
One of the more charming aspects of Christmastime here in Valencia is the arrival of Bethlehem displays. Many are very elaborate and include motors, running water, and multiple scene perspectives. Like the Bethlehem scene made entirely of bottles that I reviewed last...