by cwells | 2013-02-12 | Pix, Spain, Spanish, Travel, Valencia, Walking
As my travel companions can tell you, I am not the swiftest when it comes to using a map. In fact, even WITH a map, I have a tendency to get turned around, lose track of the local sights, and go in really big circles. For example, when Kevin, Michael, and I were in...
by cwells | 2013-02-01 | Food, Pix, Spain, Spanish, Travel
What is there NOT to say about the BioParc? I have friends who recommended visiting and they were right. When I went to this incredible state-of-the-art zoo, I was blown away by the number of exhibits, animals, and habitats. The entrance price is reasonable for a...
by cwells | 2013-02-01 | Expat, Housing, Spain, Spanish, Travel
In some ways, this trip to Spain was a test. I wanted to learn enough about Valencia to see if I would be comfortable living here alone. Of course, this means that making friends is not optional… it is a necessity. There are two groups to which I belong: the American...
by cwells | 2013-02-01 | Culture, Expat, Spain, Spanish, Travel, Walking
The last time I was in Spain, I made a comment about having a “panhandle me” kind of faces and/or demeanor. This time in Valencia, I was the apparent source of directional goodwill for other visitors to the city. I was asked for directions six times, with...
by cwells | 2013-02-01 | Expat, Spain, Spanish
For those who don’t speak Spanish fluently, there is a process that can strike fear in the heart of many honest and strong adults: the mail. In Spain, the mail is called El Correo, and if I didn’t have friends to help me broker the transaction, I would not have been...
by cwells | 2013-02-01 | Culture, Pix, Spain, Spanish, Valencia, Walking
Also in the Plaza de la Virgen, there is something called the Tribunal de las Aguas, or “Water Court” that occurs every Thursday at noon. This is the oldest judicial body in Europe. There are some deep traditions associated with the Water Court, which was...
