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, 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...
by cwells | 2013-02-01 | Culture, Pix, Spain, Spanish, Valencia
The relative ages of things here fascinates me. A building that was created a thousand years before our country was founded sits next to a building constructed in the last 20 years. A characteristic of most of Europe, the heterogeneity of constructions, time periods,...
by cwells | 2013-01-30 | Culture, Pix, Spain, Valencia, Walking
On January 22, the procession of Saint Vincent the Martyr, or San Vicente de Martir, occurs between the Valencia Cathedral and the Plaza of the Virgen. I would be able to walk it in about 3-5 minutes, but the procession takes much longer with an indirect path strewn...
by cwells | 2013-01-29 | Culture, Spain, Valencia, Walking
It was a lovely day outside, albeit quite breezy, but that made the perfect decision to see the Museum of Modern Art in Valencia (or Institut Valencià d’Art Modern, more commonly known as IVAM). Considered a major modern art museum in Europe, I was actually surprised...
by cwells | 2013-01-26 | Culture, Food, Spain, Spanish, Valencia
Humans have some funny customs when it comes to food and drinks. For me, the challenges are the food being served (e.g. “What the hell does that word mean?”) and how quickly transactions are accomplished in a busy café, cafeteria, or restaurant (e.g. “What the hell...
