RB's journal

Category: Valencia 2022

  • With Richard in Gaillac

    With Richard in Gaillac

    Tuesday 22nd February: after leaving Alcocebre I headed up the coast on the AP-7, past Tarragona, Barcelona, and Girona to the French border. Easy driving on immaculate Spanish roads, though an accident somehow smashed a piece of the concrete central barrier(!) and blocked the road for over an hour. While we were stuck it was noticeable  that two of the static lanes were full with lorries and just one with cars.

    Got to Richard’s about 6pm. He and I go back a long way (over 65 years!) and we see eye-to-eye on most things, though I don’t share his enthusiasm for Bridge. Good long chat over supper, with the escalating conflict over Ukraine on the agenda. No prizes for guessing that our sympathies were not entirely with the Kiev regime …

    Wednesday: following long-standing tradition, we returned for lunch to the Grand Café des Sports for steak tartare with all the sacraments (mustard, capers, shallots, parsley, Tabasco, Worcester Sauce (nb the ripped-off Heinz version, not the original Lea & Perrins Worcestershire version, unfortunately), tomato sauce, … plus their most excellent chips:

    On the last occasion, a few years ago, Richard had an argument with the waiter whom he accused – rightly – of being rude or, at least, very off-hand with Flo who had joined us. In reprisal, we sanctioned the place (to use a popular  term), though the measure probably affected us more than the café, as there was nowhere else serving a good steak tartare. However, we held our nerve and time solved the issue for us when the waiter in question left, allowing us to lift the sanction …

    In the evening after supper we watched Almodóvar’s classic black comedy, Volver.

    Thursday  25th: the final day of my trip, so time to head back to Luz. Good to go away but also good to get back …

  • Alcocebre with Ángel, Elsa and family

    Alcocebre with Ángel, Elsa and family

    Sunday 20th: left Valencia for Alcocebre and got there by 12:30. Wonderful to see Elsa’s mum, Antoñita, again after maybe 10 years. She is a lovely lady for whom I’ve always had a special affection.  We went out for lunch, exquisitely prepared and presented. The artichoke menu was the popular choice, each course of which featured the in-season vegetable, even the cheesecake. Finished off with the perfect carajillo:

    Artichoke soup with quail egg
    Grilled artichoke with octopus
    Paella with duck and artichoke
    Cross-section of cheesecake
    Carajillo

     

    After which Jávi and I legged it up to the hermitage perched on top of the hill behind the town (chatting about Rupert Sheldrake and Carl Jung (no less!) on the way): 

     

    Monday 21 Feb: early run (barefoot) on the beach:

     

    Then Ángel, Elsa and I drove to the nearby Bardomus olive farm to buy some of their finest at source. From there to Peñiscola to visit the imposing castle built on top of a seemingly impregnable promontary, and which featured in Game of Thrones. You gradually work your way up stairs and tunnels, and across courtyards to finally come out on the top of the battlements, with amazing views in all directions. Lots of history explained in exhibits and film, particulary about the Knights Templar and Pope Luna who had his base here in the period when there were 2 Popes: 

     

    After dinner we cracked out the instruments – guitar and mini-keyboard – for a swiftly-organised concert:  Summertime, a Latin minor groove, and Don’t Worry, Be Happy:

     

    It was a real pleasure to spend this time together, especially as they always welcome me so warmly and treat me as one of the family, which is so very gratifying.

  • With Catherine, Satch, Amara and Layla

    With Catherine, Satch, Amara and Layla

    Sunday 13th: at Valencia airport they bounced out of Arrivals full of energy and we went back on the metro their digs in Ruzafa, where Angel and Elsa joined us. We calculated that they hadn’t seen Catherine for 14 years! There was a very good tapas bar nearby (no photos of the event, unfortunately).

    Monday: we explored around the area, found a local playground and a park with water. Had lunch at my downstairs café/bar called Bar Che, Taverna Vasca for various tapas … Strolled through the Turia gardens and ate ice cream, before going back to theirs to chill before supper. The girls and I got to work with felt tips and paper, working on the impossible triangle, among other things, and we also cracked open the domino box. To eat we went to an excellent paella restaurant, Masusa, for a  Valenciana (chicken, rabbit, green beans, fat butter beans) and a black rice, stuffed with seafood.  

    Tapa of chipirones
    Valenciana
    Masusa

     

    Tuesday: bus to the beach, sunny, calm, empty. Fabulous lunch at La Taska la Reina which was recommended by Jordi, Amara’s piano teacher. Then chocolate and churros to revive ourselves after the bus back. Satch prepared salad and cold meats for supper.

     

    Wednesday: Catherine picked me up at 7:30 when it was still getting light for a run down to the Turia and along for a few bridges and back. Plenty of others out running, as well as cycling and walking the dog. Always fun to run in company and to get into the same stride and rhythm. Mid-morning we took the bus to the Oceanarium, the largest acquarium in Europe, which lived up to expectations, with spectacular views of sharks, belugas, dolphins, plus penguins, seals, turtles, plus a huge aviary with free-flying water birds, like egrets, spoonbills, ibises, small herons … Many of the tanks are seen from above and also from below ground, making it highly impressive when, for example, a beluga or huge sea turtle swims past you a few metres away.

    At 27º it was warming up, so more ice cream was needed on the way back to the bus …

     

    Thursday: lovely to have had them here and to have shared so much fun, but it became time for them to head to the airport for the flight back to London.

     

  • Grigory Sokolov, piano

    Grigory Sokolov, piano

    By great good luck, this concert by one of the major Russian pianists coincided with my stay here. According to the programme notes, Sokolov gives an annual performance in Valencia and, judging by the reaction of the audience at the end, he has an enthusiastic following, in spite of the fact that his only concession to applause was a short, stiff bow, reminding me somewhat of Dylan’s detached stage presence. Of average height, portly and rather stiff, as it his suit was too tight under the arms, with perfectly permed, shoulder-length white hair to back and sides, bald on top, he reminded me of Carl, the aimiable maître d’ in Rick café in Casablanca, but without the charm.

     

    The setting was the extraordinary Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències which looks like a giant concrete version of Darth Vader’s helmet, looming up as you approach. The auditorium is large, but not enormous, and somewhat austere. The acoustics are excellent, especially as several numbers went from fff to ppp, with the quietest notes clearly audible.

    The programme consisted of pieces by Beethoven, Brahms and Schumann. The first two were new to me. The Beethoven is a set of variations with a Mozart feel and struck me as a minor work. It was not clear where each variation started and ended, so the overall structure was confusing, at least, to me. After a brief pause he launched into the Brahms with lots of light and shade, power and gentleness, and with some beautiful, singing melodies.

    However, for me, the recital really came alive in the last work, Schumann’s Kreisleriana, one of the most challenging in the classical repertoire. The programme notes say he wrote the 8 movements in 4 days! and later called it his favourite work. However,  when he proudly presented a copy to Chopin, the latter was apparently uninterested, merely making a casual comment about the design of the cover …

    The movements are strongly contrasted, going from volcanic to gentle and back, the final touch being a very quiet, perfectly placed bass note. The massive technical demands were taken easily, of course, with minimum show and maximum expression.

    After a couple of curtain calls he returned for 6 separate encores!  I didn’t recognise all of them, though I think there was one by Scriabin – the only outlier in a heavily Romantic set.  Two, in particular, a Brahms Intermezzo and a short Chopin Prelude, showed his range of emotion, power and control to perfection.

     However, although I had a good seat, in an auditorium of that size the piano is rather distant. Add to that Sokolov’s aloofness, and the result was an impressive performance but not an outstanding occasion.

    I should add that, in contrast to mine, the local paper gave an ecstatic review

    Library - 1 of 2

  • Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana

    Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana

     

    Stage results
    Race results

    Short (92km) last stage of the 5-day Tour of Valencia, ending in Valencia city. Second win of the week for Fabio Jakobsen, the Dutch rider who suffered appalling injuries to his face when fellow-countryman, Dylan Groenewegen, blatantly ran him into the barriers during a mass sprint finish in the Tour of Poland in 2020. He’s clearly making an impressive comeback, beating some top sprinters like Viviani, Kristoff and Trentin to the line. Coincidentally, Groenewegen also won two stages in the almost concurrent Saudi Tour. Some day soon they will presumably meet again …

    Footnote: these photos were grabbed from TV coverage and procyclingstats.com as my own shots of the finish are – annoyingly – still stuck in the camera, but I thought it worth posting a rather thin first version, if only for the positive Jakobsen story.

  • Valencia 2022: 7 February to …

    When walking through the park and checking out some of the dramatic trees, like this gigantic Australian Fig, I picked up the distant sound of African drumming coming from a small group, led by a seriously strong djembé player:

     

    Just moved to new digs: third floor, quite smart, plenty of light, fully tooled up (even with a jacuzzi!), decor a sort of ethnic/Ikea fusion, on a wide avenue on the edge of the area called Russafa, 5 minutes from where Catherine, Satch and girls will be st`aying from Sunday. Bar/restaurant on the ground flour with plenty of tapas and a €9.95 3-course lunch menu ….

    Top left …
    Front view
    Back view

     

    Changing the subject completely, I learned (with a little help from Google) the knack of drawing the famous Penrose triangle, the intriguing and impossible shape inspired by MC Escher and drawn by Roger Penrose, the Nobel Laureate. A couple that I made earlier:

  • Parliamentary uproar: 3 February

    Parliamentary uproar: 3 February

    It may not compare with the continuing Westminster circus but there has been uproar in the Spanish parliament. The ruling coalition was trying to get it’s labour reform bill through but was faced with very tight numbers. On the day of the vote, 2 members of the UPN party switched at the last moment – in defiance of the whip – to voting no instead of yes.  On top of which, an opposition party (PP) member, by mistake, voted yes instead of no! The net result was that the bill passed by a single vote. The unfortunate PP deputy first claimed there was a computer error (he voted remotely, not in the chamber), then that he has been suffering from gastroenteritis. Both of which alibis were seen to be as convincing as the famous “I didn’t know it was a party …” And the rogue UPN members were accused of having been bought …

    Context: the reforms are necessary conditions for Spain to receive €12 billions of pandemic recovery funds from the EU.

     

  • Valencia 2022: 25 January to 6 February

    Valencia 2022: 25 January to 6 February

    Tuesday, 25 January: Luz to Alcocebre

    It’s a long way round to get into Spain, considering that the border is only some 20km south of Luz, but it’s always a thrill to emerge from the Bielsa tunnel onto the long sweeping Spanish roads.

    Got to Alcocebre around 18:00 to stay with my long-time friends, Ángel and Elsa, and their son, Javiér. We haven’t seen each other since they came through Luz in August 2019, so it’s a pleasure to get together again. We met in 1990 in Holland when Ángel and I were working at the EPO. They stayed there longer than I did and are now in the process of moving to Valencia, living temporarily in their beach flat 2 hours north on the coast in Alcocebre while the new flat, in a superb location on the bank of the old river, is being renovated.

    Wednesday, 26 January: Alcocebre

    Los velociclistas
    View from the flat

    Ángel and I went for a local bike ride through the country lanes: fields of artichokes, and oranges and mandarines everywhere on the ground.

    Thursday, 27th

    With Jávi
    Alcocebre beach
    Carajillo

    Started off with a short run along the beach path with Javiér, enjoying the rhythm of having the same stride. Then Ángel and I put the bikes in the back of his car and drove to Bencássim, where we left the car and rode back to Alcocebre along the former railway track. It’s a popular route, complete with several tunnels and plenty of views of the sea. Also virtually flat all the way. This is the (partial) Strava report. We then changed and drove with Elsa in my car back to Benicássim for lunch. The Covid pass protocol was strictly applied in the restaurant, so it took 20 minutes for us all to get seated.  Absolutely had to try the artichoke and squid paella!  They also introduced me to Carajillo – rum heated with cinnamon, orange peel and sugar on the bottom, topped off with espresso in a shot glass. Rocket fuel!

    Friday, 28th, Valencia

    Fourth floor

    Moving day to Valencia where my AirBnb rental starts. Again, we used 2 cars and Ángel guided me through the manic city traffic. First stop was the new flat to see the architect and project manager. It’s a major piece of work but which will give space, lilght and views over the city.

    First floor
    View from first floor
    Maria, Elsa, RB, Ángel

    Met the owner and got the keys for my  flat – all straightforward. It is just inside the old city centre, which is a maze of narrow and short streets. The photos on AirBnB give a reasonable impression, apart from the fact that, although there are windows on 2 sides, it is a lot darker inside than it looks. Well renovated (including central heating) and fully equiped. For lunch we met up with their daughter, Maria, a physiotherapist working and living in Valencia. She also helped me sort out how to work the rental bikes that you can hire for short trips. More on this later …

    Saturday 29th

    Angel and Elsa left in the morning and very generously gave me the key to their secure underground parking. The closest café/restaurant is literally downstairs and they do a lunch menu for €7.50 – a tapa, like tortilla, to start, chicken paella for main dish, fruit/ flan/ice cream for desert. A definite winner!

    Monday 31st

    Jamón, jamón …
    Dried fruit and nuts
    Jamón, cheese, quince

    Headed to the Central Market, justly famous for its spectacular glass-domed building and the huge range of food stalls. Found Marcona almonds and Malaga raisins (elsewhere called Moscatel), jamón and cheese …

    Tuesday 1 February

    Trip to La Albufera nature reserve, a major birding spot, 40km round trip. The route is almost entirely on separate bike paths, heading down the Turia gardens past the dramatically modernistic City of Arts and Sciences buildings and  turning south along the coast. It turned out that the reserve was  disappointing – not a great variety and the more interesting birds were a long way away. However, always good to see and hear Mediterranean species again, like Serin and Sardinian Warbler in trees and bushes, and Black-winged Stilts on the lagoons. The number of hunting Marsh Harriers was impressive, too. But … although the rental bikes are practical and easy to use they are very heavy, with solid tyres, no suspension and hard saddles, meaning that they are a bad choice for a longer ride.

    Wednesday 2nd

    Stayed local. Spent some time in the café on the little square reading. Finished The Siberian Dilemma, Martin Cruz Smith’s terrific recent novel in the Arkady Renko series, and started a highly recommended novel by Irene Vallejo called El Silbido del Arquero (which, I think, translates literally into The Archer’s Whistle, though that sounds disticnctly clunky) which will at any rated test my Spanish chops. After which, there is more from “Jay” who is still adding to her Phoenix Enigma series. Click here to see the whole impressive library shelf – and even pick up a free download.

    Thursday 3rd

    Morning run along the old bed of the Túria river. This was a real treat. In 1957 the original river flooded seriously, causing 81 deaths, at which point the city took the inspired decision to re-route it south of the city and convert the now dry river bed into an extended park, 12 km long, planted with trees, laid out with walking and bike paths, plus other sport installations.  Brilliant!

    Lunch on the square – fried fish plate with grilled artichokes, and a carajillo  to finish …