One of the wonderful things about Valencia is you never know what to expect. One day when I was meandering to the park, I heard what sounded like cannon-fire and went to investigate. Funnily enough, (or typically for Spain) it was in fact cannon-fire. Some kind of festival was going on, and military forces from all different times and places were putting on demonstrations.
A group of cavalrymen here were shouting and charging across the area, kicking up dust. It was very dramatic. In the background U.S. army troops marched around under an American flag. To the right, sand colored military uniformed men stood with red fezzes on. And just out of sight brightly dressed Red Coats lit off cannons from the Napoleonic wars that exploded with a lovely boom.
One of my favourite pictures is this one, as you can see Medieval Spanish cavalry face off modern army troops, a strange juxtaposition. In the background pirates sword fight under the shade of a tree.
More escapades with Alix resulted in (surprise surprise!) more beer, surprisingly delicious spicy meatballs, and one of my favorite dishes - patatas bravas, covered in a slightly spicy red sauce, and with a side of extremely strong garlic sauce, it is always a nice dish.
Alix gracefully trying to get out of the camera shot!
Another thing of note was the fact that I moved locations. I moved to the neighborhood of Russafa , which in my opinion is one of the coolest in Valencia - full of bars (from Ubik cafe where they have live bands every Sunday with everything from rock to jazz) to hole-in-the-wall places with no discernible name but cheap beer and good atmosphere, to trendy clubs and cocktail bars and fancy restaurants. It also has a very Spanish feel to it, filled with a maze of alleyways, the terraced apartments brightly colored, and mopeds and bicycles propped against every corner.
Although small and somewhat basic, the apartment was bright, cheerful and very Spanish. It had a lovely feel to it, my favourite things being the happy Sunflower yellow of the walls which reminded me of a Van Gogh painting, and the terrace.
The bathroom - small but nice like the rest of the apartment.
And my happy little room, complete with private balcony!
Just the right size, and very homely feeling, I loved it.
The fantastic view from my balcony
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