We Arrive

Sunday, January 6, 2019 - After a lovely (green) Christmas on the Isle of Bute in Scotland with our Canadian/English/Scottish family – Louis was born there, so he’s a Scot – we have landed in Spain for a winter sojourn. We’re in Valencia again, for the fourth time, back in Ruzafa, the once-funky-now-gentrified residential neighbourhood near the centre that we liked so much when we stayed here a few years ago. We’ve hunkered in, for six weeks – no gadding about from place to place like the last few years. 

Mama and her baby elf

So far, no complaints about weather. It was sunny yesterday and 18C, and it’s forecast to be sunny or partly cloudy with a high of at least 14C for the next week. 

Valencia from the air

We took the tube in from the airport – and were a little taken aback by how much fares had increased: €8 for the two of us – then walked a kilometer or so to the flat. There was a slight disconnect with our landlady at first that caused us some consternation, but it sorted itself out and we got into the apartment less than two hours after landing. 

Valencia from the air: City of Arts & Sciences museum complex middle right

The apartment is not without flaws, given what we’re paying for it, but is generally great – large, well equipped, comfortable, quiet (so far). It’s on Calle de Sueca, one street over from the place we stayed before, in the same block, in fact. There are two major supermarkets within a couple of blocks. One, our favourite, Mercadona, is only a half a block away. And the second best produce market in the city is about four blocks away. All good. Best of all, the Mercadona still sells Cardhu single malt for the equivalent of $37, and decent Cava for the eqivalent of $3.

In the late afternoon, after unpacking and setting up, we walked down to the big El Corte Ingles (department store) to buy a SIM card for my phone. It was prime shopping time on a Saturday, so the centre was jammed. Spaniards love to be in crowds. The store was busy, and heated to tropical greenhouse temperatures. In the end, we had forgotten the silly business of having to show your passport to buy a phone or SIM card in this country, so came away empty-handed. Walking back, I saw a woman with a beret pulled down over her ears and a woollen scarf wrapped around her face. It was about 15C at this point.

So ended our first day in Valencia.