My first breath of Spanish air, I breathed in Barajas airport in Madrid.  I was surprised to find that air carrying the smoke of countless cigarettes.  For a young, sheltered Canadian it was unheard of that people should be smoking inside a public building.  The guards with machine guns were also smoking, which was a real oddity to say the least.
Since that day in 1997 things have changed somewhat, but not as much as I would have thought.
On January 1st, 2006, new laws came into effect that restricted the smoking …

After a lightening-fast decision making process and a hurried series of good-byes in Barcelona over Christmas, we finally (only four weeks later) arrive in Valencia. Only a little wrinkled…

Part 2 of 3 recounting how circumstances brought us to our new home in Valencia

Part 1 of 3: How we were quickly convinced that life was conspiring to make us happy in Valencia