It’s about time that I start writing about the wines of Valencia - no more waiting for the right moment to start. It’s a huge topic and I’ve been putting it off just because it’s a daunting task. But the putting-off is over. Little by little I’ll learn to expertly navigate the viticultural landscape of this beautiful region and, of course, share all that I learn on-line.

Oscar, the nearly-three-year-old gourmand, has taken to the idea of going to the market - in this case one of Europe’s largest, the Mercado Central - on the way home from school.  Today he was particularly insistent that we go buy some strawberries and some fish.  What could we do but oblige?
Of course, Oscar isn’t very specific about his definition of fish, so he was perfectly happy when we bought some langostinos - prawns.  Well, I say that like it’s a simple matter of translating the word but, like most …

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 …

It was hard to take Katie seriously while she sported Oscar’s sunglasses, one lens raised jauntily, but, despite her comical appearance, her comment over our pre-lunch snack was undeniably astute: ‘When was the last time you ate anything outside in Canada in January?’
Warmth is something that people from temperate climates take for granted.  Fair enough, I’m sure that I take a whole host of things for granted that others find as joyous and wonderful as I do the warm, sunny days of winter here in Valencia.  I don’t think the …

Life in modern Spain is much like life in any first world nation.  Okay, obviously there are differences, but what I mean to suggest is that the major components of daily life are the same.  The conveniences and hassles of modern life are common to many countries - cars and parking; houses and mortgages…  People enjoy the vast array of consumer products available to them and try to balance spending with income as well as work with free time.  In that regard, life in Spain is very much like life …

You’ll have to stay on the lookout to keep up with me!  (Or you could just keep reading this blog as I shamelessly point out all of the writing that I’m doing around the internet.)
I’ve recently met a guy who’s putting together a very ambitious site that will map out every eating establishment in Valencia.  He’s helping me bring Ivan In Valencia up to speed and I’m contributing some writing to his venture, Eat-In-Valencia.com.
To take a look at my first article there, just click here.  It’s the first of three …

The bigger the antenna, the more likely it will fall.

Hearing the wind howl throughout the night isn’t too bad, but the sudden, deafening crash that woke us up at 4 AM is something that I’m hoping not to hear again any time soon.

Living in the old quarter of Valencia, we hear church bells ringing all the time.  For the most part, I have no idea why and today was no exception, though their ringing was exceptionally vigorous.
I hadn’t even know that today - Jan 22 - was a holiday until a Spanish friend mentioned it in an e-mail a couple of days ago.  That’s what happens when you work from home; you lose touch with your community.  Well, we aren’t in Valencia so that we can spend our lives online so I …

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