Before we moved to Valencia, we’d visited Spain quite a few times. We’d been to Madrid, Andalusia, Asturias, Barcelona, Valencia, and various other places around the country. We’d eaten plenty of tapas, pinchos, jamón, chorizo, and more plates of things involving pork than I could possibly remember. But somehow, we’d never encountered sobrasada, or atContinue reading “Sobrasada: The Sausage We Somehow Missed”
Author Archives: Phil Gold
One Year Later
We’re No Longer Figuring Out How to Live Here. We’re Figuring Out How to Live Well Here. A year ago, everything in Valencia was new. Every trip to the grocery store was an adventure. Every government office was a mystery. Every doctor’s appointment required a little extra courage. We were learning our way around aContinue reading “One Year Later”
To Blend or Not to Blend?
That’s an Interesting Question… Before we moved to Spain, we had a picture in our minds of what life here would be like. Some of those expectations turned out to be spot on. Others… not so much. One of them involved clothes. Our preconception was that Spaniards tended to dress better than we were usedContinue reading “To Blend or Not to Blend?”
When Geography Disappears
Fire in Valencia… But Which Valencia? Over the past week, we’ve received a lot of messages from friends and family asking if we’re okay. “We just saw there’s a fire in Valencia. Are you safe?” First of all, let me say how much we appreciate every one of those messages. It’s comforting to know thatContinue reading “When Geography Disappears”
Valencia’s Corpus Christi: Dragons, Giants, and a Very Old Party
One of the pleasures of living in Valencia is discovering that the city seems to have an endless supply of festivals. Just when you think you’ve recovered from Fallas, another celebration appears on the calendar, complete with medieval imagery and religious pageantry. This year, we decided to pay special attention to Corpus Christi. Corpus ChristiContinue reading “Valencia’s Corpus Christi: Dragons, Giants, and a Very Old Party”
Madrid vs. Valencia
The City That Impresses vs. The City That Works For Us We hadn’t been back to Madrid in a while, but we remedied that this last week. We had a perfect excuse: my younger brother Dave and his wife Lorraine were passing through on the way to a cruise departing from Barcelona, and Madrid madeContinue reading “Madrid vs. Valencia”
Our First Fallas: Beautiful, Bizarre, and Very Loud
When we moved to Valencia, one of the things we were most excited about was experiencing Fallas. We had done our homework. We’d visited the Fallas Museum multiple times. We understood the basics: the ninot figurines, the falleras in their elaborate dresses, and of course, the climactic spectacle of La Cremà. We thought we understoodContinue reading “Our First Fallas: Beautiful, Bizarre, and Very Loud”
The Surprisingly Long Journey to Not Owning a Car
When we first started planning our move to Europe, we had a simple vision: we wouldn’t need a car. European cities are designed differently than American ones. Shops are nearby. Public transit works. Walking is normal. The idea of driving everywhere just … fades away. At least, that was the plan. Reality had other ideas.Continue reading “The Surprisingly Long Journey to Not Owning a Car”
Another Bureaucratic Update: The Waiting Worked!
For those of you who’ve been following along, lighting candles, sacrificing toner cartridges, or simply shaking your heads knowingly, I’m happy to report a small but meaningful victory in our ongoing Social Security saga. Kristie’s account is now showing as ACTIVE. No fanfare or trumpet blast, just a quiet status change on a website. Which,Continue reading “Another Bureaucratic Update: The Waiting Worked!”
Bureaucratic Update: We Have (Partial) Lift-off
For those of you who have been following along (and possibly lighting candles for us), a quick update on our Social Security Suspension Saga. After a full 90 minutes of redialing, followed by five minutes of actual ringing (during which I refused to hang up on principle), I finally reached a human being at theContinue reading “Bureaucratic Update: We Have (Partial) Lift-off”