Sunday 18 December 2011
Another late night meant another late rise. Around 11:30 PM Charles heard singing and lots of voices, nearby -- church? a football game (singing team songs)? He decided to walk outside and investigate and, not hearing any more, decided to keep walking and learn the neighborhood a little more, even though he was in his cowboy boots not his walking boots. (For walks less than an hour or so, they worked, and he'd been missing his boots-never wears shoes at home but Euro city terrain was usually not suited to cowboy boots). He picked up some tomatoes and tangerines.
We had an omelette for late breakfast then finally got ourselves out of the apartment around 1:45 for our planned trip to the Valencia modern art museum, just a five-minute walk away. It was good; Charles said he liked about 15% of it, Dian about 75%, Nicole somewhere in between. Jose Manuel Ciria we liked, and one whole room titled Surrealism had some good things, but on the heels of our Gaudi/Dali pilgrimages it was hard for anything else to be very impressive. We browsed in a great book store with lots of Taschen art books. We walked back by way of our precious parking space to visit our van and pick up a few things. Charles decided to make a thorough search throughout the nooks and crannies and Nicole and Dian took off for home, detoured by street art along the way.
Safe and warm again, out of the wind, the trio settled into blog writing, painting, email catching-up, reading, guitar playing, snacking, listening to a great blues collection box set of Don's, and brewing up some great applesauce with raisins and honey. We called our friend "Uncle" Enrique to invite him and his sister Pilar, whose home we first stayed in upon arriving in Valencia, to the winter solstice sandwich party our friends Claire and Bill (our next home after Pilar's) planned for the following Thursday. We weren't sure how the up-in-years pair might react; Claire said Spaniards don't quite understand the idea of a party, especially a theme party, the way Americans do. But Enrique got it and was quite enthusiastic about the silly idea, and said they would both be there with their sandwich creations. Claire told us on the phone later that Enrique and Nicole would judge the sandwiches for prizes, as the youngest and oldest in attendance.
We had veggies and couscous for dinner and Dian started work on a modern art painting, but first we watched our first movie together from Don's vast and excellent collection, and made a wise choice: "Theremin", the stranger than fiction story of the man who invented that electronic musical instrument (and color TV! and more) in the '30s then disappeared for 50 years before turning up in Russia. Don said it was one of his faves too. Highly recommended.
Another late night meant another late rise. Around 11:30 PM Charles heard singing and lots of voices, nearby -- church? a football game (singing team songs)? He decided to walk outside and investigate and, not hearing any more, decided to keep walking and learn the neighborhood a little more, even though he was in his cowboy boots not his walking boots. (For walks less than an hour or so, they worked, and he'd been missing his boots-never wears shoes at home but Euro city terrain was usually not suited to cowboy boots). He picked up some tomatoes and tangerines.
We had an omelette for late breakfast then finally got ourselves out of the apartment around 1:45 for our planned trip to the Valencia modern art museum, just a five-minute walk away. It was good; Charles said he liked about 15% of it, Dian about 75%, Nicole somewhere in between. Jose Manuel Ciria we liked, and one whole room titled Surrealism had some good things, but on the heels of our Gaudi/Dali pilgrimages it was hard for anything else to be very impressive. We browsed in a great book store with lots of Taschen art books. We walked back by way of our precious parking space to visit our van and pick up a few things. Charles decided to make a thorough search throughout the nooks and crannies and Nicole and Dian took off for home, detoured by street art along the way.
We had veggies and couscous for dinner and Dian started work on a modern art painting, but first we watched our first movie together from Don's vast and excellent collection, and made a wise choice: "Theremin", the stranger than fiction story of the man who invented that electronic musical instrument (and color TV! and more) in the '30s then disappeared for 50 years before turning up in Russia. Don said it was one of his faves too. Highly recommended.
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