December 21, 2024

Some weeks are better than others and this was a wonderful week. Between a productive week of Spanish classes, a choir concert, getting to know a new friend, hosting an old friend, and getting ready for a full Christmas week, I’m feeling more festive than I have in a while.

I alluded to this briefly in last week’s blog post. I’ve met someone and it’s really fun. Vicente and I agree that we want to take things slow. Both of us ended long term relationships just two years ago. And having said so, I am really enjoying spending time with him. Vicente is a native Valenciano and spent ten years in the UK. So he has a lovely accent that is a cross between Spanish and British.

On Wednesday evening, I didn’t have choir practice. So, I made dinner for us and we walked to see the Christmas lights. He shared some cool places that I hadn’t known about yet, including a cool rooftop restaurant for a drink and a beautiful gothic church I had never seen.

With him needing to spend time for Christmas with his family, and me having a lot of company this week, we may not get much time together in the next week or two. I’ll let you know if this develops into anything serious. But for now, it’s fun and whatever comes will come, (que será, será), what ever will be, will be

My choir had our Christmas concert on Friday. So we had rehearsals nearly every night last week (except Wednesday). We sang in the beautiful Iglesia de Santa Monica.

The church is across from the Turia River Gardens from the original city gates of the old walled city of Valencia.

The concert on Friday night was a lovely evening of both holiday music (in Spanish, French and Valenciano), as well as the Faure Requiem.

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Faure wrote the Requiem, less as a funeral mass of grief than as a mass of hope. Knowing that, made it seem less odd for a Christmas concert.

Both Dima, my English student from Ukraine, and Vicente came to the concert. I was really touched that they both wanted to be there.

Earlier that day Vicente had gone to pick oranges. So when we met for lunch on Saturday, he brought me a bag full of delicious Valencian oranges.

Now, I need to go buy a juicer! The oranges are sweet, juicy and delicious!

My long time friend and hiking buddy, Mike arrived Saturday afternoon from Denver. He’ll be here until Three Kings Day. So, Vicente drove us to the train station to meet him. Then the three of us went for paella at the beach. To be honest, this was the best Valencian paella I’ve had! Delicious!

Afterwards, the three of us walked along the beach promenade with Vicente’s 5 1/2 month old Border Collie, Cooper.

Today, Mike and I went to the old city of Valencia. I love playing “tour guide.”

We saw the Lonja de Seda, the Cathedral (including “The Holy Grail”) and we climbed the 207 steps to the top of the bell tower.

When we left the Lonja de Seda, the Basilica del Sagrat Cors de Jesus was ending mass. We stepped inside to hear the organ postlude.

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After getting home, we ate some pizza, I baked some cookies, we watched a movie and we’re calling it a day.

I have class Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday this week. And my friend Milo is also coming for Christmas from Barcelona. And on Christmas Day, I’ll be hosting a dinner with a friend from school and some of his visiting friends from the USA. So it will be full week.

I hope you have a blessed Christmas, surrounded by people you love and enjoying good food, laughter and joy.