Travel Adventures with the PagaPops

When we first arrived in Valencia and walked around our neighborhood, I was sure that everyone in Valencia had just stepped out of a Vanity Fair ad. Pregnant women with their skinny jeans (I had some when I was pregnant and nearly laughed myself off the bed trying to put one leg on), tall boots and cute fitted jackets; moms dressed in their pencil skirts, trench coats and tall boots pushing their fashionably coordinated children in their carrechoches (strollers) on their way to the grocery store; senior Senoras in their Chanel-inspired fitted tweed suits and coordinating wool coats with their tall, stilletto boots made me feel quite dowdy in my brown corduroy, bootcut pants and Heel to Toe, almost orthopedic Merrell walking shoes. At least I have a somewhat fitted trench coat and some snazzy scarves to blend in. The first week or so, it seemed fashionistas/os surrounded us. I wondered if this was how everyone in Valencia dressed. As we settled in to life's rhythms here and sta...

A comment some of our Spanish friends have said to us is, "In Spain, we speak very bad English." There's always a follow-up that they speak English with perfect grammar but don't have the listening or conversational skills. But I feel that if I could speak Spanish as "badly" as they speak English, there would be no language barrier for me! Maybe they are speaking about the country as a whole and not themselves specifically, but still... I've managed to cobble together a less than rudimentary understanding of Spanish from Dora the Explorer, Sesame Street, Diego and menus at Mexican restaurants combined with my knowledge of French and Tagalog. (Luckily there are many Tagalog words in common, but how often do I really need to know that horse is caballo?) I can read the words and even fake the pronunciation (sometimes) and in the proper context (mostly grocery stores and restaurants), I can figure out what's going on for the most part. I can speak v...

And so, the inevitable has happened. Each of us, except Miia, has caught some kind of cold. John was first, then Analea and now me. Hopefully, this cold skips over Miia. We shall see. While I packed the cold medicine for the kids, I left the meds for John and myself at home...in our bathroom closet upstairs and in the cupboard in the kitchen. Last on my list of things to do before we leave for Europe, "Pack cold medicine." And so here we are and there, in Philo, lies the cold medicine. Of course, it's not like we can't get anything for our colds here. There are Farmacias everywhere. Different from Walgreen's or other pharmacies at home, they sell what pharmacies probably originally and primarily sold - medicine with some baby products, shampoo and dental care items thrown in. They're convenient and some are even open all night. But, I can't get the meds I'm used to like Tylenol or the different nasal decongestants - Tylenol cold, Sudafed, etc...

This week we received our very first care package. It mostly had a few favorite toys for the girls that I couldn't fit into our suitcases. I set them aside and packed them in a box for my mom to send to us later. I wanted to take a picture of the box to post on here, but Miia tore into it as soon as she realized it was addressed to her, so instead you see some of the contents. Mom sent the toys and added a few surprises - Valentine's chocolates, mac & cheese and Campbell's soup. While the girls have enjoyed the food here (Analea more than Miia, and probably not as much as me and John), I know they have missed some of the comfort foods from home. So the Annie's macaroni and cheese and Dora soup have already been attacked! Miia has been having bouts of homesickness every now and then - missing her friends, her school, her family, her home. It's all natural, I know, and part of trying to adjust to a world where communicating with other people is challenging....

Eating isn't the only thing we've been doing in Spain, although it is one of the activities that I'm enjoying the most. Our meals have been events to savor. This weekend was another food extravaganza where we sampled Galician and Valencian dishes in two small towns just outside of Valencia. Our accomplice and menu guide was Luis who we owe more than he knows. Somehow, I don't think we can really repay all he's done for us when he returns to finish his research at UoI. Can a meal at the Philo Tavern really compare with our meal at Mornell in that tiny fishing village? I just don't think so. I won't go into too much detail about the food except to say that everything was delicious as usual. We sampled different kinds of seafood, salads, a tasty garlic-mayonnaise spread, and paella (of course -and it was on Sunday). This weekend's paella included chicken, rabbit and snails (yes, snails). I tried the snails (caracols) which had the consistency of squid and...

In the States, Miia attended pre-school and we thought it would be a great experience for her to do the same here. It would be an excellent way for her to meet other children and perhaps learn Spanish. Of course, some things are easier said than done. Since our stay in Valencia is relatively short (2 1/2 months), it has been a bit difficult to find something convenient for our time-frame and location. Again, many people have been very helpful with this - checking with their own children's schools (one a bilingual school on the outskirts of Valencia and one a Spanish-only school within walking distance of the apartment) for availability. No "real" school has worked out - either due to location or to availability. But Luis gave us an alternate possibility - an English language academy located near the center offering programs after school - that his girlfriend's niece attends. For Miia's age group, it works more like an after-school program. It's not what I envi...

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood After our arrival at the airport, our first week in Valencia was supposed to begin on Friday around 11 AM. Antonio planned to meet us at the apartment to take us on a walking tour of his neighborhood and the center part of the city. True to his word, he rang the bell at 11 AM. (What happened to Spanish time? Everyone is always so prompt here. I expected that in Germany but here...) Half conscious, I vaguely remember hearing John mumbling to someone at the door, that no one was really awake yet. Then there was something mentioned about 2 PM (14:00) and I returned to my unconscious state. I think we all finally woke up around 1 P.M.; and we ate a bowl of corn flakes before Antonio rang again at 2. And our adventure in Valencia began. Stepping outside, we were greeted by partly sunny skies and a gloriously warm breeze. We were bundled in our spring/fall outerwear and I felt over-dressed. However, our walk around the city would show me ...