Enfrentar a los valencianos: la irresponsable apuesta de Ciudadanos

Posted by Borja on 4 junio, 2015

Los resultados de Ciudadanos en las pasadas elecciones municipales y autonómicas no cumplieron las expectativas. Justo lo contrario ocurrió con Compromís, cuyo magnífico resultado desbordó todas las previsiones, situándose en la capital valenciana como segunda fuerza a escasos dos puntos del Partido Popular. Era de suponer que un descalabro del PP como el que se produjo en Valencia conllevaría un gran trasvase de votos a Ciudadanos, y de hecho algunas encuestas los daban como segunda fuerza. Pero, según parece, no pocos ex votantes del PP pasaron de opciones intermedias y optaron por dar su … [Read more...]

Countdown to Festival De Les Arts

Posted by Lucy on 2 junio, 2015 1 Comment

The first edition of the Festival De Les Arts is set to rock the Turia capital this weekend, bringing with it an array of national and international bands. Here's our pick of the bunch... Triángulo de Amor Bizarro Loud guitars, rapid drums, synth, distortion and dreamy vocals. Hailing from Galicia, Triángulo de Amor Bizarro are probably one of the loudest bands playing the festival. And here at Sepia we like loud. The band last visited Valencia in February of this year when we were treated to their melange of energetic shoegaze-pop-punk in Sala Wah Wah. We're looking forward to see how they … [Read more...]

UK vs. Spain: a boozy comparison

Posted by Lucy on 26 mayo, 2015 12 Comments

A nation with a penchant for boozing? We're not so different, you and I... Food, weather, customs, meal times? If you're a Brit and you've ever lived in Spain, or if you're a Spaniard and you've ever called the UK home, then you'll know that there are more than a few things that take some getting used to. One of the main hardships is getting your head (and stomach) around the schedule. It's been said time and time again by every expat blogger out there, but this may be intrinsic in order to understand the subject matter of this post. Lunch in Britain can begin as early as 12 o'clock whereas, … [Read more...]

Hoy, 25 de abril

Posted by Borja on 25 abril, 2015

''Este reyno ha sido rebelde a Su Magestad y ha sido conquistado, haviendo cometido contra Su Magestad una grande alevosía. Y así no tiene más privilegios ni fueros que aquellos que Su Magestad quisiere conceder en adelante'' Estas palabras del duque de Berwick, comandante borbónico, resumen el discurso que pronunció nada más entrar en la ciudad de Valencia tras la rendición de ésta el 8 de mayo de 1707. Unos días antes, el 25 de abril, había tenido lugar la decisiva Batalla de Almansa. La derrota de los austracistas en Almansa determinó la suerte del Reino de Valencia en la Guerra de … [Read more...]

Fuck being your playground

Posted by Mireia on 20 abril, 2015 5 Comments

A couple of weeks ago, a short news item caught my attention. A Benidorm-bound British stag do was expelled from a Ryanair flight Manchester-Alacant after the stag do members, British nationals of course, made one of the flight attendants cry. The stag do’s version: "We had a bite to eat and a beer and got on the plane. No one was drunk, we weren’t wearing stag t-shirts or being loud or offensive. We took our seats and were talking in groups as you do". Translation: "We were drunk as fuck at 5pm on a Thursday afternoon, got on a flight, bellowed across the aisles and threw around some … [Read more...]

14 de abril de 1931: la proclamación de la II República en Valencia

Posted by Borja on 14 abril, 2015

''La República ha estat implantada per la via legal, donant al món un exemple únic en la Història. Que la seua defensa i consolidació siguen també exemplars'' Así concluía el primer bando del Consistorio provisional de Valencia emitido a altas horas de la noche del martes 14 de abril de 1931, habiendo sido ya proclamada oficialmente desde Madrid la II República Española y con Alfonso XIII camino de su exilio en Francia. Se ponía así punto y seguido a tres jornadas decisivas de la historia de España que fueron vividas con singular intensidad en la capital valenciana. Dos días antes, el … [Read more...]

Charisma meets creepy in La Punta

Posted by Lucy on 13 abril, 2015 2 Comments

Paella, punk or an alternative route through Valencia... La Punta begins at the periphery of what we perceive to be Valencia city, a stone's throw away from the City of Arts and Science and the El Saler shopping centre on Bulevar Sur. Calatrava's futuristic works and a speckling of newly built (and practically vacant) high rise flats are the last things that separate the centre from the fields, vegetable patches and lonely neighbourhoods that lie to the south and south west of the city. While there's no doubt you can get a banging paella at one of the famed restaurants in the area, like … [Read more...]

#Fallas2015 in photos

Posted by Lucy on 25 marzo, 2015 1 Comment

As the final tear trickles down the cheek of the fallera mayor, Valencia looks mournfully into the smoke-filled distance and, like a phoenix flying out of the ashes, announces the silver lining that is the arrival of #Fallas2016. That's it. It's over. Se acabó. But, like every year, emotional falleros take to the web to reassure each other that, in a mere 350 days, they'll be back to causing a nuisance. Meanwhile for others: Peace and quiet return. Your liver breathes a sigh of relief. Spring is welcomed. Here are some photos of Fallas 2015: Caloret, misteleta, fallas y … [Read more...]

El desastre conscient que és l’aeroport de València

Posted by Mireia on 17 marzo, 2015 Leave a Comment

Sóc de València, però fa molt que no visc a València. Hi vaig sovint, i tinc la esperança i la il·lusió que prompte hi puga tornar definitivament, però per ara no hi sóc. No passa res, sempre he viscut a menys de dues hores i mitja en avió de València... Bé, o ho estaria si l’aeroport de València realment complira la funció d’aeroport de capital de província, de la tercera ciutat més gran de l’estat espanyol. Per ara, no ho fa. L’Altet a Alacant cada dia se’l menja viu. De Manises i de la seua gestió meninfòtica i destarifada se n’ha escrit per a avorrir, i les autoritats corresponents … [Read more...]

Breweries, beer and craft ale in Valencia

Posted by Lucy on 27 febrero, 2015 6 Comments

It looks like you've finally caught up, Spain. Welcome to the era of the ale. I am British. And I love a good drink. Make of those two sentences what you will. If there's something special about British pubs, it's the ale. Drinking an ale, for me, conjures up feelings of "home"; of sitting in a countryside pub in Yorkshire next to a crackling fire. A quick glance down the bar of any pub anywhere in the country is testament to just how many beers and ales call the UK home. It's common to see 3 or 4 different varieties in any standard pub, often rotating and changing in accordance to … [Read more...]

Benimaclet Carnaval 2016

Posted by Lucy on 25 febrero, 2015 Leave a Comment

The annual Benimaclet carnival is back this year on the 13th of February. Festivities include a fire run courtesy of the local Colla de Dimonis and typical local music by the Colla Dolçaina i Tabal Roja de Benimaclet, organised by Joves Benimaclet and the Benimaclet neighbour's association. Parades, dancing, castells (human towers) and communal meals follow. The Benimaclet carnival is usually celebrated one week after its famous counterparts in Tenerife and Cadiz, yet this year shares the same weekend under the new name of #Festimaclet. Just like other years we'll witness the XXVIII … [Read more...]

Valencia Underground II

Posted by Lucy on 15 febrero, 2015 1 Comment

"There’s something rumbling in the Valencian underground..." Last year I saw fit to write about the Valencian underground music scene. Or, at least, that's where it started. The truth is that Spain is in the midst of an alternative music boom, with gigs of both nationally famous and local bands taking place nearly every weekend, filling venues with loyal fanbases. Just this week basque rockers Berri Txarrak sold out in Barcelona and Valencia. Last month madrileños Toundra had a hugely successful run in Spain and are currently on the UK leg of a European tour. And not to mention the recent … [Read more...]

Small café, big heart: La Ola Fresca

Posted by Lucy on 27 enero, 2015 Leave a Comment

La Ola Fresca is a charming delicafé with a lively atmosphere and terrace. Grab a pew among the quirky decorations and bookshelves and take advantage of tasty food from the regularly changing menu in this lovely delicafé on pedestrianised street, Calle Músico Magenti in Benimaclet. laolafresca.com boasts, “We are food enthusiasts, always keen to try new ideas - traditional favourites enlivened with our ‘Fresca’ twist of maybe lime, ginger, chilli, lemongrass or other mystery guests”. A great array of teas and coffees are available as well as craft bottled beers including BrewDog Punk IPA and … [Read more...]

Tales of Línea 1

Posted by Lucy on 4 diciembre, 2014 3 Comments

You may have heard some disconcerting stories about the Valencian underground: delays, reduced services, untoward methods against heavy rain featuring conspicuously placed buckets... The truth of the matter is that metrovalencia leaves a lot to be desired when compared to its sister system in Madrid and paints even less of a pretty picture in comparison to the ever-efficient London tube. In Valencia you often find yourself stood waiting, desperately staring up at the boards, with the only things making an appearance being more and more people piling into the station while the "expected … [Read more...]

I don’t care about El País’ Catalan Edition

Posted by Mireia on 22 noviembre, 2014 Leave a Comment

I don’t, I just don’t. All odds were on me lapping it up. If El País had a target-reader production machine, it would churn me out first. I am a highly educated Catalan speaker, I score left on any political compass, I am invested in things like books and alternative music and films (sorry for the pretentious label), socially mobile, I speak English, and I live abroad. But I don’t. Actually, it’s not that I don’t care, it’s that it really pisses me off. El País was founded in 1978. That’s 36 years ago. That’s 36 years El País has had to create an edition in Catalan. But they didn’t. We did … [Read more...]