Cazador de Sonrisas by Agustín Ferrer

Posted by Lucy on 3 octubre, 2014 Leave a Comment

It's the early 1960s, the Korean War is over and the townsfolk of Oceanside, a typical Calfornian coastal town, are going about their quaint little suburban lives. But everything isn't quite what it seems. Presenting Agustín Ferrer's newest addition to his published works, Cazador de Sonrisas, or The Smile Hunter. This thrilling comic tells the tale of local family man and respected orthodontist Herbert F. Dunne who has a caring wife and daughter, a large house and a well-paid job. Despite the relatively normal exterior, all is not quite as meets the eye - Doctor Dunne is deeply troubled by … [Read more...]

Countdown to Deleste

Posted by Lucy on 30 septiembre, 2014 Leave a Comment

Valencia's 2 day indie explosion is back this Friday 24th and Saturday 25th October in Espai Rambleta, and we're ready and raring to go. The third edition of Deleste Festival is set to bring such big names as Pony Bravo, Grupo de Expertos Sol y Nieve and Nueva Vulcano. Check out the full line-up and the newly released day split: Other top names to watch out for are Barcelona alt-rockers Za! who look set to please crowds with their ecclectic mix of energetic, off-beat drumming and electronic injections. Fuckin' Bollocks, who treated us to a great performance in the BCore Showcase at … [Read more...]

Street Art Valencia

Posted by Lucy on 26 septiembre, 2014 4 Comments

It only takes a short stroll around Valencia to realise that if there’s one thing the city's got (apart from lots and lots of rice) it's great street art. By no means an in-depth study, I’ve dug deep into the archives of my aging laptop -and even trekked around town with my trusty Nikon- to bring you a quick look at some of my favourite pieces. El Carmen Probably the first piece of street art that anyone new to the city sees is Blu's Moses with the huge beard of snakes opposite the tumbling car on the corner of nightlife hotspot, Plaza Tossal. The car, by native Valencian Escif, has … [Read more...]

Day trips from Valencia

Posted by Eleanor on 22 julio, 2014 Leave a Comment

There is absolutely no need to escape Valencia. It's one of my most favourite cities, a beautiful mix of old and new set on a clean, sweeping sandy beach. It doesn't get too hot, you can bike everywhere and it is dissected by a beautiful garden planted in the old river bed which snakes its way from the beach to the old town. If you fancy exploring though and you do want a day trip from Valencia, here are some of my recommendations. These trips came through endlessly flicking through my Discover Spain book in search of some culture (during the rainy Easter period) or the best "off the beaten … [Read more...]

Spotlight on: Juan Llorens and Extramurs

Posted by Lucy on 27 junio, 2014 1 Comment

Extramuros might not be first on your agenda when planning a night out in Valencia city. Appearing somewhat off the radar in comparison to other nightlife hotspots such as Ruzafa or El Carmen, Extramuros, or Extramurs in Valencian, lies just to the west of the old town, within walking distance from El Carmen. Here's why you'd be wrong to overlook it... The area is often simply referred to as "Juan Llorens" after the main road running through the neighbourhood, a nod to the one of the men behind the Germanías rebellion in the 16th century. Think wide, tree-lined streets with bustling terraces … [Read more...]

San Juan festivities in Valencia

Posted by Lucy on 18 junio, 2014 Leave a Comment

Felicidades to all the Juans, Joans and Johns - why not celebrate by getting chased by a devil with a 6 foot sparkler? You may have noticed that last weekend was a bit more crowded than usual in Valencia city. You will have most definitely noticed if you live near a casal fallero and subsequent lairy verbena aka. mobile disco/karaoke/"I'm gonna play the Game of Thrones theme tune at full blast at 3am" fun times. This all comes as standard in the run up to San Juan, a popular festival that welcomes in the Spanish summer. The 23rd of June marks the eve of San Juan, or the day of Saint John … [Read more...]

Resumen de las elecciones al Parlamento Europeo (Que vienen los rojos)

Posted by Borja on 27 mayo, 2014

Un terremoto ha sacudido España y nuestra querida Valencia. Por primera vez desde la II República, una izquierda digna de tal nombre ha obtenido unos resultados electorales que superan lo meramente anecdótico y testimonial. Ello acompañado de un desplome sin precedentes de los dos grandes partidos dinásticos: PP y PSOE. Pero lo más significativo, es que casi un 90% de los ciudadanos españoles con derecho a voto se ha negado a revalidar en las urnas las políticas de Rajoy y el PP. Solo una panda de majaderos sería capaz de ignorar semejante advertencia. Y por si fuera poco, todo indica que … [Read more...]

La Albufera: Valencia’s natural beauty spot

Posted by Lucy on 14 mayo, 2014 Leave a Comment

The Albufera is one of Valencia's hidden gems. I say hidden, it's actually huge and just 20 minutes down the road in the car. But even so, it is often overlooked by tourists visiting the area. Who knew that Spain's third largest city sat next to a beautiful 52 acre natural park and freshwater lake - one of the largest lakes in Spain? The protected area stretches from 11km south of Valencia city to Cullera and includes many seaside towns including El Perelló and Mareny de Barraquetes. The surface area of the lake was once exceptionally larger than it is nowadays, but farmers drained … [Read more...]

Holy Week traditions in Spain: More sinister than the Easter bunny

Posted by Lucy on 9 abril, 2014 1 Comment

Easter in the UK means two things: 1) a long weekend and 2) the inevitable onset of nausea after eating one too many Lindt chocolate bunnies. In Spain, things are a little different... Don't be alarmed if you're confronted by an army of solemnly marching locals, shuffling along to the beat of a drum, dressed in what can only be described as a Ku Klux Klan uniform. There, I said it. And don't deny that you haven't thought it too. But what does it all mean? At university we had it drilled into us that Catholicism is still very predominant in Spain. Despite the illusion that the cura, … [Read more...]

Ready, set… ¡Anis Tenis!: Mostra de Vins

Posted by Lucy on 28 marzo, 2014 Leave a Comment

Wine! Jamón! Artisan Beers! Cheese! Cazalla! The Big Five - Ready and waiting for you in the Turia river bed from Thursday 31st March to Monday 4th April 2016 at the XXVIII Mostra de Vins, Caves i Licors in conjunction with the XXVI Mostra d'Aliments Tradicionals de la Comunitat Valenciana. Bit of a mouthful? In layman's terms that means a WINE FAIR and a FOOD FAIR. Together, side by side, living in alcohol-fuelled hungry harmony. The clientele of the Mostra de Vins is a bizarre mix of businessmen contemplating the latest bobal, groups of pensioners enjoying an all-out banquet having … [Read more...]

El Palacio Real de Valencia: un emblema reducido a escombros

Posted by Borja on 11 marzo, 2014

Muchos valencianos desconocen que, hasta el año 1810, su ciudad albergó un monumento que hoy sería uno de los de mayor valor histórico y artístico de toda la geografía española. El Palacio Real fue el orgullo de la ciudad de Valencia y de su extinto Reino durante siglos, pero hoy apenas unos cuantos eruditos y académicos lo recuerdan. Recientemente se han hecho algunas excavaciones y sus ruinas han sido puestas en valor, pero su olvido persiste, en gran medida debido a la marginación institucional que sufrió durante años. En el año 2010 se movieron algunas iniciativas para conmemorar el 200º … [Read more...]

Valencia underground

Posted by Lucy on 5 marzo, 2014 5 Comments

There's something rumbling in the Valencian underground, and we're not talking about the shoddy metro system... We left the ingeniously-dubbed Festunizer day-of-mayhem last October with feelings that maybe we were on the cusp of something big, something new. There has been a recent boom in hardcore/math rock/punk bands hailing from Valencia and we are quite literally witnessing a shift; a new scene is being born. This could change everything... 00:30am 27/10/13: Magazine club, in the Juan Llorens neighbourhood of Valencia, has just witnessed a 12 hour indie-punk-hardcore mash-up gig … [Read more...]

Valencia: ¿Happy o Unhappy?

Posted by Borja on 3 marzo, 2014

Últimamente, la canción Happy de Pharrell Williams ha puesto música a dos vídeos, parecidos en su forma pero muy distintos en su fondo, que tienen como protagonista la ciudad de Valencia. El primero de ellos pretende ser una forma amable de reivindicación de una ciudad que no se encuentra en sus horas más altas. En él aparecen monumentos y localizaciones emblemáticas con personas bailando que se muestran de lo más alegres. No se trata ahora, en estas cuatro líneas, de desmerecer el trabajo y la buena voluntad de los autores del vídeo, pero el mensaje que de él se desprende no deja de … [Read more...]

Spotlight on: San José + Plaza Honduras

Posted by Lucy on 27 febrero, 2014 Leave a Comment

According to a recent study, Valencia currently boasts 6 bars per 1000 inhabitants – and it’s not hard to see evidence of this as soon as you step foot outside your flat. Stroll through Plaza Xúquer on any evening of the week and you’ll pay testament to the amount of bars that line the streets of Valencia, and busy bars at that. Head out on a Friday or Saturday night and you may even struggle to get a table if you haven’t booked. One of the night-out hotspots of Valencia City has to be the San José district of Valencia, more commonly referred to as Plaza Xúquer which tends to go hand in … [Read more...]

Cigüeña: tormenta contenida

Posted by Jorge on 26 febrero, 2014 Leave a Comment

La primera vez que escuché a Cigüeña fue hace unos meses en el ya legendario Festunizer, y el flechazo fue instantáneo. Dos tipos, no precisamente unos púberes, tocando guitarra y batería con una intensidad memorable, pero con cierta elegancia. Algo así como un mamporro envuelto en terciopelo. Recuerdo que entré al Magazine a mitad de "Tormenta" y se me quedó grabada a fuego, cosa harto difícil por lo ajetreado del día (y por mi memoria de pez). Cigüeña es, pues, la suma de Unai (guitarra y voz) y Martín (batería), valencianos de adopción y nacimiento, respectivamente. Cuentan desde 2012 … [Read more...]