travel

Depressing thoughts on Brexit

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Depressing thoughts on Brexit

This morning I woke up feeling sad, disappointed, embarrassed, and with a very bad taste in my mouth. And it wasn't because I had one too many cañas last night without having enough tea (but that certainly didn't help matters). I opened up Facebook to see a message from a fellow immigrant asking me, "Are we Spanish now?" and my heart sank. Every sane person's fears had been realised. Brexit. Secession from the European Union. Streams and streams of statistics and depressed, angry and upset statuses filled my timeline, alongside 1 (one) celebratory statement from someone who quickly got deleted … [Read more...]

Things in Spain and Valencia that foreigners find weird

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Things in Spain and Valencia that foreigners find weird

Last month, the nation's favourite cultural magazine, Vice, published an article called Immigrants explain what shocked them most about the Spanish culture [in Spanish]. It inspired me to do a similar version about Valencia even though, as you'll see, the majority of things on this list may as well be geared towards Spain in general. Here's our take on some of the things that shocked us most about life in España. Before anyone gets uppity and starts commenting profound thoughts like "Go home and don't come back then if that's how you feel, you dick", please note that this post is by no … [Read more...]

Cosas de España y Valencia que les parecen raras a los guiris

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Cosas de España y Valencia que les parecen raras a los guiris

El mes pasado la revista cultural favorita del populacho, Vice, publicó un post llamado Inmigrantes nos explican qué es lo que más les chocó de la cultura española. Y me inspiró hacer una versión para Valencia aunque, ya veréis, que la mayoría de las cosas que figuran abajo también van para España en general. A continuación se puede ver lo que chocó más a mis amigos guiris de la cultura valenciana y española. Antes de que vayáis soltando comentarios en plan "Si no te gusta, vete a tu país y no vuelvas, cabrona", que sepáis este post no sirve para criticar a España/Valencia/TÚ en lo más … [Read more...]

Festival de les Arts: en valencià no parlem, però doneu-nos els vostres diners

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Festival de les Arts: en valencià no parlem, però doneu-nos els vostres diners

El Festival de les Arts és un festival urbà que se celebra a València al juny. Al contrari que els festivals tradicionals, on els assistents van d’acampada, té lloc al recinte de la Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències de València. És la resposta valenciana al SOS 4.8, festival murcià indie que començà menut i ha acabat per convertir-se en una de les cites ineludibles del panorama musical independent de l’estat, o al Primavera Sound, el festival que ara com ara més prestigi té a Espanya (després del FIB). Està controlat per una empresa que pertany als germans David i Antonio Sánchez, madrilenys, … [Read more...]

Street Art Palermo

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Street Art Palermo

Sicilia es una isla mágica llena de sorpresas. Al estar emplazada en el corazón del Mediterráneo, inevitablemente han pasado por ella griegos, fenicios, romanos, árabes, aragoneses... hasta los normandos dominaron la isla durante algún tiempo en los siglos XI y XII. El impresionante legado normando es particularmente visible en su bulliciosa capital: Palermo. La capital siciliana fue hasta hace un par décadas una de las ciudades más peligrosas de Europa; la Mafia campaba a sus anchas por sus calles dejando episodios violentos y muertos casi cada día. Ahora las cosas han cambiado, y aunque … [Read more...]

En defensa de la cocina británica

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En defensa de la cocina británica

Ah, la comida británica. Un tema a que la gente le gusta poner a parir con regularidad. ¿Y quiénes son los acusados de echar las broncas? Pues, suelen ser los... chan, chan... españoles. Voy a empezar este post con un par de preguntas: ¿Por qué tenéis tanta manía a la cocina británica? ¿Es que habéis oído tanta gente quejarse del tema que creéis que es algo guay? ¿Cuántos platos británicos típicos has probado en tu vida? ¿O solo es que habéis probado un fish and chips de un pequeño, sucio chippy londinense rodeado por turistas? (Algo que se podría comparar con comer una paella en … [Read more...]

CaminArt’s alternative walking tours of Valencia

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CaminArt's alternative walking tours of Valencia

My name is María Bosch. I received 200 whippings and was exiled from Valencia for being a fetillera - a hechicera, or witch. Or at least that's who I was for 2 hours last Saturday evening on the Camins màgics i sobrenaturals. A new take on the typical walking tour, CaminArt offers various camins aimed at those with an interest in the macabre history of Valencia. Comprised of a small team of historians, archaeologists and tour guides, CaminArt offers a whole host of alternative walks including Ruta por la cara oculta de la Ciutat Vella (the dark side of the old town) and Camins negres (black … [Read more...]

Viaje a Roma: luces y sombras de una ciudad única

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Viaje a Roma: luces y sombras de una ciudad única

Si hay una gran capital europea que sobresale por encima de todas las demás, esa es para mí Roma. Casi 3.000 años de historia, siendo durante buena parte de ellos el núcleo de la civilización Occidental -primero como capital de la República y el Imperio a los que dio nombre, después como centro de la cristiandad-, han dado para mucho y eso se nota. En mi opinión, lo que hace destacar a la capital italiana entre ciudades como París, Londres, Berlín o Estambul es su versatilidad. En Roma, historia, arte y religión se funden en un impresionante cúmulo que supone, casi con total seguridad, el … [Read more...]

A postcard from Istanbul

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A postcard from Istanbul

"You don't need seatbelt...", shouted the taxi driver, loud enough for us to hear him over the blaring Turkish radio and the incessant sound of car horns. He smiled, "...this is Istanbul!" We'd touched down at Sabiha Gökçen airport on the Asian side of Istanbul at approximately 8:45pm. Our first glimpse of Turkey saw the silhouettes of dozens of minarets rising up from the sprawling cityscape. One hour later and we were whizzing across the Atatürk bridge towards Sultanahmet while the taxi driver kept himself busy by scrolling through his Facebook profile pictures with seemingly no fear for … [Read more...]

UK vs. Spain: a boozy comparison

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UK vs. Spain: a boozy comparison

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...]

Los guachos y la Virgen de la Cabeza

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Los guachos y la Virgen de la Cabeza

Probably one of the best things about going on Erasmus, apart from returning home as a multi-lingual bastard (hopefully), is the set of international friends you make. International friends are great excuses to travel. But, as it happens, local friends are also perfect for that too, even if you met them while in a foreign country. Years ago while on Erasmus in Germany, Jorge made a close knit group of Spanish amigos who were soon to be referred to as The Spanish Ghetto by the rest of their Italian, German, Finnish, British and American classmates. One of The Spanish Ghetto lives in Casas … [Read more...]

Fuck being your playground

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Fuck being your playground

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...]

Charisma meets creepy in La Punta

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Charisma meets creepy in La Punta

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

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#Fallas2015 in photos

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

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Senyals de trànsit

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...]