Compartiendo "nuestra" ciudad

In December 2016, we enjoyed our Valencia apartment alongside other people for the first time.

Our “guests” were my wife’s parents, my much-beloved and much-respected suegros. Active, well-travelled, worldly-wise, 70-something first-time visitors to Valencia.

My use of punctuation around the word “guests” is an homage to my mother-in-law. I was gently but firmly corrected early in the holiday: “We are family, not guests”.

So I find myself, for the first time, in the position of guide/landlord/concierge/transport coordinator/translator/restaurant critic/holiday planner. I felt privileged to be in this position, but also under a degree of pressure. I’m showing important first-time visitors “our” city, but it’s a city we’re still getting to know ourselves. We haven't even scratched the surface yet. And my Spanish is still a work in progress, to put it kindly.

OK… do the tourist trail, but throw in some of your developing local knowledge, I said to myself.

There were a few no-brainers… sights and venues that would be instant hits. Valencian architecture, old, new and in-between never fails to wow a first-time visitor. Also, we were in Christmas week, so the belenes navideños (elaborate nativity scenes so favoured in Spain) and the seasonal mercadillos were all worth a visit.

Paella Valenciana. Food to be taken seriously.

I wanted to show off some Valencian culture, however. It may seem odd from someone who has been a part-time resident for no more than a few months, but I have great pride in Valencian culture. I find the culture of Fallas fascinating (and perhaps a little intimidating if I’m honest) and the traditional Valencian costume associated with this festival is a delight. I love the Valencian fervour and passion for their rice dishes and the traditional Valencian paella. I love the way Valencians are determined to live outdoors for 12 months a year, and that pavement café terraces are packed in the gentle December sunshine.

The incredible modernista edifice that houses
the Mercado Central.

The Mercado Central was certainly an instant hit, as it is with so many visitors. It rewards anyone who goes in there for any reason, and it will never get old for me.

We were also rewarded when a Fallera was mixing with all the visitors outside the cathedral one day, happy to be photographed with her dazzling smile in her spectacular traje de fallera.

The weather also smiled for us on our “visit beach and port and eat paella day”. Enjoying a beer in the sunshine (29^th December) at one of the newer portside bars reminded me how lucky we are to be a tiny part of this amazing city.

The long paella lunch that followed in one of the traditional restaurants at Las Arenas was as good as ever. Mi suegra asked us if we always ate this well when we were in Valencia. Our answer was an emphatic “yes”, of course.

A visit to the City of Arts and Sciences was another success, but also served as a reminder to me of how incredible the place is.

The elaborate and beautiful
traditional dress of the Fallera.

So far, so good. I was desperately keen for everyone to enjoy the delights of a city that has firmly embedded itself right under my skin, a city that I feel part of.

But this visit, with our new travelling companions, changed the way I look at the city. I’m sure my in-laws won’t mind me saying that we moved at a sedate pace. When it’s just the two of us, it can be a march, but this time, our gentle strolling gave me so much more time to look. I looked up much more. The light on the beautiful buildings can be spectacular in winter, when the sun is lower, and treats the details with a more subtle touch. I caught more details, more subtleties, and also heard more of what was going on. I saw more faces and got a bit more insight into a few more lives. Very rewarding.

This will make me slow down in future. There will be a point in time when this decision is made for me, of course, but in the meantime I must make a conscious effort. It’s not just about point A to point B.

It was a worthwhile and rewarding experience navigating the language, taste and cultural challenges involved in making mealtimes a success. However well-travelled we might imagine ourselves to be, we still have our preferences and our favourites, and these needed translating (metaphorically) into Valencian. Nochevieja was a particularly rewarding experience, and a memorable meal in a memorable restaurant was enjoyed by all.

(I’m going to break a rule here and thank the staff at Tinto Fino for a most enjoyable New Years Eve! I think they’re out of brandy, but we'll be back for Semana Santa).

Beautiful winter sunlight, Calle de Serranos.

I feel like I’ve come away from this visit (leaving my in-laws to enjoy another week!) with an enhanced appreciation for how the city works, why it’s so special. 

On a romantic whim, I’d say that it works because the people are so bloody lovely. Our meal on New years Eve was so memorable because the staff were just plain happy. There was a 12-hour dance marathon in the Mercado de Tapineria, and the people there were also just plain happy. You don’t see that unforced, natural, sober happiness every day.

But I think the city works because it gives back what you put in. It feels sentient and organic, like a person. Appreciate and respect Valencia, enjoy it responsibly (so to speak) and I'm now 100% sure that it will love you back.