A (not-so) Typical Sunday

As I settle into my second month in Valencia, I find myself repeating certain activities and, really, who could blame me? The temperatures are still in the low 20s (that’s Centigrade), the sun is shining, and the claras still taste great. What does one do in this situation? One goes to the beach, of course! Not being one to say “no” to a day in the sun, I grabbed my beach-ready day backpack (beach sheet, suntan lotion, speaker, Kindle, water, sun hat), and, still wearing a skirt and sandals in mid-November, took the bus back to my old neighbourhood to meet up with Ewa. After having a little late breakfast at our usual place, we walked over to the beach which was busier than I expected at this time of year, but, ultimately, I really shouldn’t be surprised by this anymore. Valèncianos enjoy their sun just as much as we, sun-starved northerners, do, too.

It is very easy to just sit and chat (if you have someone to chat with) or read a book while listening to some music and watching people go by. There was a steady parade of folks, mostly older, walking up and down the shoreline. Families tended to put down stakes or, rather, their blankets, content with having the kiddies run around a small area. Some brought their dogs who shouldn’t really be allowed to roam off-leash, but I found them quite enjoyable to watch and hoped they’d come over for a sniff. Occasionally, that did happen, though not often enough and never for long. The ubiquitous and very annoying trinket and beach sheet-sellers were still out en masse, the same ones repeatedly coming by trying to sell their crappy stuff even after being told, also repeatedly, that we didn’t want anything. Some people, eh?

Because the sun wasn’t nearly as strong as it used to be, it was easy to stay out there for a long time. For us, that meant about four hours. I think I picked up a little more sun on my face but it certainly wasn’t too much. And it was glorious. It’s always so difficult to leave the beach, I find … at first, there is always a weight to my feet as I try to make it my way through the sand. Then, after getting the sand off them and putting shoes back on, it actually feels a little weird walking normally again. Is it just me or does everyone feel that? It’s like the beach has a hold of me and doesn’t want to let go. I long for that feeling as I write this and want to go back as soon as possible. Given the weather around here, I doubt it will be long before I do!

After grabbing a bite to eat, I said “bye” to my fellow beach-lover, Ewa, and took the bus home. After all, I had a date with my roommates to go to a little concert at a nearby church that evening. Feeling a little dopey after all the sun, I wasn’t actually sure I’d be up for it, but it is really difficult to say “no” to Sagrario’s infectious enthusiasm. As the sun goes down earlier and earlier now, I put aside the skirt and sandals and wore something a bit more appropriate for a November evening. I’m finding it a little strange having to wear heavier clothing but it does get a bit chilly at night now, so it’s a good thing I actually packed a few warmer pieces. The church we went to is one of many in the neighbourhood though it’s also one of the better hidden ones. I’m sure I had walked by it before but never knew it was even there. Església de Sant Esteve definitely hides its treasures well. It isn’t a large church but it is very beautiful inside, and, as most churches I know, it was bound to have great acoustics.

I’m not sure how Sagrario knew there was going to be a concert, and, judging by the number of people in attendance, very few people knew of it as well. At first it looked like we were going to be an audience of four but just at the last minute, a few more people strolled in. By “four” I mean the three of us (S, G, and I) and another friend of Sagrario’s, a young woman from Argentina, Gisela, who also lives in the neighbourhood. The choir soon came out, all wearing masks (of course), and positioned themselves at least 2m apart at the front of the church. At first it was all men, but by the second song, women joined them. It turns out that the choir leader/conductor was a woman who also works at the opera and this little impromptu concert was actually a rehearsal of some sort. Details were lost on me, unfortunately; I’m sorry, I am still getting used to having someone talk to me in Spanglish 🙃. All three languages are getting rather mixed up in my head right now. The whole program was a collection of traditional Valencian songs and it was wonderful, especially since we all felt very privileged to even be there.

Afterwards, since it was still reasonably early and not too cold, we decided to go for a little paseo, and ended up at a bar ( or the outside thereof) that was famous for vermouth. Being a fan of vermouth, I was quite excited to try some there, while also enjoying an actual conversation with three women! You can’t imagine how weird that was: after over two months of almost total solitude, here I was sitting in some comfy chairs outside, on a lovely Valencian evening, sipping on vermouth, and chatting about stuff with three other people! It felt almost surreal. It felt even more surreal when we started talking about a movie I also happened to have seen, still at home, called Vivir Dos Veces (badly translated as Live Twice, Love Once), since it had been filmed here in Valencia. Gisela thought that the place we were at was in the movie. I had not realized that because I saw the movie not only long before coming here but also, when I watched it, I had no reference points for the city at all, other than Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències. I actually remembered it totally wrong and thought it took place in Barcelona. Of course, as soon as I got back to my room, I checked the film on IMDb and she was right, this was the place! Not only that, but a number of the locations in it I have now walked by numerous times. It’s always such a cool feeling to have a personal connection to a place in a story, whether a book or film, isn’t it? On top of it all, it’s a great movie, and I highly recommend it; it’s on Netflix.

All in all, it was a very good day and very different from my typical Sundays before coming to Spain. I’m hopeful that it will become typical for me to spend time doing these types of activities on regular basis; going to the beach, enjoying a cultural event, and having food and/or drinks with friends should be the norm. And it is totally why I came here in the first place. Now, if only Covid let me do more of these things …