New Directions: Valencia, Spain (September 2016 - ???)

Bodhi on Wheels is taking a breather!  Yes, faced with the choice of cycling to the Black Sea (followed by improvising another wintertime) or moving to Spain, we chose the latter.  Word is out on the wisdom of this decision - but three things were evident: 1) the absolute idiocy of Brexit forced us to solidify our political situation a bit 2) we were ready for a break from hard travelling for some months and 3) we wanted Bo to get some socialization and start in on Spanish language skills.

Why Valencia?  It is one of the cheapest large cities in Europe; it is small enough to be able to do everything on bicycle and cross the entire city in less than 30 minutes; it has a mild climate all winter and plenty of sunshine; it has a good food and art culture; it is NOT full of tourists and expats (like Barcelona for example) and retains a Spanish regional flavor; and it has a 10km-long recreational gardens and green space cutting through the center of the capital with bike lanes, jogging lanes, walking trails, parks, playgrounds and exercise stations.

Heading out of Barcelona - our last stop before Valencia - look who leads the charge!

In Valencia, we have the good fortune of having a dear friend, Manuel, whom we met on the Camino de Santiago in 2015.

Valencia has the distinction of being home to paella, Spain's national dish and a culinary tour-de-force, with its colors, aromas, varied textures, and ultimate improvisational potential.  

Tasteful graffiti abounds,...

... amidst medieval towers...

... and Calatrava oddities.

Home also to one of Spain's (and the world's) great parties: Fallas! (held in March every year)

Bodhi rode his bike properly for the first time at the age of 3 years, 4 months and 2 weeks.  (Pictured with Tomek, a Warm Showers guest of ours.)  Since then he has steadily improved - even managing to do 9km in one go on one day in November!  Valencia is somewhat of a biker's haven: mostly-respectful drivers, bike lanes everywhere, few taxis and motorcycles, and no real traffic snarls.  It is also a paradise for young children: free playgrounds everywhere, extensive pedestrianized zones, and a culture which loves and appreciates children.   

Jam session in our flat!  Bo on tin whistle, Connie on harmonica, and Richie on guitar!  (Jeff and Richie are old friends from Barcelona 2007-9)

Building sand castles on the beach in Malvarrosa in late October - just several kilometers from the center.

Katy and Bo pictured with Romain - another Warm Showers guest of ours.   Along with his partner, Elodie, they are on a one-year cycling adventure on the bike seen here: a tandem with the front rider recumbent.

Jeff accompanies Bo on his first day of "school" at La Aurora. 

Bo, fourth from the left, with his class of 3-4 year-olds.

Doing yoga in the Rio Turia park!  Bodhi is assisted by his Uncle Ben and taught by Ben's girlfriend Claire, on a visit in mid-December.  

And so, for the foreseeable future (at least until the end of this school year), we will be in Valencia, Spain.  Family, friends, long-distance cyclists, pilgrims and travellers are all welcome to come visit.  Meanwhile, this will be the last post for the time being - as we will be taking a deserved break from blogging and spending more time cooking, playing music, reading books, practicing kung fu (at least in Bodhi's case), micro-gardening, teaching English, and seeking solutions, amongst other things...