This and That

It's been a while since my last post and I thought I needed to get on before I forget what's been going on.  In fact it felt that we have been doing much, just living and being here.  But now I've started there is quite a bit to tell.

Twice a week we've been to our Spanish classes  and I would like to think we are getting somewhere slowly.  Some days I go along and chatter away, another my brain goes into meltdown. derrrrr.  We are on to the past tenses.... ooo my brain hurts.  Sal our tutor is good fun, and him and Rod spend a lot of time talking about films and comparing famous scenes.

Unfortunately last Sunday it chucked it down all day, and what do you do when that happens!  You go for chocolate and churrios, or at least Rod did, and was in seventh heaven.  I tend towards the coffee and fartons myself.

We've been to our favourite flamenco bar a few times.  Last Sunday there was a fabulous older woman singing and dancing, alongside a younger side kick.  It was very different from anything else we have seen there, it was brilliant.

I've been keeping busy getting my website together, or more accurately head butting the wall before contacting Smugmug and being pathetic.  It's obvious that their tutorials are put together by techies not teachers.  But... I will get there, however long it takes.

On another evening we caught the bus to the Reina Sofia opera house to hear some music.  It looks just magical at night.  I will have to get down there again with proper camera and tripod.

Three gorgeous pieces of music, Rachmaninov, Elgar and Borodin.  And to make it even better, I had bought the tickets back in November and a week before the performance, they emailed to say they were televising the concert, and gave us our money back..   Nice one!

Sorolla is one of Spain's most famous painters and his early work is so full of colour and life. Originally from Valencia he had0s homes near Malaga and in Madrid. We went to an exhibition of his later works a the Bancaja Foundation, and lovely old bank which is now a contemporary art space. This exhibition was his later works, mostly painted in his various gardens.  It very interesting, but very different from his other stuff.

Couldn't take any pictures in the exhibition and I didn't have my phone with me to sneak one in.

Another exhibition int he same building did blow my socks off.  A contemporary mixed media artist who produced room sized canvasses.  Was mega, loved it.

And lastly some wood art, loved these as well, so clever.

On the other end of the scale we went for an evening of wine tasting at La Gastroteka.  Nobody can tell me that the Spanish don't drink.  In fact they are incorrigible.  Met a lovely couple and her brother and had a thoroughly good evening..... and learned about the organic wine that Valencia are heavily into, but can't remember any of it!