It’s About Time

We are in Valencia for dental appointments. Our dentist is amazing. She speaks English like an American, having gone to the American School in Valencia. It was worth the trip.

We flew in this morning, hopped on the Metro from the airport with our old Metro cards, got off at Colon, then went straight to her office. It’s located just down the street from our old apartment. I won’t lie, it felt weird crossing the Trinitat bridge over the Turia, on auto pilot. When we left her office we didn’t turn right and go home. We turned left and went to the hotel on the other side of the bridge. Was I in love with our apartment in Valencia? No. But it was home for three years. We know every inch of the area. And most of Valencia like the back of our hands.

We are staying at the hotel across from the Ceramic museum. It’s an old palace, like so many. The outside is as beautiful as the inside.

I left Jeff sleeping at the hotel and met up with some friends on the rooftop terrace at El Corte Ingles. Great to see them both after all this time. Not a glamour spot, but the views at sunset can’t be beat. On the way there I passed a Fallera walking down the street. As you do in Valencia on any given day in normal years. I will admit the normalcy of such a small thing struck me. It was comforting, as if the world is righting itself somehow.

I popped out later to get us some water and supplies. For some reason I thought it was Saturday night instead of Friday, The grocery stores are closed in Valencia on Sundays. But there was no real urgency. So I took a few snaps.

The moon was huge tonight. A waning Gibbous moon. The buildings of the Ayuntamiento were all lit up. The fencing around the square is up as the first Mascleta of Fallas will be exploding ear popping, rib cage rattling sounds next weekend. We will miss it. We arrived in Valencia four years ago on a cold rainy stormy night during Fallas. March 1st 2018. With just four suitcases after a seven hour delay in Madrid and countless cancelled flights. So much has changed since then. It’s almost unbelievable.

But another Fallas is fast approaching. The first real post-pandemic Fallas. I wonder what that will feel like. Two years ago on this day we were still blissfully ignorant of what was coming. Hopefully we are on the other side of it now in Spain. Perhaps Fallas 2022 can celebrate perseverance. Our ability to never give up. To overcome, and to thrive. That’s what I’d like to celebrate in 2022. It’s about time.