Valencia, Day #14

First of all, feel free to comment below.  I love reading your  comments.

We travelled from Paris to Valencia and that actually went fairly easily.   It is weird getting on a plane in one country and the language changes entirely.  After listening to French for a week, we sit down and everyone is speaking spanish.

 All instructions were done in English and Spanish. So much for French people in an emergency.

I have heard the saying that in heaven:  The police are British, the cooks are French, the lovers Italian and it is all organized by the Germans.

In hell:  The cooks are British, the police are French and the lovers German and it is all Organized by the Italians.

Can I add to this saying that in heaven the Spanish are Dancers and in hell the Spanish are urban planners?

We left town and travelled north.  One block we are on the interstate and the next block we are in the heart of the city going around a round about?  WTF????  Signs are confusing or non existent and while the Freeways are pretty nice but they can drop you off onto an old Donkey road that looks like it belongs more in rural Mexico than Rural European Union.

I am not knocking Spain by the way because Spain was run into the ground by Franco until a little over 30 years and infrastructure was in terrible shape.      Spain is rocking and southern spain is so great.  Amy and I are considering a 4 month trip next summer to live here.

Our hosts are Max and Beth Israel.   They are beautiful, generous people and it is such a joy to be reunited.  They have 3 kids as well.

When we got on the plane in Paris it was a bit cool and in the Morning. When we got off the plane in Valencia I had the feeling like walking into an Oven.  Just 90 deg. Farenheit is all.  I struck up a nice convesation with a German Engineer that works for Johnson Controls and he is currently working for Ford in Europe and we had a nice conversation about the Quality of Ford Cars and he says that Ford is making the most amazing cars and they are sticklers for detail and quality and will shut down the line if they have a wrinkle in the interior.  He says that is paying off in spades and that the opinion in Europe among consumers has made huge changes and they are loving Ford cars now and we sure see a lot.

After finding Spain (few rocky farm roads that we got lost on).  Our Friends have an incredible hacienda with wrap around porches on the second floor and wrap around patios that are covered.  It is up in the Hills above Valencia and it is a little cooler and has a nice breeze.  

We went to the 'club'.   it has 5 different pools all about 40feet x100 feet and the first one is only 1 feet deep (lay in pool in hot weather and talk to friends/family).  The pools get deeper by about 2 feet and finally a full sized swimming pool.

The pools here have a Cabana that sells ice cream, drinks and probably cigs. Everyone smokes here.

We returned to the house and Amy and Beth Israel played tennis for several hours starting at 7pm.   They returned and we had a delicious barbeque.   I went to sleep exhausted and slept 10 hours.

We slept with a fan on on top of our sheets and the windows open.  Beth apologized about the party that apparently raged close by at the Club.  They were celebrating the end of the summer and included a band. They partied until 5am but I slept right thought it.

I made everyone a Dutch Baby and they were pretty good.     Of course there is always a nice spread of watermelons, fruit, nectarines and apples. I am taking notes on how to host a guest and my apologies to anyone we have hosted before.

By the way I just asked Amy how to spell apologies (turns out I have never written this word before) and Amy started laughing out loud and asked me if I want to know how to spell contrite as well... Sheessh.



Max took me on 1.5 hour run in the hills.  See the video.  Beautiful and rugged.  He wanted to do it at night (when cooler).  Pretty rocky and an ankle turner if the moon is not out.  We are going mountain biking up here tomorrow or the next day.

Cloudy all morning, the sun has broken through.  Already 85 as I write this and we are going to the pool.

Eric.

P.s.  If you get a chance, comment below.  Thank you.