The sounds of the bandoneon filled the air with the music that was melancholic yet nostalgic and similar to the music that we dance to in Buenos Aires, or in Rome, but we are in Valencia, Spain.
Indeed, looking across the floor, it is not filled with familiar faces. At the end of August, the evening temperatures remain 90 degrees even at 23 hours. Closing your eyes and feeling the slightly cooler Mediterranean sea breeze on your face is possible.
How hot!
It is summer in Valencia, with the first two weeks of August in full swing. The city is on summer vacation, and in the last two weeks, the other half of the folks are on vacation.
Try booking any appointment, bureaucratic, legal, or just getting a pedicure; no one responds to your request, and there might be a single green check mark on WhatsApp. But don’t count on a reply. The city is a ghost town, but getting a table at your favorite restaurant is easier.
St
We are still months away from our return to Buenos Aires. We decided that next summer we will take the month of August to travel to the north, as the weather can be 10 to 20 degrees cooler.
Yes its true all of Europe is on vacation
At this months Sunday’s milonga, I notice that the DJ is also the organizer of the event. This is Barbara Palmer. She hosts a milonga on the second Sunday of the month and a regular milonga on Thursday nights. Her space is located near the Avenida del Mar, and the space is called Line of Dance Studio.
Delightful, I think to myself. I savor the view of the dancers moving in a circular pattern on the laminated wooden floor. The diverse range of dancers spans many years, until the most recent is reached.
The women dress their best, while the men wear sportier looks, and some even wear shorts. The woman looked cool dancing with their partner around the outdoor space, which in actuality is the bus station next to the turnaround.
A gyro here , a volcada there!
A gyro here, a volcada there, dancers always listening, always waiting. With the unrestrained smiles, the dancers feel content with their embrace and wit.
The waltz is over, a new tanda will begin. The dancers search the floor looking for their next dance; some respond with a slight tilt of the head, saying yes, while others don’t see.
We are sitting at our usual table by the DJ booth. From this piece, we can see the whole room. The woman is sitting side by side, catching up on what’s been happening in the summer world of tango, as many milongas suspended their regular indoor agenda and moved to the MalvaRosa beach.
Fun time of year!
This can be a fun time of year as many peeps love dancing outdoors. And Valencia has many outdoor milongas. The music was played by tall, skinny speakers during the central rotation of the dancing. The dancers leave their shoes and valuables in this pile, creating a mountain of tango. All people contribute to this pile.
Everyone watches as the mountain of stuff continues to grow.
Meanwhile, on the periphery, the cabeceo and the Miranda continue. Most of the dancers seemingly find a partner, and the dancing commences.
The strains of Juan D’Arenzo with all those bandoneons push the dancers into a frenzy. The music builds ecstasy on the floor and in the house..
After being whipped an pushed for 3 tandas, the music subsides. Next up is a Tango.
As the music changes
The music has changed; it is softer and more rhythmic. There is a sweetness to the sound that is felt by all the dancers. It’s as if there is a new awakening on the floor.
Ahhhgh, dancing tango is one of my favorite activities, especially when I can be in my partner’s embrace, as this is how we first met many milongas ago.
As this is now the beginning of September, our time living in this city is ending for 2025, and we have labored much for our strategy for 2026. The weather has turned cooler with the nighttime temperatures in the low 80s. There are more people on the buses, and then there is the feeling of the whole city of Valencia resetting its internal clocks. The weather will continue to be hot, but no longer the heat of summer.
The air is starting
As the air is starting to smell of autumn, it is not possible to continue living here this year, as we have family to visit in the USA.
So, in the final weeks here, we will visit the dentist we met at a restaurant to have my teeth cleaned and visit my hairdresser here in Valencia, Iegor. So many of the other necessities of life, when we return to us, we do not do any medical procedures, or for that matter anything else that is or has been needed as everything in the US is so much more expensive.
We will take the train to Madrid and stay in that city until we fly directly from Madrid to Miami, which is 9 hours of uncomfortable
The art of packing
We have perfected the 23 kg limit with 2 carry-ons, and travel with a scale. Maybe one day we should compare notes on packing.
Upon landing in Florida, our rental car awaits. I am surprising Maximo by renting a Mustang, as this man loves muscle cars. We are only here for a week before we go to the West Coast.
We will miss the ambiance of living in Spain, but it will be a wonderful experience living close to my son in the Northwest and then spending some time visiting friends in Seattle.
Just hope we get a bit of sunshine for our visit, and the traditional gray colors of Seattle.
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Great post Ruth.
Love your writing style
If of interest, join me as I celebrate my 70th on Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth round trip out of Miami on Jan. 29th. Lots of dancing to a live orchestra nightly on a big dance floor (can’t promise how much, if any, Argentine tango), family and friends. Should be a fun time.
Cheers! Sue
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Hola Sue
Great idea but unfortunately thatcwonr work on our agenda, i think we will back in Buenos Aires.
A great big hug and kiss to you.
Ruth