Yes, we did it.
We ended our time living in Valencia.
Why?
There are myriad reasons, but most importantly, Barcelona is a city that is continually moving. It’s not a sleepy little village; it’s a city with many moving parts.
Nevertheless, there are many explanations, including a greater diversity of neighborhoods and an easier international airport for travel. Primarily, we have a couple of people we know and enjoy here. In the past, it was challenging to keep up with friends, as it was harder to track their dynamic movements. Living in Barcelona, it’s a city that’s easily accessible.
Now that the leaves are starting to fall into the streets, it’s the middle of October, and the weather is just beginning to cool down. During the day, the sun shines incessantly, and in the evening, the cooler, damper weather begins.
Cooler weather!
Recently, another devastating rainstorm struck just outside Valencia, possibly a result of climate change. We’re glad we weren’t living there to face the massive rainstorm that arose. Last year, we lived near Barrio Gothic, which is the intersection of the old city and the marina. A pretty sweet neighborhood, except that there are a lot of people who want to visit the area.
Worldwide tourism is a double-edged sword; it cloys its way to the top of a city’s newness and exploits what is old and established. Yes, that’s totally understandable about the protests and trying to keep things local.
It’s a challenging balancing act, balancing the need to generate revenue to cover service costs for residents and visitors while also staging or creating new experiences for the community and its visitors.
It is a fantastic act, but when done correctly, a thing of beauty.
We lived here before.
Last year, when we lived in the neighborhood called Reina Christina, it was a roughly 3-block square area composed of totally renovated buildings that were being repurposed as short-term tourist apartments. I thought that’s great, as this is an expensive process to renovate old buildings and bring them up to current living codes; at least there is a financial incentive that should be helpful.
This year, we are increasingly aware of Barcelona’s aptitude as a city, with its rich history, culture, and food, presenting a unique urban village.
As we are doing things differently, the same can be said of our whereabouts. We rented a small apartment in the San Gervasi section of town.
Vast and varied, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi offers a mix of urban tapas bars, brand-name boutiques, and hillside nature walks at Vallvidrera Reservoir. A funicular railway ascends to Parque de Atracciones, with old-fashioned thrill rides and panoramic views on Mt. Tibidabo. Bellesguard is a medieval-style turreted mansion designed by Antoni Gaudí, and the modernist CosmoCaixa museum houses a planetarium and indoor rainforest.”
Vast and varied.
With this location, we are situated on a hilltop, offering a unique view of the city.
What’s so fantastic for us is that we are trying to transition to a more local lifestyle. We are looking to rent a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment with a balcony and hope to secure a lease for a minimum of three to four years.
We are hopeful about achieving our goal, as last year was the first time we attempted to relocate to Barcelona. I logged many hours looking and registered numerous conversions with landlords and agents.
This year, I plan to achieve my goal by returning to a philosophy I have used. But you will have to have me about that!
Another issue we have decided is that we will no longer do much flying in Europe unless the distances are crucial for travel. Now we will also need a garage to store a travel van.
Currently.
Our current one-bedroom apartment is located in an older section of town known as L’Eample. Here, you can find a wide range of trendy clothing stores, shoe stores, and bag stores, as well as my favorite, a diverse selection of both local and international restaurants.
The cafes in this part of the city are a bit more fantastic. There’s the Flying Monkey just around the corner, serving straightforward food but presented robustly. Its coffee service is delivered in these beautiful, handmade mugs.
Another block away is Santa Gloria’s coffee, another local gem on Carrer Travasare de García.
Even though I have returned to drinking my Jasmine dragon tea, I still enjoy sitting outside and drinking decaffeinated coffee at a cafe.
Life in Spain, especially Barcelona, runs at a different pace. As I go through life, I find that I appreciate this feature more and more.
Allowing oneself to savor, enjoy, and sit with one’s partner is incredibly rewarding, as we discuss our Spanglish ways of what adventures we would like to undertake.
Last year.
Last year, we lived near the Gothic Quarter, and this year, we live in the section of town called L’Example. This part of town is filled with designer clothing stores, shoe stores, medical and ethical establishments, and, of course, my favorite: the restaurants and bakeries.
Around the corner, we have Thai, Mexican, Japanese, traditional Spanish, and a fantastic Cafe de Paris…where we make a reservation for lunch just before we go.
Unfortunately, the other day they were full, and we had to have lunch at a working-class restaurant that served the worst food I have had yet. We discussed why we wanted to share our food. The restaurant worker didn’t understand the concept of eating less. After a while, I was exhausted from thinking about it and just paid for two portions. We will never return.
“St Gervasius dates back to 987 AD. This saint is known as the protector of people in need and an exemplar of virtue. Please guide us in times of doubt and difficulty. May you grant us the grace to remain faithful to the Gospel. Through your intercession, we ask for the strength to face the challenges of life and peace for our troubled hearts.” Fun folklore!
Home to many.
Once again, returning to the central theme of our travel adventures…tango.
In discovering the tango culture of Barcelona, we have discovered it’s possible to dance tango almost every night.
Yes, it’s possible to dance tango in a milonga in Barcelona on any night from Tuesday through Sunday.
Yes, we can dance.
We returned to this city because, yes, the tango is good. Lots of spaces with a continuous influx of both foreigners and locals.
In the past, we have chosen our tango events by throwing precaution to the wind. This year, we will be a bit more resolute, not just because of the tango but because it is a country we would like to know more about.
Which tango events in what countries? We have been discussing a road trip to Romania from Spain, possibly a return to Rovinj, Croatia, and exploring Slovenia as well, as all these places offer tango and are relatively affordable.
Adaptación
The exciting news is that we will adapt our travel styles as our bodies change. A recent revelation for me is. I can no longer sit on an airplane for 12 hours!!!
However, I love road trips to different places, as they are fun and bring back the feeling of being on an adventure.
Links:
https://tangoenbarcelona.es/
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distrito_de_Sarri%C3%A1-Sahttps://tangoenbarcelona.es/
