Paradise: Redux
Given that winter has now arrived, I am having trouble believing that just a couple of weekends ago I was here:
(Just quietly, I'm considering petitioning DFAT to see if this can become my passport photo).
Ahhh, Valencia. It was magnificent, as expected. I discovered that it is truly comforting to know that there are places in the world where you feel better just being there, that make you smile as soon as you arrive, where you know that your expectations will be met and exceeded every single time you visit.
I did everything I wanted: I walked my favourite streets for hours, gazed at buildings, bathed in sunshine. I visited the Holy Grail and the magic fountain, which was as spectacular as ever. I spent time with good mates, drank deliciously industrial-strength Spanish coffee (good god the cafes of London have a lot to answer for), ate paella, made myself sick at the world's greatest gelateria, shopped too much and drank too much and had a fabulous time.
There were new experiences, too - preparations for next year's America's Cup have come a long way since I was last in town and it was fun to explore the shiny new port and marina complex, which is beautiful and bustling with new life. I spent many hours drinking with boaty-type people asking them stupid questions about sails and keels and generally demonstrating an embarrassing lack of knowledge about the ridiculously well-heeled world of yacht racing.
A particular highlight of this trip was the cruise on a catamaran around Valencia's harbour and out into the Med (please note picture above). It was spectacular: a crazy crew who performed an impromptu flamenco in between hoisting mainsails and suchlike, sangria and sunshine and salty spray everywhere as I reclined blissfully at the back of the boat.
I loved being there - I feel so peaceful and happy in that town. I had a tinge of nostalgic sadness as well, though - it was familiar and beautiful but I missed last time. It was hard to go back to a place where I had such amazing fun with such excellent people who are no longer there. The new experiences are good in their own way, but for those of you who were there before? It just wasn't the same without you.
Oh, and I brought the Holy Grail back with me. Rip van Winkle was quite taken with it:
As was Dr Evil, who very conveniently happened to have just the right outfit handy:
How awesome is that halo?!
(Just quietly, I'm considering petitioning DFAT to see if this can become my passport photo).
Ahhh, Valencia. It was magnificent, as expected. I discovered that it is truly comforting to know that there are places in the world where you feel better just being there, that make you smile as soon as you arrive, where you know that your expectations will be met and exceeded every single time you visit.
I did everything I wanted: I walked my favourite streets for hours, gazed at buildings, bathed in sunshine. I visited the Holy Grail and the magic fountain, which was as spectacular as ever. I spent time with good mates, drank deliciously industrial-strength Spanish coffee (good god the cafes of London have a lot to answer for), ate paella, made myself sick at the world's greatest gelateria, shopped too much and drank too much and had a fabulous time.
There were new experiences, too - preparations for next year's America's Cup have come a long way since I was last in town and it was fun to explore the shiny new port and marina complex, which is beautiful and bustling with new life. I spent many hours drinking with boaty-type people asking them stupid questions about sails and keels and generally demonstrating an embarrassing lack of knowledge about the ridiculously well-heeled world of yacht racing.
A particular highlight of this trip was the cruise on a catamaran around Valencia's harbour and out into the Med (please note picture above). It was spectacular: a crazy crew who performed an impromptu flamenco in between hoisting mainsails and suchlike, sangria and sunshine and salty spray everywhere as I reclined blissfully at the back of the boat.
I loved being there - I feel so peaceful and happy in that town. I had a tinge of nostalgic sadness as well, though - it was familiar and beautiful but I missed last time. It was hard to go back to a place where I had such amazing fun with such excellent people who are no longer there. The new experiences are good in their own way, but for those of you who were there before? It just wasn't the same without you.
Oh, and I brought the Holy Grail back with me. Rip van Winkle was quite taken with it:
As was Dr Evil, who very conveniently happened to have just the right outfit handy:
How awesome is that halo?!
posted by jLo at 6:27 PM
1 Comments:
Three posts in three days! What have we done to deserve this, jLo?
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