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spring has sprung! ¡Hola! We’re a third into the year and already the sun is shining on our backs as we walk down the street or warming our faces in our own particular plaza of choice, wherever that may be. This month we’ll be taking a trip to Benicassim, which, it turns out, is actually quite a functional village when not the home of the biggest music festival in Spain, and also drinking in El Principito (with chairs out in the sunny plaza I might add).
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We’ve got festival mayhem taking over both the cinema and live music sections this month, as well as a battle of musical greats in I heart Valencia as glam rocker Marc Bolan and singer Nino Bravo put down their respective feather boas and microphones to flex their muscles. With the usual Expat, Music, Health, Green and Art sections, we’re sure that there’ll be something for everyone in this month’s magazine. Have a good read and happy Easter!, Andy, Kelly & Sean
A lo largo de esta revista encontrarás distintos niveles de dificultad indicados en la parte superior de cada página y recuadros con vocabulario debajo del texto. Para la pronunciación hemos incluido la fonética.
about us inVLC is for all people in the community of Valencia: whether born here, visiting for a day, or living a new life in the sun. We hope to guide you on what’s going on in the community, help those living in it, and support language learning with a bit of added fun. Translations Javi & Clara Photos Front cover Marcin, Easter cake Lia Contact information email invlceditor@gmail.com phone 639 740 746 - English speakers phone 628 831 400 - Spanish speakers facebook inVLC If you have any thoughts, comments or complaints or want to advertise, please email or phone us. Important numbers & Embassies / consulates Fire | 080 Local police | 092 Medical | 061 General | 112 French | 96 351 0359 USA | 96 351 6973 British | 96 521 60 22 Dutch | 96 341 4633 German | 96 310 62 53 Legal chat We do our very best to strive for accuracy in this magazine but we cannot accept responsibility for unintentional errors or omissions, accuracy of advertisements or contributors’ opinions. We aim at all times not to offend. depósito legal V-816-2006 We use CreatorSilk paper It’s chlorine free & the wood used is from sustainably managed forests. We do this because we’re nice & want to reduce our environmental impact.
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The latest News keeping you up to date Hotspots Free in Valencia is blooming fabulous I heart Valencia sees Bolan v Bravo Shop to visit takes us to Rostro Holidays and fiestas are back and it's busy Valencia community Benicassim is splendid Bar of the month Lia's looking for El Principito Let's talk Expat life! Eoghan talks to the next generation Talking teaching is hammering the Modal Verbs Art & culture Live music across the community Your photos of ‘Life’ Music hot new musical releases The cinema v.o. releases in Valencia Read me Iain loves his books Lifestyle Green Declan is close to boiling point Sport news A day in the life Sean is out and about Artist Carmela Doménech is being creative Art to see visits 2 great galleries Recipe Lia is in a spring mood Cocktails are tangy and fresh Health looks at our spines Charity supporting Japan's troubles Animal is flying by Events & classifieds keeps you in the know
15/04/1912. Atlantic Ocean. 'Women and children first' protocol challenged when the first lifeboat off the Titanic contains three male millionaires. 1,517 poorer people die. The highest priced ticket? £875/$4,375.
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Good news for teachers | Education Minister, Alejandro Font de Mora, has reiterated the Government's views on English language learning. He said that for Spain to move forward economically as many people as possible must be given the opportunity to learn English using direct teaching and IT methods. Art lover turned thief | A 57 year-old Valencian woman who stole a painting by local artist Joaquín Sorolla from the Benlliure Museum claims she did so after being conned into paying €19,000 for five fake paintings at one of the city's flea markets. Police tracked her down from CCTV and found the 'El santero de la cofradía' painting hung proudly in her family home.
Valencia Community Elections | 22 May this year sees Community Elections all over Spain. Here in Valencia it's likely that Francisco Camps PP Party will retain their positions - possibly even improving on their 2007 election results over the socialist PSOE. It seems that issues such as a €17.6 billion deficit on the books and public debt rising at over €9 million each day won't stop the Valenciano public's support for the incumbent regime.
Airlines | Good news for people who want to explore the outer eastern reaches of Europe and even western Asia without multiple changeovers. Turkish Airlines have started flights four times weekly on the Valencia Istanbul route. Return flights are under €200 if booked before 31 May. www.turkishairlines.com
Bad news for those who fly from Alicante. At the time of print, Ryanair had announced that it will pull out 80% of their flights from October 2011 due to changes requested by the Alicante Airport management. They wanted to relocate Ryanair to a different terminal, which threatened the company's 25-minute turnaround quota and charge them an extra €2 million. For once Mr O'Leary may have a point.
15/04/1989. Sheffield. Liverpool v Nottingham Forest FA Cup tie turns to disaster after overcrowding inside Hillsborough leaves 96 dead and 766 injured. All-seater stadiums are introduced soon after.
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where you can enjoy Spanish culture, nature and good, cheap fun. We'll be:
1| looking at the local handicrafts. We particuarly love the colourful ceramics market from 8 May. 2| cruising over to El Arbol in Benimaclet for free films on Fridays at 8.30pm. There's a cheap bar and a nice atmosphere. The first visit is €2 but further visits are free. They also have live music there on some Sundays. Calle Soledad Doménech 5 Bajo www.el-arbol.org 3| heading into Parque Viveros in Valencia, and checking out the stunning rose garden (see below). Rob Lennard told us it's a great spot to chill out, and there's a cute outdoor cafe there too. Rosaleda López Rosat is situated in the Jardines de Viveros (or Los Jardínes del Real, depending on which map you look at) in the city. There are over 100 plots of land, with over 50 varieties of roses, which start blooming from April. The initial rose garden was planted in 1972, with 6,000 rose plants & later improved with the addition of the centre fountain.
CALL NOW! 96 131 0522 WE SPEAK ENGLISH! COMPUTERISED SPINAL CHECK IN THE CENTRO QUIROPRÁCTICO DE ROCAFORT
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Dr. Vicente López Rosat, for whom the rose garden was named, was born in Valencia in 1925. He was mayor of Valencia between 1969 and 1973 and passed away at the age of 78 in 2003. During his time as mayor, the improvements to the River Turia were implemented, which are still enjoyed by many today. www.viverosferrer.com
Have you ever experienced? -Stress -Tiredness, lack of energy -Pinched nerves -Migraines, headaches -Stiffness in the neck -Whiplash, neck trauma -Vertigos, dizziness -Tension, shoulder pains -Thoracic or lumbar pain -Chest pain, Asthma -Bad posture -Stomach acidity -Sciatica, pain down the leg -Joint pain, knee pain -Pins and needles, numbness arms or hands -Pins and needles or numbness down the leg If you have experienced one or more of these symptoms, chiropractic could be the solution. Call now for a free check, it could be the start of a new life!
16/04/1703. Italy. Caffarelli, the famous Italian singer, is born. Ultimately he dies as a Duke with a palace and a lot of land. The price? He was a castrato and asked to be made so at age 10 as he loved singing so much. Weirdo.
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I heart Valencia
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his month we’ve got glam rock legend Mark Bolan up against Valencia’s very own crooner Nino Bravo. Both artists died tragically in car accidents at a very young age and both should be remembered for their fantastic talent. Round 1| Birthplace Round 2| Early Life & Influences Marc Bolan (born Mark Feld) was born on 30 Bolan was a lover of music from his very early September 1947 in Hackney, East London. His father days and could be found hanging around Soho in was a lorry driver of Polish-Russian Jewish descent. his Mod get-up during the sixties. He was bought his first guitar at 9 (after which he started a skiffle Nino Bravo (born Luis Manuel Ferri Llopis) was born in Ayelo de Malferit on 3 August, 1944, but moved to band), played in a group with Helen Shapiro at 12, Valencia when he was very young because his father dropped out of school at 15, and spent time with a (a travelling salesman) was in search of work. wizard in Paris for a short while when he was 18. The Winner - Nino Bravo (from the heart of Valencia) said wizard apparently passed on vital knowledge to Bolan and had the ability to levitate off the ground. Presumably, this inspired the title of his first single “The Wizard”. Bolan cited Bob Dylan, Syd Barrett, Cliff Richard and Elvis Presley as influences. Bravo worked as a jeweler and in a supermarket until he formed 'Los Hispánicos' at 16. The group were apparently very popular in the Sagunto area, but soon broke up as bands often do. He was also an early lover of music and, having met bassist Vicente López in 1958, was swiftly incorporated into the group 'Los Superson'. Coincidentally (and strangely prophetically), López was looking for a singer for the group to replace Carlos Lardíes, who had been involved in a traffic accident and was temporarily out of action. His career was put on hold whilst Bravo completed his military service in Cartagena. His favourite English song was Only You and his famous song Te Quiero, Te Quiero was given to him over both Lola Flores and actress Carmen Sevilla. Winner - Marc Bolan. Who can top travelling with a wizard?
16/04/1889. London. Charlie Chaplin is born. Despite being the most famous man in the world at one time the FBI would not allow him back into the US after a trip abroad in 1952 blaming his left wing political views.
Round 3| Musical Achievements Bolan wrote a number of hits, the most famous of which include: Ride A White Swan, Telegram Sam, Get It On, Children Of The Revolution, Metal Guru, and 20th Century Boy (to name just a few). He played with Elton John, Ringo Starr, David Bowie and pretty much anyone who was anyone back in the day. Bolan was thought by many to be the 'poster boy' of the glam rock movement due to his good looks. He was also a pioneer of the 'dum, dum, clap, clap' beat that would be mimicked by so many of his contemporaries. In 1972, T-Rex’s record sales accounted for 6% of total British domestic record sales. Despite all this, Bolan never had a number one as a solo artist, but managed to reach the top spot four times with T-Rex. Bravo had hits during the seventies with Un Beso y Una Flor, Te Quiero, Te Quiero, Mi Tierra, and Noelia. He toured the Spanish American world extensively and Un Beso y Una Flor is used by Ecuadorian football team – Barcelona Sporting Club. His song Libre was adopted by many political groups in South America even though Bravo never considered himself political in any way. In 1970 & 1971 he took part in the local Eurovision Song Contest preliminary rounds for selection of a Spanish contender. In 1972 he took part in the Festival de la Canción del Río de Janeiro in which he shared first place with American David Clayton-Thomas due to a judge being unable to vote due to sharing the same nationality as one of the winners (Clayton-Thomas). Bravo had a total of 15 no 1 hits. Winner - International star Marc Bolan
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Round 4| Family Bolan married Syd Barrett’s manager’s secretary June Child in 1969. The marriage eventually came to an end in 1975 because of Bolan’s affair with soul singer Gloria Jones with whom he had a son in September 1975. The son’s name? Rolan Bolan… On 20 April 1971, Bravo married Maria Amparo who he met at famous Valencian nightclub 'Victor’s'. They had two daughters: Amparo and Eva. Winner - Loyal Nino Bravo Round 5| Legacy Marc Bolan’s influence can be found everywhere. Duran Duran, the Violent Femmes, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Billy Idol, and Def Leppard are among the many groups who have covered or performed his songs. The list of films that they have been used in is endless, guitars have been sold for thousands of pounds, a school named after him is going to be built in Sierra Leone, and there is a shrine on the spot where he died. Ironic that Bolan himself never even knew how to drive. He died two weeks before his 30th birthday. On 12 September 1973 a homage to Bravo was held in the Plaza de Toros in Valencia; artists included Bruno Lomas, Julio Iglesias, Manolo Escobar, and Los Superson. 20,000 people packed in and the proceeds went to Bravo’s daughter Eva who would be born two months later. He had a resurgence in the 90s and sold lots of records, has a museum in Ayelo and has recently been honoured by artists like David Bisbal, Paulina Rubio and Luis Fonsi on a compilation album which went platinum within weeks. He was 28 when he died. Winner - Influential Marc Bolan
Overall it's a win for Marc Bolan but Nino made a great effort. What a local legend!
16/04/1850. London. Madame Marie Tussaud dies. Famous for her wax figure museums, her roots were in creating death masks from severed heads for those unfortunate enough to meet with Madame La Guillotine.
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I heart Valencia
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Shop to visit | Rostro
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ostro is a photography lover's dream, displaying international photo-art, plus 'made in Valencia' paintings, graphics, sculpture, furniture and handicrafts (leather and wood). Opened in 2010, it has an easy, open feel with glass windows attracting ample light, and it is conveniently close to Plaza Tossal, making it easy to find. It is the place to look for original photo art in all its possible formats and finishes (canvas, framed, vinyl...), plus much more. It's run by charismatic, Wolverhampton-born Gerald Kiernan whose passion for art is contagious, and newcomer Varuna Brull (fluent in English). The main theme of the studio is portrait photography, for either locals or models, ad agencies, business people, the performing arts, etc. Stylists, make-up artists and hairdressers are brought in, if needed, for the sessions. Social photography and video of events cover the third specialist field, all styled in a very personal, creative way. Gerald is happy to give advice if you need help using your cameras, want some hints on using Photoshop, processing your own films or a technical opinion on lighting. His story of falling for Spain's charm sounds familiar to many, but with an arty twist. Gerald is a London-trained photographer whose passion for photography kept him on the move. During a tour of Spain and Portugal with his painter friend Don, he was inspired both by the sense of space and vastness of the Spanish landscape and by the friendliness its people showed towards the two complete strangers. Back to London but with itchy feet, he returned to Spain in 1988 with the van loaded and the intention of spending a longer period of time here. And he's still here with no thoughts of leaving. A sign that he loves it! So what else is in this cave of delights? They offer basic photography and lighting courses, with detailed workshops depending on demand, as well as regular, small photographic tours for landscape studies in the spectacular Valencian scenery and Valencia city photo tours for architectural and historical studies. If you love art, you're interested in photography, or you just want to meet a passionate man and enjoy his company, make this a place to visit.
C/ Quart 13B, El Carmen 963 919 642 / 670 331 881 www.geraldkiernan.com Mon-Fri 10am-2pm 5.30pm-8.30pm Sat 11-3pm (call to confirm hours) 16/04/1975. Cambodia. Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge seize control of the country. Estimates vary but it is believed up to 2.5mil of the country's 8mil citizens died over the next 4 years with his Year Zero plan. More like Population Zero Plan.
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ow! This month is filled with local fiestas, right up to the huge international celebration of Easter, plus many of the local towns will be having their own parties too. Easter| Semana Santa Marinera| 15-24 April An intense fiesta celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. Most activities take place in either the maritime areas of el Grao, el Cabañal y el Cañamelar or near the Cathedral. There are daily parades which remember each of Jesus' final activities. The ones to watch out for are La Procesión del Silencio: a solemn drum parade on Holy Thursday (21st) at midnight, the Good Friday parade in the early evening and the main parade on Easter Sunday from 1pm. (All in the Maritime district.) For a timetable and locations ask at the Tourist Information or check www.semanasantamarinera.org. Don't miss| El Museo de la Semana Santa Marinera, Rosario, 1.
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San Vicente Ferrer| Sun 2 May The Patron Saint of Valencia is revered with a day in his memory on the approximate anniversary of his death. There will be activities at his old home which is now a church on Pouet de San Vicent, 1, near Plaza Tetuan. A flower offering will be made there at 12am, a parade starting at the Cathedral at 7pm and in the evening there will be stages re-enacting his miracles in various locations in the city.
Virgen de los Desamparados| Sun 8 May The Virgin of the Helpless is the Patroness of Valencia. She holds a lily and baby Jesus, who himself carries the cross. She has a slight forward tilt: giving her a nickname of La Geperudeta de Valencia (the hunchback). She is highly thought of as she helps children, the blind and the mentally & physically ill. 7 May Sat 11pm| The city band plays in Pl. de la Virgen followed by fireworks & dancing. 7 May Sat night 12pm| Fireworks in Cruzes de Mayo| 3 May the Turia near Torres de Serranos then installations of stunning floral crosses more dancing in Pl. de la Virgen. throughout the city as the locals ask 5am Sun| Misa Descoberta Mass, God for protection. Discovery Mass. 8am Sun| Misa de infantes An openair altar decorated with flowers will be erected in Pl. de la Virgen. 10.30am Sun| Traslado The Virgin is carried above the flower-throwing excited crowds and heads backwards into the Cathedral. Sun| Ceramics Escuraeta market begins in Pl. de la Reina. Don't forget your mona or 6.30/7pm Sun| A flowery procession panquemado Easter (Pascua) cakes. with costumes and candles in the historic centre of El Carmen.
In the Community and the neighbouring towns | 15th| Requena 20th| Vallada San Vicente Ferrer 26th| Mareny de Barraquetes 29th| Banyeres de Mariola Moors & Christians (ALC)
April 18th| Aras de los Olmos San Marcos 25th| Favara 28th| Onil (ALC) 29th| Bicorp Santa Cruz, Loriguilla, Bugarra
May 2rd| Rugat 3rd| Agullent Día de las Embajadas, Alfauir San Vicente Ferrer, Bolbaite Cristo del Amparo, Bufali, Chelva, Domeno Santa Cruz, Emperador San Vicente Ferrer, Llutxent Divina Aurora, Montichelvo, Terrateig San Vicente Ferrer, Benissa Día dels Fadrins (ALC) 6th| Viver San Francisco de Paula (Castellon) 9th| El Palomar Fiesta del Chopo 9 & 10th| Muro de Alcoy Virgen de los Desamparados (ALC) 11th & 12th| Biar Moors & Christians (ALC) 12th| Alpuente Nuestra Sra. de la Consolación 14th & 16th| Alcoi/Alcoy (ALC) 15th| Venta del Moro San Isidro Labrador 16th & 17th| Genoves San Pascual Baylon 17th| Perello San Pascual Baylón Courtesy of www.docv.gva.es
All information correct at time of print. Check with the local tourist information when making plans. 18/04/1480. Rome. Lucretia Borgia (daughter of the soon-to-be Pope Alexander VI) is born. Shrouded in mystery this family (originally from Valencia) is famous for incest, poisoning and sex parties. Imagine the dinner conversations!
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Valencia community | Benicassim
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“Oh I do like to be beside the seaside, ~Oh I do like to be beside the sea.” Not a song that has sprung readily to my lips over the last few years, despite at various times having lived practically on the beach, but it came to mind as I parked in Benicassim and had a distinctly ‘jolly holidayish’ sort of feeling. It was only after I’d had my coffee and began wandering around that I realised I was actually in the old town and a fair walk from the beach itself. Never mind, the feeling was there. The charming lady at the tourist office gave me a good handful of info and when I looked through the first leaflet I saw a photo of some splendid modernista houses painted in strong colours and (according to the caption) supposedly in the old town. After a fruitless ten minutes trying to find them, I asked a policeman (that’s what you’re supposed to do, isn’t it?) and showed him the photo. With a little smile, which I took to be friendliness, he pointed me in the right direction. I still couldn’t find them though. It was while having the aforementioned coffee on Calle Santo Tomás that I discovered I was sitting directly in front of them, but since the photos had been taken, a few summers had considerably weathered the once vibrant colours of the houses and trees had grown high enough to obscure any photo opportunity. The coffee was good though. While I was wandering around the old town I came across a hotel named after a blood bath, the Hotel Almadraba (there’s a beach of the same name). The almadraba was a very ancient way of catching tuna, when they would be herded through as series of nets into a ‘killing zone’ and clubbed by specialist fishermen in such a way that, in their death throws, the fish would actually throw itself out the water and land in the boat. The men from Benidorm were said to be some of the world’s experts.
Benicassim was one of Spain’s pioneer tourist resorts, thanks mainly to one Joaquin Coloma, a chief railway engineer, who built a summer villa there in 1887. He was followed by the high and mighty who began building summer homes there along the prom and eventually the town acquired the soubriquet ‘Biarritz of the Levante’. Some of these beautiful houses still exist along Pilar Coloma and it’s worth a saunter to see how the other half lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The tourist authorities have created a Villa Trail to show off these jewels. (There’s also the Trail to Hell and the Trail of the Celestial Order, but I never did find out what they were.) I quite surprised myself by liking some of the stark modern constructions, probably because none of them were excessively high and, as Benicassim has been growing steadily over the decades, most of them have large and well-maintained gardens full of shade trees and lawns.
Benicassim fact file Population | 16,380 Distance to Castellón | 12km Distance to Valencia | 87km Places of interest | Villa Route, Blue Flag beaches And nearby | Desert de las Palmes Nature Park Fiestas | Santo Tomás de Villanueva, 22 September. Useful phone numbers | Town Hall | 96 430 0962
18/04/1980. Rhodesia/Zimbabwe. Robert Mugabe becomes the President of the newly re-named country as the UK takes its leave. Two years later capital Salisbury is re-named Harare.
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Car | N340/A7 motorway from Valencia Bus | Hife Buses Call 902 119 814, visit www.hife.es or ask at the bus station Train | Takes around one hour from Valencia
The real gems of Benicassim are the beaches, of which six of them have all been blue flag holders since the scheme was first introduced and it is the municipality with the most blue flags in the whole of the European Union. (Playa de Almadraba also has access for disabled people.) The Biblioteca de la Playa is a shed by the beach and is fine if you read Spanish or just want to look at the pictures in the magazines. I was amused by the signs pinned to the wall that shouted ‘SILENCIO’, which was a bit pointless, given that the shutters were open to the elements and the screaming noise of the motorbikes rushing by. It’s almost impossible to mention Benicassim without attaching the words ‘Festival International de…’ to it. One of the biggest music festivals in Europe takes place there over four days in July and attracts major bands from around the world. An unexpected visitor to Benicassim is Prince Charles who takes the occasional break in a villa in an exclusive residential area just outside the town owned by the owner of the Porcelanosa ceramics giant – although it’s doubtful if he and the missus go down to the beach to rock during the music festival. Derek Workman To discover more about Spain, visit www.derekworkman-journalist.com & www.derekworkman.wordpress.com.
19/04/1961. Cuba. Attempt by US-backed Cuban exiles to reclaim Cuba from Castro ends in failure at the Bay of Pigs in the south of the island. Possibly the closest mankind has come to nuclear war.
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Bar of the month | El Principito
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f you have been wandering around Valencia looking for a good cocktail, go to El Principito. Just off Plaza Tossal in El Carmen, El Principito is a cosy bar with a relaxed atmosphere where you can watch fútbol games, relax with an amazing gin and tonic or stop by for a quick coffee. The owner of El Principito lived in France for 25 years and when she opened the bar nine years ago she wanted a name that was related to France, hence the choice of The Little Prince. The bar is dotted with Little Prince paraphernalia including a bronze statuette, a miniature wire plane, and of course, serviettes with the classic image of the little man himself. The unexpected benefit of this bar is the quality of the cocktails. The list of cocktails ranges from uncommon classics like the Bronx or 42nd Street to old standards like the Tom Collins. Mathieu, the manager and main bartender, moved to Valencia from France four years ago and has been working at El Principito for two years. He has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants and knows good customer service. His specialities are beer and gin; he’s even writing a book about the history of beer. The bar is stocked with top-notch gins, including a Valencian-produced gin called Ginself. The gins are distilled with unusual botanicals such as thyme, basil, mandarins, rosemary and even the beloved chufa nut! Mathieu will make you your favorite G&T or give you one of his specials, which may include a mix of 14 herbs and spices that he adds to the drink. The tapas are well priced and perfect for two to share. The plate of embutidos and patatas bravas are a good choice. If you need a light lunch, try stopping by for one of their bocadillos, the toasted lomo y queso was the perfect choice for a pick-me-up! Lia Wallon reLIAble eats www.reLIAbleeats.blogspot.com
Cerveza| Caña €1, Doble €2, Pinta €3.60 Vino| €1.60 Cocktails| €4-€6.50 Tapas & bocadillos| €2.50-€5 Plaza Vicente Iborra 5 Opens| Mon-Fri 8am Sat 9.30am Sun 10.30am Closes| Daily 1.30am 627 317 677
19/04/1988. China. Pop music from the west is heard on radio for the first time. Everything from Glenn Miller to Madonna although Roll Over Beethoven was banned for being disrespectful.
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Expat life | Generation next
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s an adult, a move into the expat world can be exciting, life-changing and in no small way, daunting. Many expats speak of needing occasional trips ‘home’, be they for holidays, weddings or just for a break. But, what is it like growing up in the expat world? Thirteen year old, Orphée and Nicholas Athanassiou moved to Valencia last year. Born in Toulouse they moved to Rome when they were just five where they attended an international school and studied in English. Their mother Angela is French and her work in International Development brought them to Valencia. Dad is Greek and having acquired Spanish over the last year the boys now speak five languages. The move last year was difficult, they loved Rome and had lots of friends there & it took a while to settle in. Nicholas, in particular found the move tough at the beginning but is now much happier. "I miss Orphée, bouncing high on their newly acquired Rome, and even though I didn’t really want to move, trampoline rejoins the conversation from mid-air, "I I’m glad Mom encouraged us, ‘cause it’s worked out normally speak more English than French though." much better than I could have imagined. It is difficult His brother laughs, "You speak better English than moving countries, starting all over again, but I never French, anyway Orph!" "I used to feel Italian," imagined I would feel what I feel now." continues Nicholas, "but not now." "Even though we Orphée, having adapted quicker at the beginning, have nothing to do with England, I guess we kind still pines somewhat for Rome. "Rome was more of feel kind of English, because of the language," says Orphée. "You have more of an American accent about the people; here it is more about the place though," adds Nicholas. Orphée smiles, "Yeah, but than people." we use British words. It’s kind of hard, I think more They attend Cambridge House School, and point like someone from the north of Europe, but I live in out that while they go to an international school, the South, maybe that’s why it’s easier to say I’m Valencia isn’t as multinational as Rome. "I like it there and there are some English and American kids, French, it’s kind of in the middle. I wanna be in the middle." but Rome was much more international, there were There is the possibility of a move to Hawaii in kids from all over the world there," says Orphée. the near future. If that comes about Nicholas says When we turn to the question of where they feel he would like to come back to Valencia. Orphée is they are from, they both pause. Nicholas says, "we not so sure. "I feel really comfortable here but at the usually just say we are French because it’s easier, same time I have the passion to travel and maybe Orph used to give the long version more often but study somewhere else, but I’m not sure where I now doesn't feel like going into it so much." would like to live." Angela calls them from the house to get ready. Orphée has a birthday party to go to and Nicholas is meeting friends down in the village, very unexceptional Saturday afternoon activities for two exceptional boys. Eoghan Ryan
21/04/753 BC. Historian Varro says on this day Rome was founded by Romulus, who the legend says, was raised by a wolf and whose father was Mars, so read what you will into this date's accuracy.
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f there’s one thing I had problems teaching when I moved to Spain, it’s those bloody modal verbs. How many times do you hear ‘It’s possible they come’ or ‘Maybe they don’t know’ in your classes? Fair enough, the latter is a perfectly grammatically correct sentence and you would even hear most natives say it, but I find that Spanish speakers tend to avoid using modals like the plague. Why? Well, one thing is that they are not what I’d work through the activity, then hammer each and call “easily translatable” into the Spanish language every one of them until they’ve all used the and, for that reason, can often lead to confusion. target language. Bog-standard verbs like 'eat', 'drink', 'play', and even Crime scenes are always great for modal use more complicated multi-part verbs like 'get up', 'get in the past and the present e.g. She might be a along' with can be fairly easily translated in class. witness, the driver might be in the car, the crash How do you deal with those difficult questions when must have been high speed, etc. The last example students invariably ask for a straight translation word would be for a higher-level class, but it still elicits for word? Therein lies the difficulty. Take ‘would’ for the target language. example. ‘If I were you, I would stop complaining’ is Write 'It is possible that it will rain tomorrow easily translated into Spanish. However, ‘When we night' on the board and then cross out 'is possible were younger, we would often go outside to play’ is that it will' and replace it with 'might' to introduce clearly not a conditional sentence and much more lower level students to this particular modal complicated for the Spanish learner. Especially verb. Then you could get them to make a series of after already being told that ‘would’ = ‘-ía, -ías, -ía, possibilities about themselves for the future. -íamos, etc. Having spent my first year memorising stronger I used to think that you could simply impress obligation vs. weaker obligation and external them with some theory, some nice drawings, or even obligation vs. internal obligation, I finally just a nice print out, which is normally stashed into a thought of situations in which I would use them folder and never seen again. I soon discovered that myself. getting this grammar into them is much easier than E.g. TEACHER: You must do your homework. getting it out of them. So what do we have to do? STUDENT A: Do you want to go out tonight? Well, simply put, force them! Having the theory STUDENT B: No, I have to do stashed away is not going to help them my English homework. on that weekend trip to London or I could go on all day. in that new job that they got Just try to make sure that on the back of having an they use them in class. 'Intermediate' level Whilst they might revert in English on back to default mode in their CV. So why any further encounters, at not set up some least they will be prepared to situations in which understand them receptively they can be used until when they head on that muchthey’ve got it? awaited Summer school trip or Textbooks always have great during that important conference. resources for these kind of situations. My favourite, for dealing with can/ could/ may/ might/ Orange Language Academy has been an American run can’t be appeared in the New English File series and language school for the city of Valencia and its contained a series of 'facts' about the world which provinces since 2005 offering all types of language related services. students had to talk about in pairs. I have since They run the Mon language lost the worksheet itself, but you can make up the 'facts' yourself. Paracetamol is illegal in Germany for exchange at The Bohemian Café and the Tues and Weds example. You’ll hear cries, you’ll see arms thrown nights at the Portland Ale up in the air, you’ll even hear them say it in Spanish House. Find out more at (Puede ser. No puede ser. Tiene que ser.) Let them www.orangeidiomas.com For those of you who really want to get down to learning the language, we’ll be bringing you an expression each month. This is our job. Your job? Get out there and use it! Then tell us how you got on… pegarle a alguien una paliza – to give someone a hiding. e.g. Le pegó una paliza porque no le gustaba. He gave him a hiding because he didn’t like him. 21/04/1918. Amiens, France. After shooting down 80 Allied planes the RAF finally got their man. (Red) Baron Manfred von Richtofen got his famous moniker because of his red Fokker tri-plane.
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e’re getting closer to summer, which means one thing: festivals! We’ve got a breakdown of festivals inside (and just outside) the Valencian Community where you can see some of the top acts around, some of the big acts that will be on in and around the city of Valencia, and the best nights at the usual venues. SOS 48| 6-7/05 Murcia These guys Sala Matisse| Campoamor 60 (VLC) are offering an early bird ticket of 28/04 (22.30, €10) Australian Aaron €34.99 for a limited period. Line up Thomas will be playing & 04/05 (22.30, includes Editors, Everything Everything, €8-10) Californian Bart Davenport will MGMT, Patti Smith, Suede and many also be playing (singer songwriters). more. www.sos38.com 6-07/05 The 2nd year of Datura Folk
Primavera Sound| Poble Espanyol, Barcelona 25-29/05 A hidden treat of a festival that includes a huge international line up. Mercury Rev, The Flaming Lips, Grinderman, Interpol, Sufjan Stevens, The National, Pulp, Fleet Foxes, DJ Shadow. I could go on and on. Full line up at www.primaverasound.com. A ticket for the entire festival will cost you €175 + P&P or, for those on a budget (and with jobs) €70 for a day pass. Benicassim Festival| 14-17/07 With the line up almost complete, we can confirm that FIB are still offering a 10% discount for residents (people who are empadronado) in Valencia. 4-Day ticket €160. www.fiberfib.com Benidorm Low Cost Festival| 21-23/07 Klaxons have joined Mando Dio, Cut Copy, Crystal Castles and many more. €60. www.festivallowcost.com. Iggy Pop| That's right. Punk's favourite topless lunatic will be paying us a visit on 09/07 at the Jardines de Viveros. Tickets will set you back at around €40 and it should all kick off at about 21:00. www.nvivo.es/jardines-viverosvalencia-salas-679. Better dust off those leather trousers! Jimmy Glass| C/ Baja, 28 (VLC) This place often features great local and international talent. See the Ricardo Belda Trío on 19/04 (21:30) for €12 and The Javier Vercher Quartet feat. Dave Kikoski on 26/04 (21:30) €15. New Friday nights 'Jazz es Uno' will give you a chance to see some decent jazz for only €4 from 22.15-24.00. www.jimmyglassjazz.net Sala El Loco| C/ Erudito Orellana, 12 (VLC) 27-28/05 Beatles weekend! Cover bands will be giving the Fab Four’s songs a working over (€15-18 per day). www.lococlub.org
(€15-18 one day, €25 both days). El Palau de la Musica| (VLC) 25/03, 17/04 (20:00) The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra directed by Ton Koopman are worth checking out. Tickets €1530. 30/04 (19:30) A 'Gran noche de la Música Española' directed by Nataliya Ponomarchuck will take place. Tickets €14.55-29. 06/05 (18:30) A Mozart Experience for all Mozart lovers performed by our very own Orquesta de Valencia. A bargain of €3-6. 13/05 (19:30) Orquesta de Valencia back in action, this time with soprano Ainhoa Arteta. She must be good, price goes up to €15-30. www.palaudevalencia.com Durango Poligono Industrial La Closa (Meliana) Durango 16/04 Clash/ Ramones tribute night (€9 – on the door). 29-30/04 (23:00-07:30) Covers Party: Durango provides the backline, you just grab your guitars, get on stage and rock the night away. Great stuff! €4 + free drink. 13/05 A Southern blues-rock weekend with Hogjaw + The Stolen headlining. €10-13 per day. www.durangoclub.es Excuse me| C/Tomasos 14 (VLC) Always an eclectic taste from Northern Soul to rock, pop and indie. On Facebook. Café del Duende| C/ Turia, 62 (VLC) A great place to catch some decent flamenco from Thursday - Saturday from 23:30. www.cafedelduende.com Café Mercedes| C/ Sueca, 27 (VLC) A nice, cheap jazz venue in the heart of Ruzafa where you can find free jam sessions on Sundays from 20:30. www.cafemercedes.es Music Box| C/ Pintor Zariñera, 16 (VLC) & Radio City| C/ Santa Teresa 19 (VLC) Open daily with visiting DJs and Tuesdays offer live flamenco music at Radio City (23:00, €7 with free drink). www.myspace.com/ themusicboxclub and www.radiocityvalencia.com
21 April 1989. Beijing. 100,000 protesters march into Tiananmen Square to protest over human rights violations. The protest grows and lasts until 4 June when the tanks roll in and up to 10,000 die.
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ach month we’ll give you a topic for the following edition. Email us 1 high-resolution image with a sentence describing the photo by 31st of the month. We’ll choose a few entries to print and the editor's favourite wins a prize. This month's favourite is by David Cross!
Philip Calambakas | A day old baby robin
Cheryl Crow | Small beauties
David Cross| A love of life Ricardo Garcia | Life from Mother Earth Please send 1 photo per person & only send your own photo for copyright reasons. There are other terms and conditions - email us if you want to know them.
Next month’s topic is ‘natural’. Look forward to seeing your pictures. invlceditor@gmail.com
22 April 1760. London. First recorded use of roller skates. A Belgian musician entered a party wearing them whilst playing the violin. Rather predictably he crashed into a mirror and smashed it.
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Music
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elcome to our new reviewers Chris Kellett and PJ Evans, who will search endlessly to find the best music for your ears. Get in touch with your recommendations!
Album that spans genres | Smoke Ring for My Halo - Kurt Vile Kurt Vile seems to select all the best parts of contemporary indie/rock and mixes them effortlessly in a swirl of electronic effects and guiding acoustic and electric guitars. With thoughtful and almost spoken lyrics, his songs meander but never get boring or lose focus. It's a bit of grunge, a bit of rock and roll (as his name suggests), it's even a bit of Bob Seger. It's a number of things from the past, all with a very modern and contemporary feel. It's grand in scope and all in all a refreshing and very different piece of music. Standout Tracks | Jesus Fever, Runner up Album to rock to | Angles - The Strokes After a 2-year hiatus and a creative power struggle, the NY indie-rockers are back with Angles. And, their fourth studio album is mostly a success. It's only when the band tries to experiment and to deviate away from the sounds that the fans know and love that the album suffers. It is, for the most part, a return to the form of their earlier material and an enjoyable listen but be prepared to hit the skip button on a few occasions. Standout Tracks| Under Cover of Darkness, Gratisfication, Two Kinds of Happiness
Album to chill out to | Build A Rocket Boys - Elbow Elbow won a Mercury Prize and long awaited public acclaim for their last album yet despite the added anticipation they have produced an album as good as any of their previous ones. All of the songs seem to have been written with ease and it's obvious that Elbow have striven for quality rather than complexity. The lyrics are a perfect example of this. While many bands try to pass off esoteric, throwaway metaphors as lyrics, Elbow have that rare ability to express themselves with simplicity. You could be forgiven for thinking “we've got open arms for broken hearts” was a rejected lyric from a Take That and Justin Beiber collaboration, but coming from Guy Garvey, backed by the Manchester Halle Choir, it’s enough to uplift any cynic! Standout Tracks| Lippy Kids, Jesus is a Rochdale Girl and Dear Friends Other releases | Britney Spears, Peter Bjorn & John, Sum 41, Chris Brown, Green Day, Duran Duran and more. Music news| Fleet Foxes will release their 2nd album, Helplessness Blues, on 3 May. The Seattle based indiefolk quartet will also be playing Barcelona's Primavera Sound Festival on Saturday 28 May. Preview it on the band's official website.
Following the success of 'Dark was the Night', The Red Hot Organisation will release a new compilation on 28 June. Titled Red Hot + Rio 2, it tributes the 1960s Brazilian Tropicana movement featuring material by Beck, Beirut & Devendra Banhart.
LCD Soundsystem will play their last ever concert on 2 April in New York City. The band announced their plans to retire early last year and have since been touring their latest album. The concert will be streamed live at www.pitchfork.com.
23/04/1616. Stratford-upon-Avon & Spain. Death of 'The Bard', England's most famous playright, William Shakespeare. His date of death is ironically the same as Spain's Shakespeare - Miguel de Cervantes.
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couple of films to catch at the cinema whilst you can, alongside a full on festival right in the centre of Valencia make for some promising cinema even though the days are starting to heat up.
In A Better World| (Susanne Bier – 2010) Mikael Persbrandt, Trine Dryholm, Markus Rygaard, Wil Johnson. The winner of the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar this year arrives here in Valencia with this heart-wrenching story surrounding Anton (Persbrandt) who lives in two different worlds: the violent African refugee camp, where lives seem to be taken for nothing more than the fun of it, and his home in Denmark where he and his wife (Dryholm) are separated and soon to be going through a divorce. The murder and disease of Africa is contrasted with the quite serene Danish countryside where Anton spends his time relaxing with his sons. That’s until an unforeseen set of circumstances cause this very violence to present itself in his personal life turning his life upside down. Babel: from April 1 UGC Ciné Cité, Avda Tirso de Molina, 16, www.ugc.es
The Company Men| (John Wells - 2010) Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper. A very apt and poignant story about the effect of the 2010 corporate downsizing on three men: Bobby Walker (Affleck) - a family man trying to find another job, Gene McClary (Jones) – a fellow executive trying to stop the mass cutbacks of his loyal workforce, and Phil Woodward (Cooper) – a Vietnam vet who worked his way to the top from the shop floor. The film deals with the moral (or often amoral) choices made by corporate suits in their quest for profit no matter what the cost. Great performances from Affleck and Cooper alongside Kevin Costner as Bobby’s roughneck brother-in-law. UGC Ciné Cité: from April 29
The Modern American Thriller| A celebration of the modern American thriller over three centuries at the Filmoteca includes this interesting line up of original version films: - Trouble In My Mind (Rudolph-'85) - The Grissom Gang (Aldrich–'71) - The Killers (Siegel–'64) - The Detective (Douglas–'68) - Night Moves (Penn–'75) - Marlowe (Bogart–'69) 15 & 16 Apr @ 6pm - The Outfit (Flynn–'73) 21 & 23 Apr @ 6pm & 8.15pm - Black Caesar (Cohen–'73) 19 & 20 Apr @ 6pm & 8.15pm - Driver (Hill–'78) - Thief (Mann–'81) 21 & 23 Apr @ 6pm & 8pm - Coen & Tate (Red–'88) - Kill Me Again (Dahl–'89) - State Of Grace (Joanou–'90) 24 Apr 8pm - New Rose Hotel (Ferrara–'98) - Femme Fatale (De Palma–02) Dates and times stated where available. For more information visit www.gva.es
Babel, C/ Vicente Sancho Tello, 10, www.cinesalbatrosbabel.com Filmoteca, Plaza del Ayuntamiento, 17 www.gva.es
23/04/1969. US. Sirhan Sirhan is found guilty of the assassination of JFK's brother Robert. Mentally unstable and having no recollection of the crime his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.
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Read me | Ken Follett
all of Giants - Already a famous author prior to the success of The Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett has subsequently become a phenomenon with the sequel World Without End. Follett is undoubtedly a master of the popular historical epic – well-researched, plot and character driven, huge in scope and designed to entertain the masses rather than pander to the ‘literary elite’. Fall of Giants is in much the same vein, a 1000page epic – the first part of the ‘Century Trilogy’ – ‘Giants’ covers events from 1911 through World War One, the Russian Revolution and the Armistice. The novel ends with ominous hints of the rise of a certain Adolf Hitler and the potential for another war. First, the positives. Fall of Giants is a very entertaining read packed full of the stories, lives, dramas, ups and downs of a huge cast of characters – both fictional and actual historical figures. So, we have the Williams family representing a working class Welsh mining community, the Fitzherberts land-owning British aristocrats, the Peshkov brothers caught up in the war and the Russian Revolution, Walter von Ulrich gives us the German perspective and Gus Dewar the view from America as he works for the US president. These are the principle characters and we follow the tribulations of their lives and dealings with historical figures such as the British Prime Minister, the American President, the Tsar in Russia, Lenin and even a young Winston Churchill. Through these tumultuous years there are such themes as the unfairness of the class system, the causes and horror of World War One, life in the trenches, the fight for women’s suffrage and politics in the early part of the twentieth century. In short, this is a hugely ambitious book and Follett should be rightly congratulated on achieving what he has – a complex and compelling story,
well-researched, well-told – yet another success. However, I have a few reservations about some elements of Follett’s writing. I noticed small flaws in The Pillars of the Earth, which were repeated in its follow-up World Without End, and I was not surprised to see the same weaknesses in Fall of Giants. Firstly, Follett draws certain ‘character types’ repetitively – the morally degenerate aristocrat for example, or the border-line genius working man, or the unconventional woman who breaks the patriarchal rules of her society. It is as if Follett – having realised the popularity of such stereotypes – has decided to repeat them over and again. Another problem for me is Follett’s tendency to telegraph or signpost what is coming – you just know from the first exchange that this couple will have a love affair and he will do this and she will do that...the plot can be a bit predictable with Follett. Finally, it might seem churlish when the bulk of Follett’s writing is good, tight, sharp – but there are some truly clunky descriptive passages, too many adverbs, too many clichés; a woman’s eyes ‘twinkled mischievously’, aaarrrggghhhh!!! Oh, Follett likes clumsy sex-scenes too... Despite such criticism I must say that I enjoyed this novel very much and recommend it to anyone who fancies an engrossing page-turner full of exciting turns in plot. A big novel for people who like big stories. Iain Armstrong Bikes| The monthly bike meeting of VLC will take place as usual on the first Friday of the month. This aims to promote bikes and bike safety in VLC. Place| Plaza de la Virgin, VLC Time| 7.30pm
25/04/1915. Gallipoli. "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; age shall not weary them nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them" Laurence Binyon.
Green living | Going nuclear
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A little goes a long way What| Take your rubbish home from the beach. Why| A little wind results in your rubbish & pollutants going into the sea and the stomachs of the animals who live there. Why not| You don't want to carry it home. Benefits| The sea doesn't get polluted with waste that can be easily placed in recycle and rubbish bins on the way home.
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uclear power is coming under question once again after the massive earthquake in Japan and the effects on the nuclear power stations. I would like to say very clearly that nuclear power has never been the answer to our energy problems, it isn't now and it never will be. Can it replace oil? No, it can't and it's that simple. It has all the problems of oil and many more besides. Oil is a finite resource, uranium (the raw material of nuclear power) is a finite resource, both are running out and the more you use them, the faster they run out. To move from oil power to nuclear power is to jump from one sinking ship onto another and believe that we are saved. It is pure fantasy. Oil produces energy, plastics (wheels, bags, etc.) medicines, fertilizers, heat, etc. The list is endless. Nuclear produces energy and bombs. Is that a positive replacement? Oil produces waste that causes global warming while nuclear power produces waste that needs to be under high security for a hundred years or more. Do they include this into the cost of the electricity or do we tax payers have to pay for that? We are dependent on other countries to supply us oil, we are dependent on a different set of countries to supply us with uranium. Now we come to safety and the problems they are having in Fukushima. This disaster has been caused by an earthquake followed by a spectacular tsunami. The nuclear industry would claim this could never happen in Europe but I'm sure the Japanese thought the same, "it'll never happen here", famous last words. Do we not have natural disasters, raging fires, floods, volcanoes and earthquakes in Europe?
And what if it was a man made disaster, such as a war? Could a nuclear power plant be a target for a missile attack? Would anyone be crazy enough to crash planes into a nuclear plant as they did to the twin towers in New York? "A nuclear plant needs to be constantly cooled by water, the needs of the nuclear industry in France are equal to half of the country's water consumption" Jean-Marie Colombani, 21-3-2011 El País. And, furthermore, no interruptions are allowed. This is one of the many Achilles' heels of nuclear power. It is basically ungovernable. The safety record of the nuclear industry is a string of lies, damn lies and so called 'statistics'. Nuclear power is a myth, an illusion, and a drug proposed by massive companies and their propagandists who want to keep us under their thumb. What then is the alternative? The best, the cheapest, the safest, the cleanest, the most sustainable, the most democratic alternative is ENERGY EFFICIENCY. It is mind-blowingly beautiful in its simplicity. Apart from the miracle of saving energy, for the rest of our energy needs we can use clean, safe, sustainable, and alternative energies such as solar, wind, biomass, wave power, and other possible future inventions. In one short paragraph our energy problems have been solved (personally I wouldn't claim credit for this solution, ecologists have been proposing this for years now) but this is really just the beginning and it would require a lot of work and planning to bring it to fruition. Declan Lehane
25/04/1989. Hungary. Italian MP and ex-porn star La Cicciolina releases a dove to mark the departure of Soviet tanks from Hungary. Instead of flying off the bird perches on the road and is crushed by the lead tank.
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ootball| With Valencia and Villareal fighting for third place the pressure is on Los Ches. Both city teams also play host to one of the big two and there's the city derby to look forward to as well. Real Madrid visit the Mestalla and Levante's big game is versus Barcelona. Tickets will be at a premium for all these games so try to get them early. Buy tickets for Valencia games from the kiosks at the Mestalla Stadium on Avendia de Suecia, on their web page, on ticketmaster.es, at any of the official Valencia football shops, or even from the La Caixa website. Just ask for una entrada. The seats at Grada de la Mar are cheap and have a good view. For information on Levante check the up-to-date information on www.levanteud.com. Please note all game dates and times are subject to alteration so check beforehand.
Valencia fixtures this month| 17/04 24/04 1/05 8/05 11/05 15/05
Almeria v Valencia Valencia v Real Madrid Osasuna v Valencia Valencia v Real Sociedad Espanyol v Valencia Valencia v Levante
Levante fixtures this month| 17/04 24/04 1/05 8/05 11/05 15/05
Levante v Hercules Atletico Madrid v Levante Levante v Sporting Gijon Athletic Bilbao v Levante Levante v Barcelona Valencia v Levante
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opa Del Rey| Real Madrid and Barcelona come to town on 20 April to contest the Copa Del Rey Final at the Mestalla. There will be extra expectations from fans on both sides for their teams to win this latest Gran Clásico as it is the first time they have met in the final for 21 years. Expect tickets to be like gold dust.
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otor racing| As a precursor to July's Valencia Street circuit Grand Prix the F1 cavalcade comes to the Montmeló circuit near Barcelona. Spanish hopes will once again rest upon Asturias born Fernando Alonso in his Ferrari. 20-22 May. More information at www.formula1.com. Speaking of Ferrari there will be a Ferrari Challenge & International Superstar Series at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Cheste on 7-8 May. Entry is free.
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asketball| Currently sitting third in the league behind Barcelona and Real Madrid (ring any bells with any other sports?), Power Electronics Valencia will be aiming to finish the season in style. If you want to see basketball in the league considered second only to the US NBA then tickets can be bought at the team's offices at Pabellón Municipal Fuente Sant Lluís de Valencia, Avda. Hermanos Maristas (Metro Jesus). Tel| 963 957 084
Looking for customers for your business in the Valencian Community? Contact us on invlceditor@gmail.com ¿Estás buscando clientes para tu empresa en la comunidad valenciana? Ponte en contacto con nosotros invlceditor@gmail.com 26/04/1937. Spain. German planes under the control of Franco strike Guernica in the Basque country and bomb civilians for the first time in the Civil War. Picasso's masterpiece captures this atrocity.
A day in the life in VLC
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iving in Valencia and the Community is surprising, varied and exciting and everyone sees something dierent. We thought it would be fun to see what other people see. For one day, a reader will take a photo of what they can see on the hour, every hour for 9 hours. To start us o, Sean shows us his Friday. Contact us if you want to have a go. invlceditor@gmail.com
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28/04/1770. James Cook, Captain of The Endeavour, lands in Botany Bay, Australia. Originally called Sting Ray Bay it was soon changed after being found to be a botanist's paradise.
Artist of the month| Carmela Doménech
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e want to support new and up-and-coming artistic talent in the Valencian Community. Each month we'll choose one artist at random and devote a page to that artist.
name| Carmela Doménech location| Valencia what's available| All kind of accessories, mainly original brooches. inspiration| Arts, color, geometrical shapes and everything that can be turned into a nice and original accessory.
history| Carmela started doing all these as a hobby some years ago when she was still studying design, but it has been growing, and she spends more and more time working on them everyday. prices| From €3 to €35, depending on the item. web| www.artenganxat.blogspot.com email| artenganxat@gmail.com
If you, or anyone you know, would like to feature in our art pages, contact us at invlceditor@gmail.com
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he art scene in Valencia is exciting, with exhibitions in hidden corners throughout the city and community. Get yourselves out and add extra culture to your afternoons with some great works of art.
hat’s the colour of genius? (until 26/4) | The Jasper Johns exhibition showcases a superb selection of works from early to current pieces. A cacophony of colours, styles, subjects and media justify the reputation of this brilliant American artist and his equally revered work. I wouldn’t presume to try and categorise Johns or his work; greater men than me have tried and failed. Consequently, this lack of labelling underlies the beauty of both the artist and his abundant repertoire. Predominantly graphic in style, abstract at times and filled with motifs and familiar symbols, his visual documentary offers something for every lover of art, no matter his preference. As a young and enthusiastic graphic design student, I was consistently drawn to Johns’ work for inspiration in terms of content, composition and
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technique. And in the good old/ bad old days of pre-internet/ pre-camera mobiles, the only opportunity to copy images in order to study and emulate (read plagiarise) was to sneak past the librarian - book in bag - and go hell for leather with the photocopier in another department within the library. But oh, how things have changed. Whilst at the exhibition, I couldn’t move for people (predominantly throngs of students - a generation down the line); camera phones in hand, blatantly snapping at everything in sight. It was all the museum attendants could do to get them to stop taking close-ups, insisting “Panoramic views only, please”. Undeterred, the students resorted to staging decoys for one another in order to distract the attendants and get up close and personal with Mr Johns’ beautiful creations. “Get a room!” I thought.
l Manchas (until 7/5) | Playful adverts, billboard-style posters and comic book illustrations; this is the new pop art exhibition by Spanish artist, El Manchas, whose quirky images form a sarcastic and frank commentary on modern culture and the increasingly consumerist habits of an ever more globalised society. Composed of twenty-one, medium to large works using acrylic and collage, the exhibition gives the sense of having walked into an oversized retail catalogue as make-believe adverts for shoes, an industrial rubbish bin and 'Fig. 2 El Cielo' [The sky] line the walls, poking a playful finger at modern buying habits and the 'possess everything' attitude that contemporary advertising inspires. Certainly a pop art artist, El Manchas nevertheless maintains a refreshingly distinctive style, juxtaposing popular images of mass
Preferably with a back-catalogue and a photocopier… All in all, an outstanding exhibition for design students - and normal people, too. ML
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Art to see
IVAM, Guillem de Castro, 118, VLC Tues-Sun 10am-8pm www.ivam.es | Free!
culture and American song lyrics with newspaper texts on Guantanamo bay, thereby tingeing the light-hearted tone with a more serious comment on an ever-present and dominant superpower. The continual appearance of cardboard boxes also makes for a confusing twist and reflects upon the artist’s long-standing obsession with drawing these symbols of disposable culture. Whether used in the collage format of his works or featuring in the images themselves, it seems these small, brown boxes demonstrate the artist’s humorous refusal to be labelled and placed in an exclusively pop art box himself. Make of them what you will, this is definitely worth a visit. Malou Herkes Galería Rosalía Sender, C/Mar 19, VLC Tues–Sat 11am-2pm 3.30pm-9pm www.rosaliasender.com | Free!
28/04/1945. Lake Como, Italy. The life of Benito Mussolini (Il Duce) is ended when he is shot at Lake Como, his body kicked and spat upon and then hung upside down on meat hooks from the roof of a petrol station in Milan.
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Recipe | Spring Salad with Zucchini & Green Beans
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pring is here, cherry trees are blossoming and it’s time to bring out the spring salads. In the markets you will find skinny green beans that go by many names in English: runner beans, French beans, snap beans, or string beans. (There is another variety called haricots verts which are basically a longer, thinner green bean with a supposedly more complex flavour. Although I struggle to think of how complex the flavour of a green bean can be!) Here in Spain these beans are called judias verdes and in Valencian batxoqueta. You can ask for batxoqueta fina or plana. The plana, or flat, beans are often used in paella. The fina beans are the long skinny ones and are used in this recipe. These beans might also be labelled as boby. It’s not a different type of bean, just a different name for the same thing! This is a Greek salad, although it is nothing like the typical Greek salad, which has feta cheese, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, and olives. Just as in Spain we have tapas bars, in Greece they have ouzerís, where small traditional dishes, or mezze, are served. You might find this on the menu listed as the house salad. Blanching the vegetables for a very short time means they won’t turn soggy when mixed with the dressing, especially since the vinegar will soften them a bit as well. You could even try this salad without cooking the vegetables! It is best to serve this salad the same day; the vegetables become too soft after sitting overnight. Lia Wallon reLIAble eats www.reLIAbleeats.blogspot.com
What to buy| (Serves 4) 1 large zucchini (courgette), ends trimmed off ¼ kilo green beans, ends snapped off 2 scallions, sliced into thin rounds 5 white mushrooms, sliced Dill to taste 1/3 cup white wine vinegar 1/3 cup olive oil Salt and pepper
Wow factor| The vinegar will make you pucker up Effort| Easy! Cutting veggies is slow, but not difficult! How to make it| one Cut zucchini horizontally into three pieces. Cut each piece vertically into matchsticks. Cut green beans in half horizontally then cut each piece in half vertically. two Blanch zucchini in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and rinse under cold water. Blanch green beans for 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and rinse under cold water. three Put blanched vegetables in a serving bowl. Add mushrooms and a spoonful of chopped dill. Toss with the vinegar, olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Add more dill if desired. four Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
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The length in metres of the world's longest bean pod, known as the Entadas Gigas, from South America.
29/04/1901. Japan. Emperor Hirohito is born. He became Emperor in 1926 but formally renounced his god-like divinity and the racial supremacy of the Japanese after suffering defeat in WWII.
Lemon cocktails
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T
he thought of lemons inspire sweet memories of lemonade in the garden, paddling pools and hosepipes. So we're re-creating the memories with some refreshing, tangy virgin, and not so virgin drinks to keep you cool over the coming months.
Here are some tasty treats for great fun:
one Pink lady A tangy, fruity drink. 1.5cl White Rum 3cl creme de cassis 1.5cl lemon juice Orange juice to top up
Put all the ingredients in a shaker. Shake well.
Serve in highball, serve with ice and garnish with a lime wedge.
Tip| For sugar syrup, boil 1 part water, add 2 parts sugar to disolve, cool to thicken. Demerara is the best!
two Virgin Lemonade Drink at lunch and feel refreshed. 6cl lemon juice 3cl sugar syrup Soda water to top up
three Lemon Pie For drinking by the pool. 3cl White rum 3cl Crème De Cacao 2 scoops icecream 3cl lemon juice
(Add 2cl rum for a kick) Put all the ingredients in a jug. Stir well. Serve in a hurricane glass (or a highball) with lots of ice.
Blend together with a few lumps of ice.
Serve in a martini glass with a sliver of lemon peel.
2004 Lemming
The year in which a research study was presented which showed that the inability to recognise the smell of lemons could predict the onset of Alzheimers Disease. Not to be confused with lemons, this small arctic rodent with suicidal tendencies should not be added to your drink.
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Health | The McTimoney technique
First certificate
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s a general rule of thumb, the species is living longer, healthier lives. But still far too many suffer from pain, which can be resolved through practical treatment. There are options which some take, from painkillers and pills to massage and meditation but with so many choices, which is the right one? We spoke to Anita Burnett of Centro Quiropractico Burnett about the options which can improve the quality of our lives. She told us about The McTimoney technique, developed over 50 years ago. "Chiropractic is an alternate form of healthcare which uses the body's natural ability to heal itself without drugs or surgery. John McTimoney, interestingly, by using his engineering background devised a gentler and more holistic form of chiropractic treatment. He knew that the main cause of 'dis-ease' and pain in the body was the misalignment of bone, mainly the spinal column. In his quest for an effective but non-invasive solution to diseases he devised a ‘whole body’ chiropractic method. Short-term and regular chiropractic treatment is an investment in long-term health and a better quality of life. Benefits include:
pain relief increased mobility and range of motion decreased stiffness and muscular spasms increased joint health The McTimoney chiropractic technique is non invasive and gentle enough to be used on new-born babies and the very old. It is used in acute and chronic disease, for pain (head, neck, back, arms, and knees), immobility, dizziness and vertigo. It also boosts the immune system. McTimoney chiropractors primarily use their sense of touch using hands and fingers to analyse a patient's entire skeleton, detecting misalignments (subluxations), however slight. To realign the bones a gentle 'thrust' is the primary technique used, with which there is no discomfort to the patient, no pain, no 'shock' and no audible sound.
increased energy increased sense of well-being and relaxation increased balance and coordination reduced degeneration and risk of injury The McTimoney technique is a specialised form of chiropractic care, with a 5-year degree course. There is only one college in Europe which offers this training, which is in England. Students travel from far and wide to study there. Currently there are a small number of chiropractors in Spain using the McTimoney technique." Anita Burnett, Centro Quiropractico Burnett As with all health issues please get good advice before undertaking any treatment. If there is a topic which you think will be of interest to inVLC readers, please get in touch at invlceditor@gmail.com.
29/04/1967. US. "I got nothing against no Viet Cong. No Vietnamese ever called me a n*****." Muhammad Ali's response to being drafted. He subsequently lost his Heavyweight belt and became an outcast.
Charity | Our Brothers (And Sisters) In The East
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As it stands, the facts are as follows: 13,228 deaths 2,858 injured 14,529 missing 100,000 children lost due to the tsunami taking place whilst the children were not with their parents 200,000 people evacuated due to radiation leakage 4.4m households without electricity 1.5m households without water 190,000 buildings destroyed or damaged $300 billion in estimated damages
© Yozo Kawabe/MSF,
Intermediate
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t around three o’clock in the afternoon on Friday 11 March, an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale occurred about 72 km off the coast of Japan. The earthquake triggered a 37-metre high tsunami only minutes after. Barely time for sufficient warning on the Japanese mainland leaving many people defenceless against waves travelling 10 km inland. The earthquake was confirmed as the biggest to have hit Japan since record keeping started in 1900 and Japanese President Naoto Kan called it the “biggest crisis since the end of WWII”. In short, imagine the whole north of the UK being wiped out within hours. People dead, entire communities destroyed, every belonging you have washed away never to be seen again. Unfortunately, the story does not end there. With various nuclear reactors damaged by the earthquake and its aftershocks, the surrounding areas have become polluted by radiation which will take half a century to disappear.
© Jun Saito/MSF
So, how can you help? Many charities were quick to take action. But, how do you know that your donation is going directly to Japan? Well, most decent charities will tell you that they don’t issue appeals, but rely on regular contributions to keep their teams in areas where they are needed. Both Doctors without borders (www.doctorswithoutborders.org) and the Red Cross (www.redcross.org.uk) have medical staff on the ground. DWB are working specifically in the Iwate and Miyagi prefectures alongside Japanese authorities. They can't guarantee that your donation will go to Japan, but rest assured, it's put to good use elsewhere if not. Another way of making your donations more effective would be to give directly to charities already based in Japan. Here is a list of Japanese charities by city, where you can make your donations: www.charity-charities.org/Japan-charities/Japan.html
Giving to any of these reputable charities can help, no matter how little. We support many of these charities in what they are trying to do. Let’s hope for a speedy recovery during these difficult ensuing months. www.doctorswithoutborders.org www.redcross.org.uk www.charity-charities.org/Japan-charities/ Japan.html
© Yozo Kawabe/MSF, 30/04/1789. US. George Washington is inaugurated as the first President of the newly formed United States. He was not associated to any political party as he was opposed to the idea of them.
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Animals| World Migratory Bird Day
W
190 1,400
number of bird species considered to be critically endangered.* number of bird species which are considered vulnerable or endangered.*
* information provided by the ICUNredlist.org 2010 Name| Zara and brother Leo Age| 3 months Size| Will be medium Personality| Confident & well socialised Appearance| Spaniel mix
orld Migratory Bird Day on 14-15 May 2011 is a global, annual awareness campaign to promote the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats worldwide. It began in 2006 in Kenya, organized by the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) and the Convention on Migratory Species (CM) and has a strong international following. Migratory birds fly thousands of kilometres each year, using sites along the way to guide them on their routes and give them vital food and resting points as they travel. These eco-sites could be grasslands or wetlands, like Albufera and the PegoOliva Marshes. This way of travel gives them a unique and special perspective of the Earth. They can see, and are directly affected by, the changes that are threatening our ecosystems. As ecosystems are damaged and disappear, the birds find it increasingly difficult to rest and refuel. Most of the threats are human inventions: agriculture and invasive alien species, hunting, trapping, logging, urbanization, pollution, fisheries, with climate change increasingly becoming a factor. The aim of the Day is to raise awareness on the dramatic effects human land use has on migratory birds and the ecosystems. Activities will be held in the Bioparc Valencia to celebrate these days and are worth taking the kids along to. Although at the time of print the details were not finalised, last year's activities included bird exhibitions and talks on migration, behaviour, along with fun interactive activities such as mask making. Check www.bioparcvalencia.es closer to the date. www.worldmigratorybirdday.org
Info| P.E.P.A on 650 304 746 www.pepaspain.com
30/04/1945. Berlin. Surrounded and finally realising it's all over, Adolf Hitler poisons his wife of one day then sticks a revolver in his mouth and pulls the trigger. 11 million deaths attributed.
Events & Classifieds
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I
f you’ve got an event coming up or you are buying, selling or donating anything, drop us an email and we’ll try to give it a mention in the next issue.
Markets | Mon-Montroy, Tues-Monserrat & Turis, Weds-L’Eliana Piccassent & Villamarchante, Thurs-Alaquas & Lliria, Fri -Turis, Torrente & Chiva, Sat-Real de Montroy & Torrente, Sun-Alborache Rastros | Rastro Montroy | Sun 1 May | Calle La Pau, Cindy or Nicolas, 960 80 25 13 or 695 100 540. Olocau Rastro/Table top sale | Sun 24 April | Social Club Centre, Urb. La Lloma, Olocau, 10am-2pm. Raising Funds for Charity - Food & Refreshments available - Spaces FREE - Tables available €1 each. Carolyn 962555819 or 664809608. Masia Rastro | Sun 17 Apr, 15 May (every 3rd Sun of the month)| Mas Pavia Restaurante, Masia Pavia Urba, nr Monserrat. Pitches are FREE (no more than 2m per stall), just turn up, Stallholders from 9am. Amanda 625819734 or sparklesinsunshine@gmail.com for directions. IWC | Monthly coffee morning will be 5 May. It's at HIPERCOR C.Comercial Ademuz, Av. Pio XII, 51 Valencia, on the top floor restaurant. It's a group of ladies who get together for support, friendship, business networking, fund raising and activities. See www.iwc-valencia.ning.com for more information. For sale | 2 and 3 seater settees, comfortable, red fabric, €60 the pair. Childs garden slide €25 Anthony on 691 913 721. Real de Montroi. Possible delivery. Thanks | Naturaleza y Animales, the Pedralba based animal and environment charity would like to thank Jenny and Roy Travers and all their friends and supporters for raising the magnificent sum of €195 for the charity with their fun coffee morning. Jenny and Roy put a lot of hard work and effort into this event, and it was fantastic! Thank you Jenny and Roy from Naturaleza y Animales. They are very grateful to every one who supports them as they spend a vast amount each year on vets bills alone!
I
n the number puzzle, each letter is represented by a number 1-26. Crack the code! 3 letters are already in place. In Sudoku, every row & column of 9 numbers & 3x3 box must include all digits 1-9 in any order.
Finished with your inVLC ? Pass it on to a friend..!
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