Spot the signs: How to tell you’re switching to Spanish

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spain, spanish

When I returned to England – after only 5 weeks away in Valencia – I realised I was more acclimatised to Spain than I thought. Here are some ways you know your brain is switching over to Spanish:

When you’re back in England…

• Someone bumps you in the queue in a shop and out of your mouth pops: ‘perdon’…
• And after buying something, you say ‘gracias’ to the cashier.
• Your affirmative replies are si’ and ‘claro’.
• You say things like ‘more better’.
• You’re shocked by the cost of public transport.
• And shocked by the price of a coffee…
• But pleasantly surprised by how big the cups of coffee are.
• You look the wrong way when crossing a street…
• And are surprised when a street isn’t one-way.
• You’re confused when shops are open at 4pm…
• And that shops are open at all on a Sunday.
• You know the keyboard shortcuts for ñ, ¡ and ¿.
• Your brain still runs parallel translations of everyday exchanges…
• And thinks up witty things to say… in Spanish.

Got any more? Add them by filling in the comment field below.

La boda de mi hermano

This is why I returned to the UK:

That’s my brother John with his bride Sophie, just after their marriage ceremony. Congrats you two, and welcome to the family, Sophie, the newest Ms Worthington!

 

Blogging in Blighty

I’m back in the UK but that doesn’t mean I’m not blogging.

For over a year now, I’ve been building a photo-blog with my friend Kiz Crosbie. Every day, we both post a photo of something that we were doing, or that caught our eye after midday:

http://kizandsooze.wordpress.com

It’s a great way for us to keep in touch, now we live so far away from each other. We were inspired to start it when I read about two women on opposite sides of the USA doing similar. And we hope we’ll inspire other people to keep in touch through creative projects too.

La Lonja de Seda

Despite being listed in every tourist guide, and being a feature on every Old Town tour here, I’ve somehow managed to miss this historic Valencian landmark until today.

La Lonja de Seda – The Silk Exchange – is an impressive almost cathedral-like building opposite the Mercado Centrale. On Sundays, it’s free of charge to go in for a look around, so we had a stroll through the halls, looking out for the ‘rude gargoyles’ we’d been told about. Rather than ‘naughty’, these gargoyles are simply conforming to their other name, ‘grotesques’.

The main hall of the building, with its twisted columns up to a high vaulted roof, is as impressive as any cathedral. One guidebook says, ‘It’s impossible not to be wowed’ by it. I agree.

La Lonja de Seda

La Lonja de Seda

La Lonja de Seda

La Lonja de Seda

La Lonja de Seda

La Lonja de Seda

Mercado de Colon – free Sunday concert

How to enjoy arts and culture in Valencia on very little money: on Sundays, have a coffee at the Mercado de Colon and enjoy a free concert by (what I think is) a college orchestra.

Niamh (with me, above), Amanda and I went to Casa de l’Orxata to sample the traditional ‘horchata con fartons‘ and nabbed a good table near the band. As well as the concert, we observed some free theatre when one of the camereros dropped a whole cup of hot coffee on one of the senior gents at the table next to us. The poor customer was drenched, probably with damage to his coat and jeans (if not the uhm, parts *under* his jeans), but he reacted as calmly as possible, more resigned than angry. The poor waiter was gutted, and then his boss stepped in to apologise. Awkward.

After the concert, we strolled around the market stalls, set up specially for the Sunday event. They were selling an array of teeny-tiny items for making Christmas cribs, from tiny donkeys and camels, to miniature pots, pans and sacks of lentils (?). Amanda bought a decoration for her Christmas tree – a ‘rustic’ wooden snowflake while I took photos.

Downstairs in the basement, a special event was taking place – possibly a promotion for a brand of cava, with stalls selling sliders, prawns and other artisan food samples. I was rather taken with two jolly fellows selling prawns who looked like Valencia’s version of the Hairy Bikers.

Another fab excursion to the MdC. Enjoy the photos…

Orchids at Vino y Flores, Mercado de Colon

Arrangement at Vino y Flores, Mercado de Colon

Christmas tree, Mercado de Colon

Roses at Vino y Flores, Mercado de Colon

Niamh having ‘horchata con fartons’ at Mercado de Colon

Server at the cava tasting, Mercado de Colon

Flowers at Vino y Flores, Mercado de Colon

Waterfall on the basement level, Mercado de Colon

Christmas cribs for sale at the Mercado de Colon

Detail on the wall, Mercado de Colon

Arrangement, Vino y Flores, Mercado de Colon

Detail on the wall, Mercado de Colon

Sliders at a cava tasting event, Mercado de Colon

Christmas tree, Vino y Flores, Mercado de Colon

Servers at the cava event, Mercado de Colon

Roses at Vino y Flores, Mercado de Colon

Bulbs at Vino y Flores, Mercado de Colon

Column at Vino y Flores, Mercado de Colon