Marty Kaplan's Blog

Back To Valencia

Posted on March 31, 2013 by martykaplan

Sunday, March 31, 2013

We are back in Valencia. We arrived a bit before 4:00 PM yesterday on an AVE that was mostly empty. That makes sense since the Puente extends until Easter Monday. Everything should be open again on Tuesday.

Friday in Madrid was another ugly day that was mostly overcast and rainy. It did not lend itself to exploring the city, so we spent the morning either working on the computer or reading. I am in the process of doing a lengthy translation for the third edition of El Manuscrito and that helped fill the morning hours. Around 2:00 we decided that we would head out to have some lunch. Many restaurants were closed, but Susan had noticed a place on Calle Velázquez that was open the other day. It is called Lateral and it appears that there are several of them in the city.

Lateral occupies a relatively small space, although it does have a fairly large outdoor terrace. Nobody was sitting outside on Friday. The menu features pinchos, raciones, ensaladas, postres and a dish of the day. The choices are the ones you tend to find on any tapas menu. Susan and I order a pincho of foie and another of solomillo. We followed that up with a ración of morcilla and patatas bravas. We finished our meal with dessert and coffee and then headed back to our hotel.

Friday was not to be a day without magic, so a little after 8:00 we hopped a cab to a small performance space called El Teatro Encantado. It is owned and run by Woody Aragón. It is my understanding that he has several partners in this venture. It is a small space with a capacity of fifty spectators. The focus is close-up magic and so that all can see there is a large screen television that captures the action on the close-up table. Since the seats are raked, you can easily see what is going on at the table. The space is open from Thursday to Sunday and features many of Spain’s top close-up artists. Our performer for the evening was Alberto de Figureido whose 90-minute program was funny, magical and thoroughly enjoyable. After the show we headed back home and were in bed a half an hour after walking through the door.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Lateral, Madrid, Marty kaplan, teatro Encantado | Leave a comment

Marching In Madrid

Posted on March 29, 2013 by martykaplan

Friday, March 29, 2013

A cold, dreary and wet Madrid greeted us on Tuesday as we emerged from the Puerta de Atocha after a 90-minute ride on the AVE from Valencia. Traffic to Madrid was extremely light and we were surprised that we were two of the five people in our train car. We were in town to see the highly acclaimed Spanish version of The Lion King and to take in some magic. We had hoped to catch up with a number of our friends who live in Madrid, but when I made our plans and reservations little did I realize that it was Holy Week. As a result most of our friends are spending this week somewhere other than Madrid.

At lunchtime we made our way to Casa Paco. We have made it a point to eat there every time we are in Madrid. That is a tradition that has endured for some thirty-five years. The menu has expanded in recent years and it now includes coffee. I mention that because in the past when you asked for a coffee to finish your meal that invited you to go elsewhere. We ordered what we always order – a tomato salad topped with tuna, a hearty serving of steak and a plate of French fires. We ordered a half-bottle of Protos to go along with the steak and it was the perfect addition. After lunch we returned to our home away from home and rested up for the 8:30 curtain of El Rey León.

We are staying at a new place for us. It is called Apartamentos Ramón de la Cruz 41, which also happens to be its street address. Brian and Ofelia have stayed here on several occasions and recommended it to us. We are in a one-bedroom apartment that includes a small kitchen; a bedroom, a bathroom and a sitting area that has a small dining table close by the triple bay window. The kitchen has every appliance imaginable including a dishwasher and a washing machine. Breakfast is included and every morning they deliver a basket of fresh pastry. There is a Nespresso coffee maker in the kitchen and there is a goodly supply of fruit, yoghurt and cereal in the cabinets. It is steps away from Príncipe de Vergara, a main thoroughfare and it is a short walk to La Calle de Goya. Given its location and its accommodations it is worth the price they charge.

We arrived at the theater a little after 8:00 and that gave us enough time to have a quick drink at the theater’s bar. We took our seats in the seventh row and the curtain rose at exactly 8:30. It was almost 11:30 when the show ended. It is truly a spectacle and we enjoyed it thoroughly. The voices were strong, the dancers very limber and the music appropriate, if not memorable. The costumes are what impress most and Julie Taymor’s concept for the show was and still is revolutionary. The show has a top ticket price of 129 Euros for VIP seats that include a tour backstage and seats in the first four rows. Our tickets cost 89 Euros and the cheapest seat was 49 Euros. The theater was packed.

Wednesday we caught up with Rafael Benatar for lunch. We went to a restaurant called Public that is located off the Gran Vía. We had eaten there before with Ramón and Juan Diego and were very impressed by the price/quality ratio. The service is on the impersonal side and part of that is due to the large number of diners and I am sure part of the restaurant’s philosophy to make do with the number of servers they have by having them take your order and deliver your food. Rafa and I started with a potaje de garbanzos that were both hearty and tasty. Susan had a crema de puerros as a starter. Rafa and I chose albóndigas as our main course and Susan opted for merluza. We all had dessert and coffee and our bill came to 32 Euros. Over dinner we discovered that Rafa is preparing for his performance at a festival in Toronto called “Luminato”. He will be doing magic and playing the lute and in a performance that will integrate both of his talents.

After lunch Susan and I walked to the Thyssen Museum to see an exhibition of Hyper-Realism that was a treat to behold. We are great fans of Richard Estes and it was nice to see two of his works as part of the exhibition. We took a cab back to our hotel and rested up for the evening’s magic experience – close-up magic with Dani DaOrtiz and Lennart Green.

We arrived at the Circo Price at 8:30 and that was a good thing because there was already a significant line of people waiting to get in. There were no reserved seats, but we were fortunate enough to get seats in the third row with a perfect view of both the table and the large screen TV. We were in one of the smaller spaces in the complex that has an enormous theater, also. It is reminiscent of the Mark Taper in Los Angeles, but with many more seats. Dani started the show and was kind enough to remark that I was in the audience. He did about thirty minutes worth of card miracles before introducing Lennart who did another thirty minutes and then Dani performed several other effects. It was a very satisfying evening of magic. Afterwards Susan and I had dinner at a nearby pizza joint with Dani, Lennart, Jorge Blass, Woody Aragón, Luis Piedrahita and Joaquín Kotkin. We were in very good company.

Yesterday the sun finally showed its face in Madrid. Susan and I took a nice long walk that had us ending up at a restaurant recently mentioned in a NY Times article, Arzábal. Here is a link to that article http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/travel/where-madrid-chefs-go-for-real-spanish-food.html?pagewanted=all We passed by at 1:30 and made a reservation for 3:00. We walked around what is essentially an empty city this Holy Week. When we returned we waited a few minutes for our table to be ready and we were seated in the dining area adjacent to the bar area. We chose four half plates of the dishes suggested in the article. We thoroughly enjoyed the anchovies, the croquettes, the meatballs and the potatoes. For dessert we had the torrija and the helado de queso. They had no half bottles of wine in their very extensive wine offerings, however they have a policy where they open a bottle of wine for you and charge you for how much of the bottle you consume. We finished a delightful meal with coffee and a chupito.

Then it was back to the hotel, but not for long. At 6:30 we were in front of the Teatro Compac waiting to take our seats for Jorge Blass’ one man show El Arte de la Magia. The theater was filled to capacity and for the next 90 minutes we enjoyed one of the best magic shows that we have seen in recent memory. Jorge is very personable, identifies quickly with his audience thanks to his frequent appearances on TV and, if that were not enough, his magic is indeed magical. After the show we headed to the Cerveceria Cervantes where we had a nibble and a drink. It was a little before 11:00 when we got back to the hotel.

Today we plan to rest up a bit before heading out to another magic show at 9:00 at the Teatro Encantado. It is a gray and rainy day and we will find a place to have lunch and then we will probably do some packing because we head back home to Valencia tomorrow.

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Nacho Diago

Posted on March 25, 2013 by martykaplan

Monday, March 25, 2013

Sunny and windy is the forecast for today with temperatures reaching the high 70’s. We have been invited to share the first Seder with Zahava and Klaus and Brian and Ofelia will be there also. We will probably spend a part of the afternoon packing our bags for our four days in Madrid before we head out for our Passover meal.

Yesterday we were at La Rambleta, a little before 11:30 to see Nacho Diago performing for the younger set. The show took place in the area that is generally used for café teatro where patrons can sit at tables and order drinks and such while watching a show. Most of the tables had been cleared out to accommodate small chairs and other forms of seating that is appropriate for the little ones. By the time the performance started there were probably 150 of us ready to be entertained.

It is always a pleasure to watch Nacho perform. He has an engaging and winning personality and when combined with his knowledge garnered from his acting, his studied selection of effects, his talent and his timing, you know that you are always in for a treat. This time was no exception. He chose effects that would appeal to a variety of age groups so there was something for everyone. I always enjoy his performance of the Linking Rings and his handling of the Half-Dyed Hank and I was not disappointed yesterday.

Sofía had joined us at our table and after the performance we chatted briefly with Nacho and Sofía had a chance to chat with the two gentlemen who are our liaisons for the 24 Horas Mágicas. We finally clarified the fact that the Gala Infantil on April 14^th will take place in the theater and not in the café teatro. With five different magicians, each of whom needs to set up and break down their effects a stage with a curtain is definitely needed.

When we got home we put away our things and then made our way to El Molinón for lunch. It was an enjoyable meal and, as a bonus, we got to chat with Vilma for a bit. When we arrived home, we got comfortable and spent the rest of the day and evening doing our thing.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Martin Kaplan, Nacho Diago, Rambleta, Valencia | Leave a comment

Alma Del Temple

Posted on March 23, 2013 by martykaplan

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Yesterday we had a one-day spring tease. The sun was shining brightly with nary a cloud in the sky and the temperature reached into the high 70’s. It was a morning that begged one to sit at an outdoor café and enjoy a cup of coffee while basking in the sun. That is precisely what we did on our way home from the bank where we needed to take care of some business. We puttered away the rest of the morning, but not before deciding to have lunch at Alma de Temple.

Located in the Hotel Caro we had enjoyed a lunch there with Brian and Ofelia several Sundays ago. Our waiter that afternoon told us that we needed to return to try the rices and yesterday we did return and we did order the paella of the day. We started our meal with a shooter of green apple gazpacho. The salty bits of bacon that topped the liquid contrasted nicely with the sweetness of the liquid. A salad of lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and tuna followed. It was both refreshing and enjoyable. Our second appetizer was a plate of Carpaccio that was most enjoyable. Our main course was a paella prepared with red peppers and secreto ibérico. The rice was cooked to a perfect doneness – neither soupy nor crunchy. Some olive oil had been added to the dish prior to its being served and that was the perfect touch.

As we waited for our dessert the jefe de cocina – Brad Hyde – stopped by for a visit. Brad is from Oklahoma and in college he majored in criminology with a minor in Spanish. He met and married his Spanish sweetheart who it turns out is from Valencia. He attended cooking school here in Spain and then proceeded to work at a number of restaurants, even spending some time with noted Valencian chef, Óscar Torrijos. His next stop was Paris where he honed his craft and, upon returning to Valencia he began his stint at Alma de Temple. That was a year ago. Brad has invited Susan to come and spend a day with him so that she can do a blog post about the restaurant.

Susan had berries for dessert and I had torrija topped with a scoop of ice cream. When we finished our coffee, we paid our bill and went on our way. We rested a bit and then at 8:00 we walked to the Cines Lys to see the latest Almodóvar film, Amantes Pasajeros. It marks Almodóvar’s return to comedies, but I must confess that the film was not up to his usual standard. There were some funny moments and that is as much praise as I can give it. On our way back home we stopped off at The Ginger Loft for a drink and a nibble. The restaurant was fairly busy, in contrast to other restaurants we passed. We were back home at 11:30 and we went to be a little after midnight.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Alma de Temple, Marty kaplan, The Ginger Loft, Valencia | Leave a comment

Farewell To Fallas

Posted on March 21, 2013 by martykaplan

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Walking around yesterday it looked as if Fallas has never happened. All the temporary stands that were selling beer and/or food have been shuttered. All the tents that housed the various casals were disassembled and picked up early Wednesday morning. All the spotlights that focused on the fallas are gone. All the hanging illuminated signs that stretched from the Central Market to Xátiva have been taken down. The remains of the fallas have been covered with sand and the next significant rainfall will remove all those traces. All the weekend visitors have returned to their respective homes and Valencia has returned to its normal day-to-day activities.

On Wednesday it was obvious that many of the visitors who flooded the city had gone back home. Our street was experiencing the normal amount of foot traffic and it was easy to get around the city. We spent most of the day taking life easy in preparation for what was to be a late night. We left the house around 11:00 and the first falla we saw go up in flames was the one in the Plaza de la Merced. The process is the same for all fallas. Holes are cut into all the figures that are part and parcel of the falla. Gasoline will be poured in these cutouts as well as on the falla itself. Firecrackers are strung around the falla and these will be set off and the last of the string will set off the flames that will bring down the structure.

No falla may be burned without the presence of the fire department. The firemen hose down the street and sidewalk that surround the falla and then, if the falla is close to any structure, they will hose down the structure so that a stray burning ember will not set fire to that structure. They also stand at the ready to extinguish the falla if there is some sort of complication.

The next falla we saw go up in flames was the one at the side entrance of the Central Market. After that one went up in flame, we headed towards the falla the stood in front of the Central Market. I waited about thirty minutes and the Fire Department hadn’t shown up. I headed back home to warm up a bit and Susan continued on. We met up again at 1:30 outside of our building and at around 2:30, with everything in place, the falla went up in flames. When we walked back into our apartment, there was a noticeable odor of smoke. The air purifier in the bedroom and the closed bedroom door eliminated every trace of odor in the room so getting to sleep was not a problem. Wednesday morning we opened all the windows and in about two hours the house was sufficiently aired out.

Last year with my knee I really did not experience fallas. This year was decidedly different. I enjoyed the sights and sounds, but not the huge crowds. We found a number of ways to avoid the crowds who flocked to see the fallas and the light shows. Additionally, we just stayed away from the mascletás because the crowds were enormous. Now that we are seasoned veterans, we will better plan our attack for next year.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Fallas, Marty kaplan, Valencia | Leave a comment

Come On Baby Light My FALLA!

Posted on March 19, 2013 by martykaplan

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

This is the last day for the celebration of Fallas. Starting a little before midnight and lasting until the early morning hours every single falla that has been erected for this celebration will be burned to the ground. The fire will be accompanied by ground fireworks that have been embedded in each structure. We are fortunate in that there are a number of fallas surrounding us that are no more than a five-minute walk away. There is also the falla just outside our living room window.

We had lunch at home yesterday and around 5:00 we left the house to see the ofrenda. As one would expect, the crowds were large and most of the good viewing spaces were taken. Susan and I got separated when, at one pint, she stopped to shoot some pictures and I was unaware of that and I kept on walking. After trying to locate her, I gave up a headed back home. As I passed by Carosel I spotted Sara, Mari Mar and Yolanda and I stopped to chat for a while. When I walked through the door of our apartment, Susan had already returned and was working on the photos she had just taken.

A little after 8:00 we thought we would go in search of a drink and a tapa. Our first choice was closed, but since we were a stone’s throw away from our old neighborhood, we decided to walk down to Cervecería Las Torres and have a drink there. Things were hopping . but there were a couple of seats by the window. We ordered some bravas, boquerones and albóndigas as we watched the world go by. Paco poured us a small shot of his favorite tequila, don Julián, and after we downed it, we happily went on our way. The street was filled with falleras headed to La Plaza de la Virgen with their floral offerings. We went to be a little before midnight and were briefly awakened at 1:30 by the thirty-minute fireworks display that was taking place in the Turia Gardens.

The first eight photos are from LAS PROVINCIAS a Valencian daily paper. The remaining photos were taken by Susan.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Fallas, Marty kaplan, Valencia, Vistas de Vida | Leave a comment

Where There’s Smoke, There’s FALLAS!

Posted on March 18, 2013 by martykaplan

Monday, March 18, 2013

There are 300 bands in the city of Valencia and some 10,000 musicians and at some time or other yesterday I am certain they all paraded by our building. Their repertoire is very interesting and in additional to what I am sure are traditional songs, the most interesting song had to be a rendition of Hava Nagilah which the band sung after they played it. After singing they proceeded to dance around a bit, too. I also got to hear The Mexican Hat Dance, as well as a couple of tunes by The Four Seasons.

We snuck out of the house a little before 2:00 and headed in the opposite direction of the mascletá. Yesterday more than 10,000 passengers traveled on the AVE from Madrid setting a one-day record. If you are in a car in Valencia these days you are certifiably crazy. Many of the streets are closed off, others have reduced lanes and parking is damn near impossible. Our destination was La Comisaría and afterwards we intended to head to Na Jordana to see their falla. We would see a number of others on the way down and on the way back.

When we entered the restaurant there were only a few diners, but we knew that the place would begin to fill up after the mascletá ended. Over a beer we studied the menu and decided to opt for the menu of the day and added an octopus and potato salad to our meal. We started with the octopus salad, followed by empanaditas, croquetas and langostinos. Generally, when you order the menu of the day, the appetizers on a plate are equal to the number of diners at the table. While technically we should have enjoyed two of each appetizer, Eddie gave us four of each. When it came time for the main dish – arroz al horno – we asked Eddie to give us a very small portion. We were so full that we passed on dessert, coffee and a chupito. When we left the terrace was filled and there were only a few seats remaining inside.

It took us about ten minutes to get to Na Jordana and the falla there is absolutely spectacular. It is a reproduction of The Trojan Horse and it is made entirely out of wood. There are other figures that are part of the falla, but the horse is the dominant figure. It weighs a total of 35,000 pounds and it too will go up in flames on Tuesday night, along with all the other fallas. Na Jordana won the prize for the best ninot infantil and, as it turns out, it was the one that Susan and I voted for when we saw the exhibition of ninots back in February.

It started to drizzle as we made our way back home. From our fifth floor window we were able to observe the constant parade of falleras and bands and later in the day we were able to see groups lining up for the Ofrenda a la Virgen. The members of the various casals process through the streets carrying an offering of flowers for the Virgin of Consolation. There is a large wooden superstructure and the flowers are placed in that wooden superstructure. The parade lasts for the better part of two days and each group has an assigned time.

We gave some thought to watching the fireworks display ay 1:00 AM, but given the fact that it was drizzling, we thought better of it. We busied ourselves for the rest of the evening, I with my magic and Susan with her photos and we fell asleep soon after the sounds from the fireworks ended.