Sunday, March 3, 2013

The sun returned to Valencia yesterday, although based on the forecast for the upcoming week, its visit will be brief.  We did take advantage of yesterday’s nice weather to pay a visit to La Fórcola and have some lunch.  We shared an order of mussels and then divided their pizza caprichosa that is topped with artichokes, ham, mushrooms and black olives.  It is intended to be an individual pizza, but Susan and I long ago discovered that it easily feeds two.  Dessert was vanilla ice cream topped with a dash of Amaretto.  A café cortado and a chupito were the perfect end to a very enjoyable meal.

Last night was movie night, so, armed with a large bowl of popcorn, we took our seats on the sofa and watched “Looking for Sugar Man”.  It is a documentary that deals with the search for a mythical American singer named Rodríguez whose recording career in the States was a bust, yet became even bigger than Elvis Presley in South Africa.  Rumor had it that he was dead and that he had committed suicide in the course of a very disappointing performance.  Some said he had shot himself.  Other reports said that he had set fire to himself.  As it turned out neither report was correct and Rodríguez was and still is alive and lives in Michigan in the same house he has lived in for the past forty years.  Since being found, he has visited South Africa on a number of occasions and has played a goodly number of concerts before sold-out houses.  It is a very uplifting film and talks to the strength of the human spirit.

The mascletá is now a daily experience and yesterday at 2:00 it happened again.  There was a bonus version last night at midnight, but that one was an aerial show as opposed to a ground display.  We are thinking of going to next Saturday’s midnight show.  There is the possibility of viewing it from a balcony in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento from the vantage point of a balcony while sipping on some wine and snacking on some goodies.  We will have to check the long range forecast to see what next Saturday’s weather will be.

In a short while we will head to The Ginger Loft so that Susan can have her Eggs Benedict fix and then later today we will make our way to the Palau de Música for a concert. Lágrimas de Sal, which is described as flamenco sinfónico.  It should be interesting.  By the way, today’s photos were taken at Carosel on Friday.