Marty Kaplan's Blog

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Today is one of those sunny-cloudy days.  The sun is out and then it’s not.  The good news is that it’s still relatively warm out.  Most businesses are open today and we may visit one or two during the afternoon.  We have a 7:00 PM date with Nacho at Mantequería Chisbert to join him for a beer and a snack.  As it turns out, Brian and Ofelia have invited us to join them for Easter dinner tomorrow.  That will be fun!

We had lunch at home yesterday.  Susan made a salad with sliced chicken.  In addition to the lettuces she used cheddar cheese, dried cherries, walnuts and orange slices, cucumber and tomato.  It was a ten out of ten.  Later in the afternoon we decided to go to Linares in search of dessert.  My friend from last year, Estefania, was on the job.  We were attended to by the owner and after he handed us our cones he told us that the ice cream was free because it was Estefania’s treat.  What a nice surprise.

Around 7:00 PM we showered and got dressed for the Seder.  We arrived at 8:15 and the table was already set and ready for us to begin.  Zahava led the Seder and we touched on all the highlights of the Seder and it took us about an hour to get through them.  I got to ask the Four Questions in spite of my age.  We then began the meal with salted boiled eggs.  The salt that was admixed with water came from Malta where Klaus and Zahava had recently spent a week.  The salt came from saltpans that were originally constructed by the Phoenicians.

After the eggs came a plate of gefilte fish that Zahava had made from scratch using cod and hake.  There was also a plate of potato latkes.  Next came the matzo ball soup made with a vegetable stock instead of the traditional chicken stock. Then came the salad.  When we finished the salad we all confessed that we were finished, too.  We were so stuffed that we had to forego the main course and I was so stuffed I even passed up dessert.

Klaus and Zahava had recently been to Gomera, which is one of the Canary Islands, and to Gozo, which is located in Malta.  They showed us photos of both their adventures.  When the computer was put away it was already a little after midnight and I was seriously tired.  We said our goodbyes and as we exited their building a cab was passing by and we hailed it.  The trip home was a quick one and we finally went to be a little after 1:00.

Friday, April 6, 2012

It feels like New England where, as the saying goes, if you don’t like the weather, wait a minute.  Thus far today it has been overcast, sunny, cloudy, stormy and, currently, it is sunny.  If the weather holds we will walk to Zahava’s for tonight’s Seder.  If not, we will go by cab.

The economy continues to dominate the news.  As is true in the US, the two major parties here are incapable of working together to find the necessary solutions.  That assumes that there are solutions.  I am not sure how asking everyone to pull in their belt another notch will succeed in creating new jobs.  People are being asked to settle for fewer services and, at the same time, to pay higher taxes.  Nobody has talked about where the motor is to generate new jobs.  When the construction industry crashed because supply far exceeded demand and because people lost gobs of money in buying properties they hoped to sell at a quick profit, the repercussions were felt and are still being felt all over the economy.

Many foreigners who came to Spain to improve their economic lot have returned home.  The leaders of this exodus have been the Argentineans who have returned home to their now robust economy.  Many Spaniards are leaving Spain for other European countries in hopes of finding gainful employment.  As one scans the paper to understand the depths of the cuts to education, research, medicine, counseling, scholarships – and the list goes on and on – what stands out is that the 13 million Euros that the Catholic Church receives monthly has not been cut.  I will leave it to you to make your own comment and draw your own conclusion.

Susan and I went out in search of lunch yesterday and we ended up at Canela.  The space is warm and welcoming, the background music is always pleasant, the food is good and the service is wonderful.  The staff knows us and that can prove to be helpful especially when one does not have a reservation.  That was the case yesterday, however they separated a four top in two tables of two and offered us our choice of tables.  While we were studying the menu they brought us a plate of olives, a breadbasket filled with rolls and some tomate triturado to spread on the rolls.

We decided to start with some croquetas, followed by an ensalada valenciana and a steak and potato entrée.  Our waiter uncorked a bottle of Tarsus, an outstanding red from the Ribera del Duero and it proved to be a great choice.  As usual, they started us off with an amuse bouche of potato and octopus and a small Ritz-type cracker with a dab of a cheese spread.  For dessert we shared a brownie and ice cream.  We finished the meal with a coffee and a complimentary mistela.

Cristina is a server who works at both the restaurant and the café.  She works the café on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.  It was two Sundays ago when I had promised her her very own pearl poodle.  Yesterday I remembered to bring my kids’ backpack with me and I gifted Christina with a poodle, a butterfly, a rose and a frog.  She was quite pleased with everything.

We made our way back home after lunch and did not go out again for the rest of the day.  We watched some TV, played on the computer and did some reading.  I went to bed a little after 11:00 and Susan came to bed a little after 11:30.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Operación Salida has begun.  Many people will be leaving town heading for parts unknown because it is Holy Week and that means five consecutive days when most businesses will be closed.  Many people will head for Andalusia to witness the celebrations there.  Many other will travel to those places where they might be spending their summer vacation and nail down the dates for their month in the sun.  It looks like there will be a great deal of rain covering the peninsula for the next few days and, as I write this, it is pouring outside.

After yesterday’s funeral mass for Paquito’s mother we headed back home and picked up the shopping cart.  We made our usual stops and bought a bit extra because the market will have irregular hours for the next few days.  We stopped and got a few fish filets and they became our lunch along with some fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil.  We did not do much of anything during the afternoon and Susan took off at 6:00 bound for her PhotoShop class.  I received a new translation request from Magic Agora so I spent an hour or so working on it and will finish it up some time this week.

I went to my physical therapy session this morning and I discovered that my next session would be on Tuesday because the clinic will be closed for the next five days.  On the way home I got off the metro at Colón and picked up some coffee at Nespresso.  I also picked up some bread along the way and made a stop at Nacho’s to get some smoked turkey breast and some Emmenthal.  He invited us to come visit with him on Saturday evening for a beer and some treats.  It should be fun.  Friday we have been invited to Zahava’s for the first night of Passover.

Susan began her photo project today and interviewed Teresa at A Nou and took a number of pictures.  She will be writing about her experiences in the near future so I will let her share her impressions with you.  I met with Nico for the last time today and we chatted for a good hour.  He heads to London on Sunday and will be there for the foreseeable future.  He gave me a bottle of wine and a CD of his group here in Valencia as a thank you for the time we worked together.  It was a very nice gesture on his part.  It was a learning experience for me, as much as it was for him.

It’s a slow news day and that’s about it from here.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

It was overcast this morning as we hailed a cab and directed him to take us to the Tanatorio Municipal so that we could be present at the 10:30 that was being said for Paquito’s mother.  A number of CIVAC members were present to support him in his hour of need and, of course, there were many of the family’s friends in attendance.  We were able to catch a ride home with Marimar, Sara’s friend and we proceeded to go about the business of the day.

Yesterday’s funeral for Paco D’Andrés was a very sad event on many levels.  As you may already know from previous posts, Paco was one of the fathers of magic here in Valencia.  He was part of a group that came to be known as the veteranos and there Thursday meetings were dedicated to the discussion of magic.  They studied, they read and they traveled far and wide to increase their knowledge and their skill.  Of the original members only two are still with us – Jerito who is in his 90’s and Gurrea who is 70.

Paco was a quiet and unassuming man.  To look at him you would never know that this gentle man was a walking encyclopedia when it came to the history of magic in both Spain and Europe.  He had seen many of the greats of his day perform.  He took Juan Gurrea under his tutelage and helped him design a prize-winning act at FISM many years ago.  Paco also played an important role in Nacho Diago’s development as a magician and Nacho acknowledged that in a very heartfelt post on his Facebook page.  Paco invited Pepe to join the tertulia of the veteranos some thirty-three years ago.  I know it was Paco who instilled in Pepe the love and passion that he feels for magic.  Without Paco the state of magic in Valencia would be very different.  I think it is safe to say that without Paco there would not be a CIVAC today, the world would have never seen some world class magicians develop and the Magic Agora project never would have seen the light of day.

I always looked forward to Thursday evenings with Paco whenever I was in Valencia.  I always had some effect to share with the group, as did he.  Paco would usually wait until all the others had performed and then he would make his contribution.  Paco often complimented me on the effects that I presented.  He especially appreciated the patter that created for each of my effects.  At one point he compared me to Padre Ciuró who was one of the fathers of magic in all of Spain and whose publications became the bible of magic for many Spaniards wishing to learn magic.  One moment that stands out in my mind was when I presented an effect that is known as the Driebeck Die.

The Driebeck Die is, just as its name implies, a die that is oversized and red in color.  It also involves a black box.  Inspired by a presentation in rhyme that Terry Elton created, I came up with a presentation in English that borrowed heavily from Terry’s presentation and then I set about creating a presentation in Spanish that used rhyming patter.  The presentation went over well and several of the members present insisted that I needed to present it in a number of different venues, which I eventually did.  I offered Paco my patter and he turned down my offer.  He looked at me and said, “This is obviously your effect and there is no way that anyone else could do it as well as you.” Thank you Paco for your kind words and your inspiring me to be creative as I try to improve and increase my repertoire in Spanish.

I managed to get a ride back home with Nacho Diago.  Since we had both missed lunch we decided we would give A Nou a try and hoping, at the same time, that their lunch service was not over.  There were only two diners in the restaurant and they were chatting over coffee.  Javi told us to have a seat and that lunch would not be a problem.  While we were looking at the menu, I decided to give Susan a call and invite her to join us for a drink or coffee.  It turned out that she had not eaten either.  So the three of us enjoyed an assortment of appetizers, a delicious and perfectly cooked arroz a la banda, and a crepe filled with chocolate ice cream and topped with chocolate sauce.

In the course of our conversation I discovered that Nacho will soon resume filming the telenovela in which he appears, that he will be the MC for the 25^th anniversary celebration of the Palau de Música and that he will be performing magic in a benefit for the Lazarus Foundation that will take place at the Palau on the 27^th of this month.  If that weren’t enough he is working on a script and the effects for a one man magic show in which he recounts his life in magic.

Susan headed off to see a movie with a friend of hers and I checked in at the CIVAC to see what was happening.  There were eight or nine people there and I chatted with them briefly before I went on my way to the grand opening of Ballando Nudi.  The place was jammed with friends both old and new and I had a beer and an appetizer or two before I left the scene and let the younger generation party.  Susan returned home a little after 10:00 and we made it to bed by 11:30.

Some of today’s pictures are Susan’s and there are others taken by Juanra González at Ofelia’s birthday party in February.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Today’s bad news came in duplicate.  Paco D’Andrés, one of the fathers of magic here in Valencia passed away yesterday afternoon.  Paquito’s mother, who had been ailing for a while, passed away yesterday afternoon, too.  There was a service for Paco today at 3:00 PM and one for Paquito’s mother tomorrow at 10:30 AM.

Yesterday we decided to have lunch with Jordi at Carusel.  Our previous two attempts to do so had been unsuccessful.  In both cases the restaurant had yet to reopen after Fallas.  There was no problem yesterday.  We did, however, make a stop along the way.

The first person to wait on us at La Fórcola was Francisco Cocinero.  In conversations with him we discovered that his hobby was photography and that he had spent a goodly amount of time working in hotel kitchens and restaurants in Venice.  He frequently talked about opening his own place and that dream has become a reality.  After a soft opening on Saturday and Sunday, the grand opening is this evening.  We stopped in yesterday to take a look at the place and to congratulate him.

The place is small and it probably seats about twenty people.  The menu is quite limited with three or four appetizers and about a half dozen pasta specialties.  In time the menu will expand, but for now things are being kept small.  Susan and I had a beer and an order of bruschetta.  Several people stopped in for a bite while we were there.  I will try and make it to the opening tonight, but we will just have to wait and see if that happens.

When we arrived at Carusel it was quite busy.  Terrace seating has expanded capacity for 50 customers to 100.  When we looked into the kitchen all burners were on and the level of activity was incredible.  Yesterday’s appetizer tray included gazpacho, a brochette of sorpresa ibérica, which is a prized cut of pork, a salad in which sweet and savory were combined in the person of orange slices and pieces of fried cod and, last but not least, a coca lad en with vegetables and goat cheese.  Our main course was an arroz meloso with mussels and for dessert a lovely combination of chocolate and fresh strawberries.

We spent some time talking with Jordi.  Susan explained her project to him and he agrees to her coming to photograph him at work and sharing a recipe with her.  I spent some time playing with the baby and before we knew it 5:00 o’clock had come and gone and it was time to go home.  Go home we did and we stayed there for the evening.  We went to bed rather early trying to compensate for Saturday’s late bedtime.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Sunny with highs in the 70’s.  That’s the forecast for today and most of the week. It is Holy Week in Spain and many people will take the week off to travel or stay at home or do whatever they do.  We will be here in Valencia because of my physical therapy sessions.  That being said, I doubt that we would be going anywhere this week even if there were no physical therapy sessions.

We made our way over to Pepe’s last night and arrived a little after 8:30.  My knee did not mind the walk and that was good news.  Pepe, Sara, Susan and I chatted for a while waiting for Pepe’s sister and her family to arrive.  When they arrived a little after 9:00 we left in search of a place to have a bite before we headed out to the theater.  La Cueva, which is around the corner from Pepe’s place was the path of least resistance.  We ordered some ham and cheese, a plate of salchichónand chorizo and some huevos rotos. That seemed to satisfy everyone and a little after 10:00 we left for the theater.

Rambleta is a space built and maintained by the Ayuntamiento de Valencia.  It is located on the outskirts of the city and is a fifteen-minute cab ride from the center of the city.  It houses a 500-seat theater, a restaurant, a performance space for what the Spaniards call café-teatro, a library and exhibition spaces.  Karim was to perform in the café-teatro setting.  When we arrived there were very few people present, but by the time the show began the place was rather full.

Karim’s show was a combination of humorous monologue followed by a number of magic effects involving rope and cards.  He finished his turn by doing a card production routine set to flamenco music and lastly he did a series of hand shadows.  His theme was his family and growing up and everything he did or said tied into that theme.  The audience loved what he did and it earned him a standing ovation.  Susan and I had the chance to chat with him briefly after the show and since it was close to 12:30 and my knee was starting to protest we decided it was time to head back in home.

Bulevar Sur where the theater is located is populated mainly by apartment buildings.  There is a noticeable absence of nightlife there.  We did not see one restaurant, nor did we see one bar.  Most importantly of all, we did not see one cab.  We waited on one side of the street and then on the other.  Traffic was light and any taxi that passed by was occupied.  We decided to walk up a few blocks to an intersection in the hopes that there would be more traffic passing by.  That did not prove to be the case.  We walked back to the theater and got the number for a cab company and ten minutes later our cab showed up.

By the time we got home it was close to 1:30.  My knee was not happy.  I got out my ice compress and spent a good twenty minutes on the sofa with my foot elevated.  That helped somewhat and at 2:00 AM I made my way to the bedroom.  It was nice to be out in polite company, instead of being stuck in the house.  Hopefully next week I can get back to normal activity and spend less time in the house.

The exterior of Rambleta

The theater

Saturday, March 31, 2012

We are about to head out in a bit to catch up with Pepe at his house.  Sara, Jaime and María, Pepe’s sister, are already there.  We will find a place to grab a bite and then we will head out to a newer venue on the outskirts of the city to see a magician, Karim, perform.  Karim was one of the first magicians to perform at the Magic Castle during the Magic of Spain week.  The last time I saw was in Madrid last October at the convention.

Friday, after my physical therapy session, I stopped off at Miguel’s to pick up a book that had arrived for me.  It is called Illusionology and it is sort of a primer on magic and explains some thirty tricks.  Some of the materials needed are supplied.  It is, in essence, a coffee table book and it is truly a fascinating work. Here is a link to Amazon should you be interested in getting a copy.  http://www.amazon.com/Illusionology-Ologies-Albert-Schafer/dp/0763655880/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333215421&sr=8-1

Since we were next door to El Cuento, we took a peek at the menu of the day and decided that it would be a good place for lunch.  Susan started with a salad that was dotted with chicken and bacon and I had some patatas bravas that were studded with chorizo. We shared an arroz marinero and Susan had flan for dessert and I had a bit of blueberry cheesecake.  After we had our coffee we headed back home.

Later in the afternoon Susan began working on our tax returns.  Downloading TurboTax was no problem and she began the process.  Around 6:00 she left for a mini-workshop on photography that was being held at an exposition space just down the street.  I spent the time reading.  When Susan returned she spent some more time working on taxes and took a brief break to eat some of the pizza I had warmed up.

Susan continued the tax project today.  She worked a bit in the morning before she went to get her nails done.  I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood and say hello to a few familiar faces.  I caught up wit the gang at La Fórcola and we chatted for a while.  My next stop was a visit with Nacho ay Mantequería Chisbert where I picked up a bottle of wine.  On my way back home I met up with Francisco who used to be one of the staff at La Fórcola.  He has been talking about opening his own place for a while and his dream becomes a reality tonight when his place, Ballando Nudi opens.  It is fairly close to the Central Market and we will pay him a visit next week.

Susan prepared a lovely salad for lunch and the loaf of mixed grain bread that she picked up on her way home went perfectly with the salad.  I took advantage of the afternoon to do some more reading and to do my knee strengthening exercises.  Susan continued to struggle with the taxes.  She was trying to track down an error that had us paying an inordinate sum of money to the Feds.  The problem turned out to be a misplaced decimal point and now Uncle owes us.  We owe the state of California a bit, but in the end we will come out on the plus side of the ledger when all is said and done.

That’s about it from here.  It’s time to put on my jacket and head out.

Bravas con Chorizo

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Today is the day when most of Spain is on strike.  We will never know what the actual percentage of strikers is because the unions will exaggerate the numbers in an upwards direction and the government will exaggerate in the opposite direction. Transportation is probably the most affected sector with public transportation and airlines offering one quarter of their normal runs.  There are very few signs of the strike visible from our vantage points.  Several bars and restaurants that are normally open on Thursdays are closed.  There was a massive protest scheduled for 6:30 PM near the train station, but we are too far away to know what has transpired.  I elected not to go to physical therapy today given the reduced Metro runs and being unsure whether the hospital staff would be on duty today.  I did however do my exercises at home.

Susan has been dealing with a bug these past few days, but today she is feeling well.  She has spent a few hours working on her homework for her Photoshop class.  She is hard at work creating a collage.  I have finally finished my translation of the magic effect for Magic Agora.  Once they have produced a clean copy of my translation they will send it back to me for further editing – at my request.  I did not keep track of how many hours I devoted to the task, but I do know that I began on Monday and finished today.

I spoke to Pepe earlier this afternoon.  He, as usual, is very busy.  Miguel Ángel Gea and Dani Daortiz will be in town tomorrow to do their taping for Magic Agora.  Pepe is making sure that everything is in place for tomorrow’s taping.  We will be getting together with him on Saturday evening when his sister and Jaime are in town.  We will be attending a performance by a Spanish magician named Karim and we also plan to have dinner together either before or after the show.

We had lunch today at La Fórcola.  We split a salad and then Susan had a pasta putanesca and I opted for a pizza.  I was only able to finish half of my pizza and that means supper is sitting in the refrigerator.  Susan chatted with Sonia today to see if it would be possible for her to shoot a photo sequence in the kitchen and get the recipe for La Fórocola’s version of steamed mussels.  Sonia said that she needed to speak with the cooks to see what would be a good day for them and once that is known Susan will arrange for the photo shoot.

Our plan for the evening is to rest and relax.  I will probably read some more and Susan may give in to the temptations of the TV.  We shall see.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

I have just returned from my sixth PT session and the good news is that I walked to the Metro station to get to the hospital and I took the Metro to get back home.  The limp is still there, but the pain has diminished somewhat.  I am able to cover greater distances without getting overly tired.  Tomorrow there is to be a general strike, which may complicate getting around.  The hospital will be open but the Metro will be running at 30% of normal and who know if the strikers will end up blocking the main thoroughfares. There is never a dull moment in Spain.

Monday we ended up at A Nou and had a lovely lunch.  In addition to a perfectly cooked piece of salmon, the appetizers included a slice of rare roast beef and a slice of eggplant, topped by a tomato and some melted goat cheese.  Our main dish was supposed to be a paella with squid and artichokes, but Javi surprised us by having cook add some langoustines to the dish.  I had a mousse for dessert and Susan opted for the fresh fruit plate.

I met with Melissa at 4:30 for an hour of conversation in English and I retuned home immediately afterward.  I was hoping to go to the CIVAC meeting to hear Juan Manuel Marcos lecture, but I just could not generate the necessary energy.  We spent the evening reading and watching a bit of TV.

Both Susan and I are involved in new projects.  In order to generate more traffic and more interest Magic Agora will be offering its course on Professor’s Nightmare free of charge.  Professor’s Nightmare is also called The Even and Uneven Ropes.  It is an effect in which three ropes of different size become equal in length and then return to their original uneven condition.  The course needs to be translated into English and I have been asked to do that.  I am about one third of the way through and I hope to have the translation finished by next Monday.

Susan has undertaken a project in which she will photograph a number of chefs as they prepare a specific dish.  In addition to the photos, she will include the directions for preparing the dish and will give some background on the chef and the restaurant.  She already has permission to do so from La Comisaría and A Nou.  The Ginger Loft, Carusel and Basílico are on the list, also.  Also, Susan has signed up for a six-week course on Photoshop.  The class lasts six weeks and meets on Tuesday and Thursday evenings form 7:00 until 9:00.

I stopped by the Central Market yesterday to visit briefly with Amparo and the crew at Solaz.  From there I made my way to Carusel hoping to have lunch there with Susan.  However, the kitchen was closed and they were freshening up the place from the heavy traffic occasioned by Fallas.  That being the case we made our way to Canela and had a terrific lunch there.

In addition to the bread and olives they started us with an amuse bouche of esgarrat and a taste of ham.  We opted for a lettuce salad that was topped with pineapple and smoked salmon, some croquetas de jamón and some simply prepared swordfish filets.  There was no room for dessert so we finished the meal with a coffee.  Susan headed out again at 5:00 to catch up with Ofelia and to tour the new studio and then settled in for her class.  She arrived back home a little after 10:00.  I spent my evening doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that.  We were both in bed by 11:30.

A Nou on Monday

Monday, March 26, 2012

Spring is in the air even if it is not in my step.  My recovery continues to be slow, but I am making progress.  I am able to walk greater distances and there is greater flexion in the knee then there was before.  I still have two plus weeks of PT and I am hopeful that the progress will continue.

Susan is still dealing with her cold, which has seemed to sap a lot of her energy.  We relaxed all of Sunday morning and we venture forth a little after 3:00 in search of lunch.  We ended up at Café Canela, which is an informal version of the restaurant of the same name down the street.  In fact, the restaurant kitchen prepares some of the entrées that are served at the Café.  We started our meal with esgarrat, which is prepared with strips of red pepper, cured cod, garlic and olive oil.  We followed that with some tortitas de camarón and then a lovely entrée of steak, potatoes and vegetables that had all been prepared on the flat top.  We split a profiterole for dessert and finished the meal with coffee and a mistela.

At one point in the meal the waitress came by the table and asked if I was the guy who had made the pearl poodle for them on a previous visit.  I confessed that I was the guilty party and she told me that they have kept it ever since I gave it to them and it has functioned as a good luck charm.  The waitress wanted to know when I was going to come back and make one for her.  We tentatively agreed that I would do that this Friday.

We slowly made our way back home and that ended up being our activity for the day.  We spent the rest of the day at home reading, relaxing, watching TV and working on the computer.

Today’s photos include some shots of the Cremá that Rachel took, photos of Rachel that Susan took and a shot or two from yesterday’s lunch.  Enjoy!