Marty Kaplan's Blog

Saturday, November 26, 2011

The alarm we set for yesterday morning at 6:30 went off again this morning.  We shut it off and went back to sleep and thankfully awoke at 9:00.  Susan is in the process of making a stock from the turkey carcass and all the remaining white and dark meat has been sliced and is ready for sandwiches.  Our plan for today is to take life easy given the hectic pace of the previous ten days.

I awoke yesterday at 5:45 ay decided to get out of bed because I knew I was not going to sleep any more.  I worked a bit on the blog while I had my morning cup of coffee along with a madalena.  Susan got up at 6:30 and we were out of the house a little after 7:00.  We took a cab to the Comisaría de Policia de Patraix and were there by 7:20.  We were the 73^rd and 74^th people in line.  The custom is for someone to start a list, which you sign as soon as you take your place in line.  That hopefully thwarts people who try and jump the line as the morning progresses.  It is a system that works because anyone who tries to jump the line is yelled at by a goodly number of people.

A little before 9:00 numbers are handed out by a policeman and it was not until 9:30 that the first applicants were allowed to enter.  The system here in Valencia makes no sense whatsoever for a number of reasons.  Firstly, it is impossible to make an appointment on line to submit your application.  Secondly, they only give out one hundred numbers for the morning hours.  That means you can wait in the cold for 90 minutes only to be told that there are no more appointments available that morning.  Thirdly, foreign students who need a student visa are allowed to come to the front of the line without a number and get almost immediate attention.  That means that as you slowly get closer and closer to the front of the line you go further and further back.  We made it inside five hours later and were told to take a seat and wait our turn.

The sun does not rise in Valencia until a little after 8:00.  That meant that we spent our first forty minutes waiting in the cold and dark.  There are no chairs or benches where one can sit and there is no waiting inside the building previous to your number being called.  The line resembled a mini-UN.  There were a number of Chinese, Romanian, Russians, South Americans and Northern and Central Africans in line.  Susan and I were the only Americans.  Most people behaved themselves, although there were some noticeable exceptions among the Chinese and North Africans.  The good news is their efforts were thwarted.  As the hours passed my legs and lower back were not happy.  The last time I had been on my feet that long was at a Rose Parade and this wait far exceeded that one.  We inched forward and, as already mentioned, we reached Nirvana at 12:20.  Our turn came and it took less than five minutes for one of the four employees that were at their desk to check the necessary forms, make sure that we were listed in the computer as having a visa and taking a print of the right index finger and having us sign the form that will eventually become our tarjeta de identidad.  We were told to return in forty days to pick up the card.  It must take that long because it must be cast in bronze using the lost wax process.  I can hardly wait until the Spanish bureaucratic machine leaves the 19^th century and dips its toe into the 20^th.

After our adventure we headed back home to drop off all our paper work and decided that we would kill two birds with one stone by having lunch at The Ginger Loft and stopping off beforehand at a branch of Caja Madrid to get our tickets for the concert we would be attending that evening.  I put in my card and received a message that they were unable to print my tickets at that point in time.  Susan put her card in and received an error message saying that the machine could not read her card.  Did that mean that Susan’s brand new card had been demagnetized and rendered non-functional?  We made a quick trip to the Banco Popular where we discovered that both her card and mine were perfectly fine.  Obviously the fault lay with the automatic teller at Caja Madrid.

Things were very quiet at The Ginger Loft when we greeted Mike.  We sat at a nearby table and I ordered a beer and Susan a glass of wine and we proceeded to study the menu.  Our drinks arrived along with a complimentary appetizer of caponata and some Melba toasts on which to spread it.  We then place our order and the dishes came rolling out with perfect timing.  Our next dish did not appear until we had finished the previous one.  We enjoyed a tandoori chicken wrap, two steamed pork dumplings, a lentil parsnip and apple soup, Moroccan meatballs with couscous, and a Chinese beef with Basmati rice.  Everything, as usual, was delicious.  We left the restaurant at 4:00 and gave the automatic teller a try without any luck.  We would have to resolve our problem at the Palau de la Música in another three hours.

Exhausted from yesterday’s morning experience we both decided to take a nap and, for the first time ever, Susan was able to take a lengthy nap.  A little after 6;00 we showered at got dressed for the symphony.  We went by cab and as soon as we exited the cab, I headed for the box office. I explained my problem, handed over the credit card with which I had made my purchase and in the space of ten seconds I had my tickets in hand.  We made our way to the first balcony and took our seats on the aisle, third row center.  We has a perfect view of the orchestra and that made the 30 Euro purchase price all the more worthwhile.

Last night’s program consisted of audience favorites.  Susan and I had never heard any of the pieces we heard last night performed live and it was thrilling to hear them live in the intimacy of the José Iturbi theatre at the Palau.  Our conductor for the evening was Domingo Hindoyan, a native of Caracas and the featured soloist was pianist, Tzimon Barto.  The program consisted of Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite and his Concert for Piano and Orchestra in A Minor, op.16, de Falla’s El Amor Brujo and Ginestera’s Estancia.  Barto’s performance merited five curtain calls and he played an encore that was also warmly received.  The concert began at 7:30 and due to the lengthy program it was close to 10:00 when we exited the building.  The rest of the evening consisted of a quick cab ride home, a light snack and an early bedtime.

Apple, lentil, parsnip soup

Soup 2

Moroccan Meatballs with couscous

Chinese Beef

Friday, November 25, 2011

It is 6:45 AM and we are getting ready to head our to the Comisaría de Policía de Patraix where we hope to get our tarjeta de identidad and finish the visa process.  Our visa will be good for a year and will need to be renewed next November in Spain.  The renewed visa we get in 2012 will be good for two years.  Here’s hoping we meet with success.

Yesterday’s Thanksgiving celebration was as good as it gets.  Thanks to Susan’s excellent organization the only things that needed to be cooked from scratch were the turkey and the mashed potatoes.  When we took the turkey out of the white plastic bag we discovered the Mr. Turkey still had his head on and they made sure to include his feet in the package.  The giblets were not neatly wrapped in a plastic bag.  Susan needed to engage in a bit of a tug-of-war to remove them.  That task was preceded by the beheading.  We then placed the turkey in the oven and went about our respective business.

I ran out to do an errand and when I returned Susan had already set the table using a tablecloth and napkins that Brian had lent us.  She had pulled the table to the center of the room so that all five of us could fit at the table.  Given how small the table was, we decided that we would put everything on the sideboard and let everyone serve himself or herself.  We had invited our guests for 2:30 and they all arrived on time.

Pepe brought a bottle of wine and a bottle of champagne; Vilma also brought a bottle of wine.  Brian did yeoman’s duty bringing a pumpkin pie, a mango and passion fruit pie and an asparagus and mushroom casserole.  We gathered around the coffee table with either a beer or a glass of wine in hand and we nibbled on a mixture of olives, gherkins and cocktail onions, as well as some pate.  We chatted animatedly until our conversation was interrupted by the timer announcing that everything was ready.

What a feast it was!  The turkey was the centerpiece and it was surrounded by stuffing, cranberry relish, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and the asparagus and mushroom casserole.  There were warm rolls and butter for those who wanted them.  Before we dug in we joined in and each of us spoke briefly about what we gave thanks for.  Family was a clear top choice with good friends occupying second place.  Wine glasses were filled and we began our frontal attack.  Some of us had seconds, as well as thirds.  We took a much-needed pause and Vilma graciously volunteered to wash the dishes.  That certainly made me happy.

Brian then set out his pies and I made coffee and we made quick work of two of the best pies I have ever tasted.  I made a round of gin and tonics for Pepe, Brian and Susan, while I opted for a glass of Chinchón. Vilma passed on the after-dinner drink and instead washed the dessert plates.  We chatted a bit more and a little before 6:00 PM everyone took their leave and we put the few leftovers that remained in the fridge.

The rest of our evening was uneventful.  Susan was able to speak with her dad and her brother, Bob, to wish them a Happy Thanksgiving and both of us spoke to Rachel via FaceTime for a good fifteen minutes.  Since we knew we would be getting up early this morning, we were in bed by 10:00 PM.  Needless to say, we slept fitfully hoping not to oversleep.

A Spanish turkey!

The finished product

Gobble, gobble me up!

The groaning board!

The groaning board 2

Pepe enjoys his first Thanksgiving.

Vivacious Vilma!

Thanks to Brian for all his contributions!

Our five star chef!

We gather together...

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!  The turkey is in the oven and in another five hours the guests will have arrived and we will have begun the task of stuffing ourselves.  Today is the second consecutive day of sunshine and that means that none of our guests will have to avoid the raindrops on their way to our place.

Although the weather forecast called for rain yesterday, it turned out to be a sunny day.  We left the house early to make our way to the market to pick up the turkey that Cristina had ordered for us.  On our way to the market we made a stop at La Masía, a store that sells a variety of goods for the kitchen and bath among other things, and we purchased a rolling shopping cart so that, in the future, we could roll our purchases home instead of schlepping them long distances.  There were so many choices to make – 2 wheels or 4 wheels, small medium or large, collapsible or not?  We opted for a medium size blue 2 wheeler that was not collapsible.  We then made our way to the Mercado Central.

As soon as she saw us Cristina opened the fridge at her stall and took out the turkey.  In the space of a minute Mr. Turkey was resting comfortably in the confines of our new two-wheeler.  Navigating the narrow sidewalks of Valencia with the cart reminded me of wheeling Susan around in the wheelchair when she had suffered her ankle sprain.  One has to study one’s route carefully in order to make sure that you and your cart can get by and avoid streets that are badly in need of repair or situations where you and your cart can’t get by.  However, under the heading of life’s challenges, I guess this would go far down on the list.

Susan spent most of the morning and part of the afternoon getting things ready for today’s celebratory meal.  Sweet potatoes, stuffing, sage butter, and apricot glaze were some of the items that got checked off the list of things-to-do.  I took advantage of the time to make a run to Mercadona and pick up several things that we would need in order to complete the preparation of today’s meal.  I made a second run to Opencor to pick up a bottle of Chinchón (an anise liqueur) in case someone wanted an after dinner drink.  On my way to Opencor I made a stop at Café Poeta to say hello to Begonia and Ricardo.  I had sent them a Route 66 sign in October and I wanted to make sure that it had reached its destination.  Thankfully it had and they thanked me profusely. We talked about having a paella at their house in the near future and they promised to take us to some of the casals during Fallas so that we could have a close look at all that goes on during this celebration. A casal is a physical space where each group who builds a falla gathers to eat together, plan and party.  I thanked them and made it over to Opencor and bought my bottle of Chinchón.

While Susan continued the preparations for today’s meal, I spent a goodly amount of time on the computer working on the Magic Agora project.  I worked on translating my resume, which has now been posted on the website along with my photo and proofreading a number of articles that are to be posted on the website.  http://magicagora.com/category/teachers/martin-kaplan-en/?lang=en I have proofread or translated everything on the site that appears in English.  By the time we were both finishing up our respective tasks it was close to 3:00 o’clock.  We decided that lunch at A Nou would be a good idea.

Once again we opted for the menú del día and were not disappointed.  Yesterday’s appetizers included a pumpkin soup, a salad with pieces of apple and ham, and a hard boiled egg that was filled with a mixture of mashed potato and salt cod, which is often called a brandade.  For our main course we chose an arroz meloso con gambas y alcachofas (rice with shrimp and artichokes).  For dessert we had some homemade membrillo accompanied by a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Membrillo is the Spanish name for quince paste that is usually commercially available in a jellied form.  The membrillo we had was in sauce form and it mated exquisitely with the ice cream.  We both had a coffee and headed back home.

At 5:30 we hopped a cab and headed to our lawyer’s office.  His assistant had stood in line twice at the Comisaría de Policía in hopes of getting us a number that would guarantee us an appointment to get our tarjeta de identidad.  She had been unsuccessful both times.  We would now have to get in line early and wait patiently until the doors open, get a number and wait around for our appointment or, if we end up with a number that indicates an afternoon appointment will be ours, return later in the day.  Our plan is to be in line at 7:30 AM on Friday and wait until the doors open at 9:30 and get our number.  This will be the last step in the residence visa process and our visa will be good for a year, needing to be renewed next November.  The renewal is November of 2012 will be good for two years.  We were given the necessary documents, paid our last installment to the lawyer and shook hands and thanked him for all his efforts on our behalf.  He did spend a lot of time on our case and he most certainly earned his fee.

On the way back from the lawyer’s office we stopped of at a bodega so Susan could purchase a bottle of her favorite gin, Tan’s, and we continued on our way.  Stop number two was at Sefora to pick up some make-up.  Stop number three was at the Nespresso store to pick up some coffee.  Stop number four was at The Ginger Loft to say hello to Mike and chat a bit.  Stop number five was at Linares for our first gelato of this trip.  Our last stop was at our place where we collapsed into the nearest chair.

It had been a very busy day and so we spent the rest of our evening either reading or watching the cooking channel.  We had a very light supper and by 11:00 we were under the covers hoping that sleep would come soon.  The good news is that it did.

Marty and the blue shopping cart

Marty, blue cart and narrow sidewalk

Olive appetizer to go along with our wine

Today's trio of appetizers at A Nou

Arroz meloso con gambas y alcachofas

Arroz 2

Arroz meloso plated

Membrillo with vanilla ice cream

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

This morning’s gray skies have given way to patches of blue, but there is still a threat of rain in the forecast.  Tomorrow we are supposed to begin a stretch of sunny days.  That would be a welcome change.

As some of you already know, yesterday was the 49^th anniversary of my first date with Susan.  We went bowling and she beat me badly.  In spite of that, I asked her out again.  In the morning we went to the market and picked up the remaining items that we will need for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving celebration.  There is a stall at the market that specializes in Latin American products and they had an abundance of sweet potatoes.  We were also able to purchase fresh sage, thyme and chives and those three items will make tomorrow’s all the tastier.  Potatoes, tomatoes and celery completed our vegetable purchases and we also picked up some apples, bananas and Clementines.  Laden down with all sorts of packages we made our way back home and put everything a way.

A short while later I headed to the deli and picked up some pate for tomorrow, as well as a couple of bottles of white wine.  I also picked up a loaf of their freshly baked bread and a bag of the best potato chips that I have ever enjoyed here in Spain.  Having accomplished that mission, I spent some time on the computer revising some of the articles that will appear on the Magic Agora website.

Since we were invited to dinner at Brian’s, we thought that it would be best to have a light lunch at home and that is precisely what we did.  Susan put together a spectacular salad and we opened a bottle of white wine, sliced up the bread, opened the bag of chips and went at it.  As we finished our meal the rain began to fall again and it would last throughout the night.  I decided a siesta was order and Susan decided to do a bit of ironing.  A woman’s work is never done.  As 7:00 approached we got ourselves ready to head out for Brian’s.

The rain was relentless and I got to try out my latest purchase, an umbrella.  Fortunately we found a cab as soon aw we reached the Gran Vía.  The trip to Brian’s was accomplished in less than ten minutes.  We walked the half block from where the cab had dropped us.  We rang the bell and after a quick trip to the 10^th floor Brian greeted us at the door.  We left our umbrellas in the vestibule, hung up our coats and made ourselves comfortable on the sofa.

Brian offered me a beer and made a gin and tonic for Susan and himself and he put out some olives, cheese and ham for us to munch on.  We spent a good hour catching up as we talked about our respective family members.  Ofelia is in Belgium at the moment so that she can celebrate her niece’s 18^th birthday with her and the rest of her family.  Brian excused himself to get our evening meal ready.  We were called to the table some fifteen minutes later.

Brian set before us a virtual feast.  The centerpiece was a lamb tagine made with dried apricots, chickpeas and tomatoes.  There was a bowl of fluffy couscous studded with currants that would serve as a bed for the tagine.  He had also prepared a green bean casserole and we had a choice of warm rolls or naan.   He also opened a bottle of red wine to accompany the meal.  Dessert consisted of slices of fresh mango from the Canary Islands and baklava that Brian had made himself.  It was a perfect ending to a perfect meal.

We chatted a little while longer and at about 10:30 we bundled up and headed for the garage where Brian keeps his car.  It was still raining so it was nice to not have to wait in the street in the hopes of finding a cab.  Brian dropped us off at the front door and we said our goodbyes.  He will be our guest tomorrow for our Thanksgiving celebration.  We are all looking forward to tomorrow.

Susan's Super Salad Spectacular

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

We are currently enjoying – and enjoying is being said sarcastically – what the natives here call la gota fría. Literally it means the cold drop and it refers to that time of the year when the rain is abundant and the cold penetrating.  Yesterday morning the sky grew so dark that it looked like the middle of the night.  The skies opened up and the pouring rain was accompanied by lightning and thunder.  The rain lasted until 12:30 at which time I ventured out to visit Neo Gym.  It is a small gym a five-minute walk from the house and although it is small it has a goodly assortment of cardio machines, weight machines and free weights.  There is also a studio where they offer a variety of classes.  The municipal gym that I frequented during our last visit just did not do it for me and so I am looking for an alternative.

The initiation fee at Neo Gym is 45 Euros and that includes an evaluation of joints, bones and muscles after which they prescribe a set of exercises that conform to the personal goals that you set, taking into consideration physical limitations.  Along the way you are re-evaluated every month and your exercise regime may change, as needed.  The monthly fee is 60 Euros and that entitles you to unlimited use of the gym, as well as any of the classes that they offer.  All their equipment is quite new and in excellent shape.  I will most probably join, but I need to make an appointment for the initial evaluation and that probably will not happen until next week.

We heard from our lawyer yesterday.  He will have one of his associates visit the Comisaría de Patraix where we need to apply for our identity card and try and get us an afternoon appointment.  If she fails in her second attempt then Susan and I will have to go there ourselves and get in line before the offices open to get a number that will then guarantee us an appointment at some point during the day.  Either way, we have all the necessary photos and documents and it will be good to finally take what is the last step in the visa process.

We had lunch at La Fórcola.  The menu of the day was just too good to resist.  We started out with a beef Carpaccio that was drizzled with olive oil and topped with Parmigiano Reggiano.  Susan chose a lemon chicken for her main course and I opted for the spaghetti carbonara.  Both were delicious.  We had ice cream for dessert.  It was a delicious homemade combination of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries.  We both had a glass of wine with lunch and finished our meal with coffee.  Our bill came to 20 Euros.

Susan picked up a few things for Thursday’s Thanksgiving dinner and I opted to take a brief siesta.  I spent the rest of the afternoon reading and working on the computer.  I have begun a new novel entitled Riña de Gatos by Eduardo Mendoza.  It deals with the Spanish Civil War.  There is an abundance of novels these days that are using the war as the background for the events that unfold in the novel.  A little after 7:00 PM I began to get ready for my quick walk to the CIVAC meeting.  I stepped through the doors at 7:40.

There were only a few people there at that moment.  I was warmly greeted by Paquito and we spent a few minutes catching up.  I then chatted with Juanma González, who is now working for Magic Agora and a short while later, Juan Luis, Gurrea, Gioco and Pepe arrived.  Tonight’s them was “The Broken and Restored Thread” and Gurrea showed us a couple of different versions.  Juan Manuel Marcos then shared with us a couple of other versions and went into great detail about some of the subtleties that one could use.  It was very informative.  Other members then chipped in and made comments regarding the history of the effect, types of thread that can be used and where to find detailed instructions for the effect in print.  The discussion finished around 10:30 and my energy was flagging.  Although jet lag is becoming less and less of an issue I tend to to run out of energy around 10:00.

It took me less than ten minutes to walk back home and after hanging up my coat, Susan and I caught up with Rachel on FaceTime.  Her Sunday foray to Denver went well.  She visited with friends and picked up some goodies at The East Side Deli. Today she had gone for one-hour walk with a friend and when we called she was dealing with some issues at work.  After we hung up, I had a light supper and read for a little while.  We went to bed a little before 11:00.

Gioco at rest

Why Sunday's octopus had such a smokey flavor

Yours truly enjoying an anís at an outdoor cafe on Sunday

Carpaccio

Carpaccio 2

Spaghetti CarbonaraLemon Chicken

Gelato de Frutos del Bosque

A blast from the past. Pepe with Juan Tamariz at a national convention in Jaca, Spain.