Marty Kaplan's Blog

Seu Xerea

Posted on March 14, 2013 by martykaplan

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Gusty winds continue to blow in both Valencia and the Valencian Community. Three fallas were blown down by the gusty winds yesterday and tomorrow the fallas will once again be subject to strong winds. The wind also presents a threat to all the tents that have been erected to house the casals fallers as they celebrate the holiday. The tent in front of our building is just about complete and should be ready to be occupied tomorrow. Still no word from the president of the casal about a magic show for the kids and, at this point in time, even if they want one it is not going to happen. I told Sofi to go ahead and make her plans for fallas and I have not rehearsed my act for kids sufficiently to go it alone. Also, a last minute request, to my way of thinking, shows a lack of planning, as well as disrespect for the artist who is to perform. I guess I will just have to wait until next month to perform.

Yesterday turned out to be a rather quiet day for us. We did get out to Seu Xerea for lunch and we had an excellent meal. It has been a while since we visited. The last time we were there was when Jordi was doing the cooking. The place has been remodeled and they did a fantastic job. Everything is slick and modern with a preponderance of wood. Even the bill is delivered on a wooden tray. We sat down and studied the menu and had a hard time making a decision. Troupers that we are, we finally decided on our choices.

Susan began her meal with a salad that featured a variety of greens, as well as fresh asparagus, artichoke, broccoli and green beans. I ordered the octopus that was served on a bed of mashed potatoes. Susan’s salad was very fresh tasting and my octopus that had been marinated and grilled was both tender and tasty. Susan’s main course was couscous and lamb. I had a fideuá marinera that was excellent. We had a trifle for dessert made with sponge cake, crème anglaise and fresh fruit. We finished our meal with a café cortado. It was 5:00 PM when we finally left the restaurant.

We gave some thought to a movie, as well as a concert in a nearby church, but, truth be told, our bodies told us we would be better off resting. That is exactly what we did. Susan read and I played on the computer. We were in bed before midnight. By the way, today’s photos include the parrillada that we had on Tuesday.

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

Even More Reasons To Like Valencia

Posted on March 13, 2013 by martykaplan

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

The tent in front of our building has just been erected and the members of the casal faller that is around the corner will occupy it either tomorrow evening or Friday noon. The noise level outside our apartment will increase markedly starting Friday night. Thankfully our bedroom is in the rear of the apartment, but given the loud music that blares from these tents, I don’t know that our location will make a significant difference. We shall see.

Yesterday we took care of some business at the bank and we now have a resident’s account at the bank, as opposed to a non-resident’s account. It offers a couple of advantages for us, but the disadvantage is the Spanish equivalent of The Department of the Treasury has knowledge of our account. We are still not sure what our tax situation will be, given the fact that we still pay US taxes. I imagine that we will find out sooner or later.

We decided to visit Restaurante Navarro for lunch – http://www.restaurantenavarro.com/ It had been a while since we ate there last. As you might remember from that post, our server, María José, was stretched to the limit since her co-worker had called in sick at the last minute. She was very apologetic and we, in turn, told her that we understood what was going on and were in no particular rush. At the end of our meal I made a paper rose for her and a pearl poodle. In spite of the fact that several months have passed since we last ate there, María José recognized us the minute we walked in. The three sisters who own and run the restaurant recognized me as the guy who makes the flowers. It turned out that there was no menu of the day, so we studied the regular menu to see what we were going to have for lunch.

We opted for an appetizer salad that included anchovies, esgarraet, mojama, tomato and lettuce. Although meant for one, it was just perfect for two. For our main course we ordered a parrillada de pescado y mariscos for two. When it arrived at the table we were taken aback by the quantity of fish and shellfish on the serving plate. Filets of tuna, swordfish and monkfish had been cooked to perfection on the grill. The red shrimp, the squid, the sepia and the cigalas had also been grilled. As if that wasn’t enough there were also fried shrimp and fried calamari on the plate. The dish was served along with a bowl of potato chips that had been freshly fried and some tempura vegetables. In case you were wondering what the price for this seafood feast was, try 35 Euros. For dessert we split some ice cream. We finished our meal by chatting with the three sisters and when we left the restaurant it was a little after 5:00.

Juanjo came by for some conversation with Susan and at 8:45 Susan and I made our way to Jimmy Glass to listen to the Joe Magnarelli Quintet featuring Perico Sambeat on saxophone. As usual, when we arrived Pepe was already in line and he saved two seats for us at his table that was directly behind the pianist. We had the chance to listen to two great sets and when we left at 12:15 we knew that we had had the opportunity to listen to some great jazz. We did not get to be until 1:30, but we both slept well.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Fallas, Jimmy Glass, Marty kaplan, Restaurante Navarro, Valencia | Leave a comment

And The Beat Goes On!

Posted on March 11, 2013 by martykaplan

Monday, March 11, 2013

It’s another lovely day here in Valencia. Temperatures will rise to the mid-70’s and that will make it easy to do a number of errands that are on the agenda for this afternoon. Tonight, at the meeting of the CIVAC, I will be setting up a Flea Market with the hopes of selling a number of magic effects and card decks that I brought with me from LA. With a few exceptions, everything is in mint condition. They represent wither duplicates of effects that I already own or, in the case of the decks, excess stock that I will most probably never get to use.

Yesterday, we slept in and had a late breakfast. We left the house a little after 2:30 to take in an exhibition of paintings and clothing that are typical of Fallas. Susan chatted with a gentleman who designs the dresses for the falleras and discovered that some of them sell for as high as $6,000, depending on the quality of the fabric and where the garment is assembled. Afterwards we ended up at The Ginger Loft and although it was close to 4:00 when we walked through the door, things were hopping.

We enjoyed a little bit of this and that. We sampled the won tons, the ceviche, lamb tacos, some guacamole and a salad. Everything just hit the spot. While we were eating, a friend of Pepe and Sara, Mari Mar stopped by our table to say hello. It turned out that she was having lunch upstairs with Sara and Sara’s sister, Yolanda. When they finished their meal they came downstairs and joined us over a gimlet. By the time we got up to leave, it was already 5:00. As we made our way home we discovered that the elements that will become the falla just outside our building had been moved into place and were covered with clear plastic tarps to protect them from the rain, if it should happen to rain in the next few days.

We took life easy for the rest of the day. I did some prep work for tonight’s flea market and Susan did some reading. We were so full from our lunch that supper turned out to be a cup of coffee and two cookies. We were in bed before midnight. Just below you will see some pictures of the exhibition as well as some shots of the falla that is going up at Na Jordana. It is a replica of The Trojan Horse and its cost is in the thousands and thousands of Euros.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Fallas, Marty kaplan, Na Jordana, The Ginger Loft, Valencia | Leave a comment

FIREWORKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted on March 10, 2013 by martykaplan

Sunday, March 10, 2013

After a late night on Friday, we slept in yesterday. We did manage to get to the market before it closed for the day and around 3:00 we decided that it might be nice to have some lunch. That being the case we thought we would amble over to Carosel and see if there was space on the terrace for us since it was a warm sunny day. When we arrived the place was hopping and we managed to get the last available table. Joanna and Carol, Jordi’s wife and daughter, were outside and they joined us at our table.

Fifty covers for a Saturday lunch at Carosel is a good Saturday. Today Jordi did ninety covers. Little by little the crowds are growing as Fallas approach and when the 2:00 PM mascletá ends there are lots of people looking for places to eat. The kitchen was challenged to the max and it took a little longer for food to arrive. That is not to say the delay was interminable. The truth is that sitting in the sun, playing with Joanna and sipping a beer made the time go by quickly. We were surprised that it was 5:00 o’clock when we got up from the table. All the appetizers were enjoyable, but for me the star of this meal was the arroz mariner meloso. It was brimming with all kinds of shellfish and the rice was, as usual, cooked to perfection.

Our next stop was La Terraza del MuVIM. Jordi and family had moved over there to see how things were going. When we arrived the terrace was filled to overflowing and all the indoor tables were filled. Susan took a few pictures and we sat for a while. We then headed back home to rest up for the evening’s activity.

We took our seats in the auditorium of the Museo de Bellas Artes a little before 7:00. The room was filled to overflowing for the 539^th concert in a series that began many years ago. The program this evening was an homage to Juan Luis González on the 15^th anniversary of his passing. There were eleven different performers and nine of them were guitarists. The other two were a violinist and a percussionist. The program was varied and featured works that ranged from the classical to the experimental. The concert ended with eight of the guitarists playing an arrangement of one of González’s works entitled Amanecer. The concert ended at 9:30 and we returned home to rest up for the next event on our schedule.

Michele, whom we know from La Fórcola, is working with an organization called Guida Valencia that organizes a variety of events here in Valencia. Michele is working on publicity for the group and is quite busy shooting videos and photos of all the goings-on here in the city. One of the events that the group has organized is an opportunity to view the mascletás from the vantage point of the balcony of an 8^th story office that overlooks the Plaza de Ayuntamiento. Last night there was a fireworks display at midnight. We were the first to arrive at 11:00, according to Michele’s suggestion, and surprised the workers who were in the process of setting up the bar.

Little by little the guests began to arrive and I would guess that there were about forty of us gathered when the fireworks began. The view was spectacular and we certainly felt that we got our money’s worth for our 15 Euro per person entrance price. Not only was there a spectacular view of the festivities, but also there was an open bar and a number of snacks. We spent a lot of time chatting with a visiting couple from Italy and I chatted with a couple of young ladies who wanted to practice their English. Interestingly enough, both were former falleras infantiles. I ran out of gas at 12:30 and so Susan and I made our way back home. We stayed up for another hour to let the excitement die down and the food and drink digest. This was the most event-filled day that we have had thus far this year. Here is a video link to last night’s fireworks and a number of Susan’s pictures. Enjoy!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Carosel, Fallas, Guida Valencia, La Terraza del Muvim, Marty kaplan, Valencia | 1 Comment

I’m Beginning To See The Lights!

Posted on March 9, 2013 by martykaplan

Saturday, March 9, 2013

The sun keeps playing peek-a-boo, but hopefully today will turn out to be a day without rain. We have a guitar concert this evening at 7:30 and at midnight we will be on a balcony overlooking the Plaza del Ayuntamiento to witness the midnight fireworks display. Michele, who is one of the servers at La Fórcola has rented an architect’s office and has invited customers and friends to join him for a prime seat, an open bar and some munchies. It’s 15 Euros per space, but I think it will be worth it on many levels – no pun intended.

Last evening Brian and Ofelia invited us to join them for some tapas followed by a visit to the light show that is at its brightest and most artful in the streets that surround their apartment. Zahava arrived only moments before we did and, unfortunately, Klaus was at home nursing a cold. We chatted while we munched on a most delightful array of goodies. Brian had set out an international buffet with samplings of dishes from India, the Middle East and points east and west.

A little after 9:00 we headed out and for the next two hours we watched as the various light displays did their thing, always accompanied by music. Our first stop was a replica of the London Bridge in lights and it is a display that goes on for blocks and blocks. Our next stop was the recreation of a ballroom within a palace. It was the first lighting of this display and to the tune of The Blue Danube Waltz various element of the display were lit and, as the song ended, the entire display was illuminated.

We paid a brief visit to Ofelia’s gallery so that Zahava could take a look and then we returned to Brian and Ofelia’s place for an after dinner drink, more conversation and a bit of magic. Around midnight Brian offered to drive us home, so we said our goodbyes to Ofelia and drove through the brightly lit streets of Valencia until we reached our place. It was close to 1:00 when we retired for the night.

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Forward March!

Posted on March 8, 2013 by martykaplan

Friday, March 8, 2013

The technology rebellion continues in the Kaplan household. The print head on Susan’s HP has given up the ghost and it looks like the options are to find a new print head or just replace the unit. Given the fact that the printer is four years old and has had other problems that I was able to address, the answer is clear. So, we will head to the FNAC shortly and shop for a printer.

I visited the Apple Store the other day with my Time Capsule, which was not backing up my computers. I suspected there was a problem with the hard disk and when Quique at the Genius Bar turned on the unit, it was readily apparent to him that the unit needed to be replaced. It took me ten minutes to set it up again and is functioning properly. The iMac has been on for the past three days and is still backing up files to Carbonite. I have not used it for any other purposes, lest it repeat the black screen problem. I will wait until all files have been backed up and will then experiment. I am currently writing this on my MacBook Pro.

We had lunch at Ballando Nudi on Wednesday. Along with a pasta dish we had a black crepe filled with octopus that was absolutely delicious. We had a long conversation with Francisco who filled us in on his future plans. When they become public knowledge I will share them with you. After lunch Susan paid a visit to La Terraza del MuVIM and took the photos that you will find at the end of this post. I took advantage of her absence to finish a translation for Magic Ágora.

Yesterday I finished the process of marking the prices for all the effects and decks I will be offering for sale at the Monday night meeting of the CIVAC. It has taken me a couple of days to do so, but it will make collecting money a bit easier. I am not sure how much magic I will sell given the state of the economy. However, as Susan has reminded me, whatever I sell means that I will have less to store here at home.

Last night after the meeting of the veteranos, we went to Carosel for a belated celebration of Pepe’s January birthday. Pepe opened up a couple of bottles from his recent trip to La Rioja where he visited with Benjamín Romeo. Both the red wine and the white wine were superb. Last night’s dinner featured huevos rotos, croquestas de jamón, buñuelos de bacalao and steak. After dinner Paquito and Gurrea came by the house and we took all the magic that I will be selling to La Cuchara. Monday evening at 6:30 I will meet up with Paquito and we will set up the display and wait to see what sells and what doesn’t.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Ballando Nudi, Carosel, Marty kaplan, Terraza del MuVIM, Valencia | Leave a comment

Lágrimas de Sal

Posted on March 4, 2013 by martykaplan

Monday, March 4, 2013

Today it is cold and overcast and not very conducive to standing in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento to watch or, better said, listen to the mascletá. We did however make our way to the bank to changeover our bank account from non-resident to resident. It took awhile to complete the paperwork, after all this is Spain and the process will actually be finished next week when we get our new debit cards and hand in the old ones. We picked up a few things at Mercadona afterwards and, at the moment, Susan is putting together the ingredients for a tortilla de patatas.

Yesterday we had brunch at The Ginger Loft. We were glad to see that it was quite busy and there were a number of large parties. We started things off with some hummus and then proceeded to enjoy some tacos de pollo and some killer ceviche. I ordered a Caesar Salad for my main course and Susan has her Eggs Benedict, although to be perfectly honest, she had an Egg Benedict because she was too full to eat the usual two that come in an order. Mike suggested making what they call a paloma, which comes with a base of both spinach and smoked salmon. When we finished our mains, we were too full for either coffee or dessert and so we went on our way.

We passed by Linares, which has opened after being closed for the past two months. We said hello to our friends behind the counter and, believe it or not, we turned down an offer of free ice cream. Susan spent the afternoon finishing up our 2012 taxes while I fought with my iMac, which after five years is developing some severe problems. I am trying to back everything up before the inevitable happens, but I am not sure that I will be successful. The good news is that I have my files in a variety of places in the cloud and on thumb drives.

Last night we went to a concert called Lágrimas de Sal for a taste of what is called flamenco sinfónico. This is a concept of one Oscar Manuel who could be classified as a flamenco flautist. He is the composer of all the music we heard last night. In addition to two guitarists, two percussionists, two male dancers, a soprano and Oscar, there was a symphony orchestra backing them up. Last night that orchestra turned out to be the Orquesta Sinfónica OSASV Alicante. We were treated to eight different compositions, all of which were enjoyable save one. We think they should have left the soprano at home.

After the concert we stopped at a nearby bar and had a beer and a glass of wine while we snacked on some albóndigas, bravas and tortitas de camarón. When we finished, we hailed a cab and were back home a little before 11:00. We were able to chat with Rachel via FaceTime and soon thereafter, we retired for the night.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Lagrimas de Sal. The Ginger Loft, Marty kaplan, Valencia | Leave a comment

Here Comes The Sun King

Posted on March 3, 2013 by martykaplan

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.

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

Chilly Winds Do Blow!

Posted on March 2, 2013 by martykaplan

Saturday, March 2, 2013

The weather has been cold and nasty for the past few days and not very conducive to moving about. The natives say that this is not typical late February or early March weather, but with global warming a reality, for most of us anyway, the adjective “typical” really doesn’t apply anymore when it comes to weather. Thursday evening, however, I did manage to make it over toLa Cuchara Mágica for another organizational meeting for LAS 24 HORAS.

Festivities will begin on Friday night with a lecture and performance by Miguel Gómez, one of Spain’s top card men. The event will take place in the MuVIM and will be preceded by a dinner. This event is for CIVAC members only. Saturday’s events will start at 11:00 with registration and in the afternoon there will be a lecture or two and a close-up gala. At 8:00 PM the MEMORIAL PACO DE ANDRÉS will happen followed by a dinner and a midnight cabaret. Sunday morning is when the Gala Infantil happens and the young magicians gala will happen on Sunday afternoon.

After eating at home for the past few days we decided to have lunch at Carosel. The tabla de entrantes yesterday featured a ham-based broth, a coca de escalibada, pescadito adobado and a fried dumpling filled with spinach and morcilla. Our entrée was paella con pollo, alcachofas y costillas. One of the other possible entrees was a stew of fabes y langostinos. I asked if I could have a taste and somehow a taste ended up being translated as a small casserole dish. It was the perfect dish for a cold day. Dessert was a chocolate extravaganza with a variety of tastes and textures.

Last night we went over to the MuVIM for a musical performance that featured the music if Cuba. Jordi had opened the café in anticipation of some lively business. The start time was intended to be 8:00 o’clock but by the time the musicians had stopped greeting friends and family and had the audio setup functioning it was close to 9:30 and a goodly number of people had left. The speakers were no match for the space, which is cavernous and prone to reverb. I left early, but Susan stayed on to take some photos.

Today’s photos feature a variety of themes including preparations for Fallas and a meal we had at El Molinón.

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

Alma del Temple

Posted on February 25, 2013 by martykaplan

Monday, February 25, 2013

The streets of Valencia were alive yesterday with the sounds of Fallas. From the despertá at 8:00 in the morning to the official opening of the Fallas period at 8:00 at night the sound of bands parading through the streets and fireworks exploding in the air, the pace of the city suddenly quickened.

Our only plan for the day was to have lunch with Brian and Ofelia. It was a belated birthday celebration and it was belated because Ofelia was in Madrid when her birthday came around. Brian had made a reservation for us at a restaurant called Alma del Temple, which is located in the basement of the Hotel Caro. The “caro” in the hotel name does not refer to its average nightly rate, which is 149 Euros a night for a double, but rather to the fact that the building was the former palace of the Marqués de Caro. When transforming the building into a hotel a number of archeological treasures were found. It seems that the land on which the hotel was built was the former site of the Roman Circus and house treasures from that area, as well as from the time of the Moorish occupation of the city. The Moorish walls are part of the décor of the restaurant. Here is a video that will give you a tour of the space and the food that is served within. http://www.carohotel.com/videos/2012-11-21-restaurante-alma-del-temple-caro-hotel

We had a 1:30 reservation and so it was no surprise that we were among the first to arrive. Susan and I entered through the hotel and walked down the stairs that lead to the restaurant. When we walked in there was nobody there. Little did we know that we had not entered the restaurant proper, which was beyond a glass and mirrored wall. We exited the hotel and caught up with Brian and Ofelia and entered the restaurant from the outside stairs. This time we couldn’t open the door. So, we entered the hotel again and inquired as to when the restaurant opened and, more importantly, how to get into the dining space. Someone at the front desk accompanied us downstairs and one of the servers greeted us and showed us to our table.

The space is not overly large and the décor is sleekly modern and contrasts with the remnants of the Moorish walls. It is not overly noisy and you can easily hear the conversation of your fellow tablemates. Service was smooth and very professional. The wine list is quite extensive and easily accommodates all pocketbooks. We chose a 25 Euro bottle of a reserve Pesquera and passed up the 995 Euro bottle of Pingus. We studied the menu for a while and decided to order three appetizers that we would share and that each of us would order a main course.

We began our meal with a Carpaccio of octopus, followed by a Caesar salad that was topped with fried chicken. Our third appetizer was an eggplant dish that was smothered in a tomato and pesto sauce and topped with Parmesan cheese. While the eggplant dish was good, the Carpaccio and the salad were the excellent. Ofelia chose the hamburger for her main course and I opted for the steak. Both Susan and Brian had the lamb. We all pronounced our dishes as delicious and Susan ventured that her lamb was the best she has ever tasted. As we ate our meal we were taken by the fact that most tables were ordering paella. It was not surprising since paella is part of the weekend menú del día. We will certainly try it on a return visit.

Three of us ordered dessert. I had the chocolate cake, Susan had a concoction called chocolate and coffee and Brian chose the berries topped with a yoghurt sorbet. We finished the meal with coffee and a bit of magic.

It had gotten noticeably colder during the two hours we spent in the restaurant and that quickened our pace as we walked back home. We decided that the rest of the day would best be spent inside our warm home and that is precisely what we did.