Hello, again, Blogonauts! Valencia can leave an impression on a body ... but more on that later. Yesterday Toby planned a bike ride for us: He, on his trusted two-wheeled 24-speed steel steed, and I, on my first-time-ever e-bike. There was a time when my daily commute was on a bicycle. But since my era of routinely pushing pedals was more than half-a-life ago, my thighs and calves were relieved not to be the sole source of locomotion for this trip. Once my ren...

Hello, again, Blogonauts! For a few hours, it was touch-and-go, but as Toby predicted, today has been sunny here in Valencia, Spain. There are some attached photos to prove it. I arrived yesterday after a smooth and jetting jaunt across the Atlantic, and a jerking nail-biter of a taxi ride to Toby's apartment. From my assessment, both means of conveyance traveled at close to the same speed, although the cab ride had a distinct lack of refreshements on offer. O...

When I anticipated soaking in Valencia's scenery and sights, I had no idea how much actual moisture would be involved. The wind and rain persisted almost nonstop from Friday onward, dampening every square centimeter of the outdoors, and on Saturday even reducing access to some of the museums. But it allowed me to wind down from the rapid pace I usually maintain on vacation. (Rather than darting from one activity to the next, we played cards and watched Australia...

Hello, again, Blogonauts! As predicted, my next destination was sunny Spain. If only I could figure out where they have it stashed away! Instead, my friend Toby's gleaming smile was the only sunshine awaiting me when on Wednesday I landed in Valencia. The air was cool and the sky gray. At least it wasn't raining...yet. Soon after I arrived we ventured out to hear a concert by the Orquestra de Valencia in the City Hall Plaza. The MC was as much a clown as a con...

Hello, again, Blogonauts! Madrid gives its visitors a superb first impression. Indeed, the city wears an almost swaggering, matador-level pride on its richly decorated sleeve. Walking through Madrid's center, you are bedazzled with lit towers, neo-Grecian statues, elaborate balconies, ceramic tiles, and other ornamentation galore. The layout of the streets at first can be a bit bewildering, but this seeming tangle results in frequent oddly shaped plazas where c...