Here we are in Valencia, J-Term 2007. The class is called "El cine en España, España en el cine." There are 8 terrific student, all smart and great fun, and I think we're in for a wonderful time. Everyone arrived safely, although three of them had their suitcases sent to the four corners of the earth before they finally arrived in Valencia several days late (Paris seems to be the common denominator here).






















n Madrid, some of us saw the results of the ETA bombing at the parking deck of Terminal 4 at Barajas airport. Pretty dramatic.







Tuesday, Jan 2, first day of class in our building at Ramón Gordillo 4; orientation and general discussion of film. Everyone went home for lunch, then we met again at 5 to do a short walking tour of the historic center of Valencia (City Hall Square, the old Post Office, Calle de la Paz, the original University building, and the Plaza de la Reina, the Museo de Céramica with Eliseo Valle, the Academic Director of our program here).







Then we headed to the movies to see our first film: "La sombra de nadie", a "thriller."


















The Plaza del Ayuntamiento is decked out with Christmas lights, gorgeous.



Wednesday we had a very animated class full of commentary, new vocabulary, and discussion. Everyone is participating, and I'm impressed with some of the commentary. These films aren't easy -- Spanish is VERY fast, and full of colloquial usage.





Valencia is bisected by the River Turia, now completely without water and turned into a wonderful elongated public park, but it's crossed by beautiful bridges: old, new (one by Santiago Calatrava) and modern.




Wednesday's movie, "El laberinto del fauno," has been receiving rave reviews, and it gave us a chance to talk about the Civil War, the Franco era, resistence, courage, and even the modern history of Spain following Franco's death in 1975.

Valencia is a beautiful city, large enough to be interesting but small enough to be manageable.






Thursday's movie, "Los Borgia," is a sweeping historical drama about Pope Alejandro VI (Rodrigo Borgia) and his rise to power. Stirring and full of local/international history (he was born in Valencia).






















After Thursday's film, the class decided to eat dinner in an Italian restaurant, which was great fun (and quite a feat negotiating the "I don't eat this" and "I don't eat that" of the americanos! But we managed, and the group is so flexible and impressive, that it all worked out wonderfully.









Everything is in high gear for el Día de los Reyes, January 6, when Spaniards celebrate their Christmas. Friday night brings the annual Cabalgata (parade) of floats that anticipate the arrival of the Three Wise Men, who finally appear at the end of the parade on decorated floats, as the children all shout out their names, insisting that they have been good all year and deserve lots of goodies on January 6. It's a mob scene, but peaceful and great fun. There is also a spectacular creche set up in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento (1200 painted clay figures!) that I hope to convince the students to see.


















Saturday, January 6. We just finished our excellent paella lunch (2-4:30) at La Riaú, a famous paella restaurant here. Wonderful cod croquettes, mixed salad, and ham/cheese puff pastry followed by a superb vegetable paella, bread, wine, water, and ice cream. I don't think anyone left hungry!



A short stroll to the cathedral and the Plaza de la Reina before the students went off to see the creche, take naps or wander around the sunny city (it's almost warm here, with lots of people sitting at outdoor cafes enjoying coffee and drinks). We'll reassemble at 8:00 for tonight's movie, "Ficción."



Another famous Valencian dish is called "fideuá" which is like a paella but made with short noodles instead of rice. I was lucky to have one at the home of the amazing Administrator of our SPU Program in Valencia, Carol Harris. How do you say "ymmmm" in Spanish?



The students did go see the creche and some other sites in town while I worked, then we reassembled at 8:00 to see "Ficción," a film made in Cataluña and spoken mostly in Catalán (Spanish subtitles were provided). It dealt with a film director and screen writer who goes off to a house in the Pyrenees in order to finish his script, but he can't do it. He falls in love with a woman he meets there, but they're both committed to other people. The movie we see turns out to be the script he was trying to write. I think I liked it more than the students did.

Sunday they're free most of the day to enjoy the museums, regional dances in front of the cathedral, the beach. We will do one more movie this afternoon at 6:30, a new film titled "Cándida."

"Cándida" was a marvel, the best film we've seen so far, according to many of the students. And it wasn't easy to understand, since half the characters spoke in "sevillano," very fast and pronuncing only half of the words. It seems as though all the students enjoyed the weekend, seeing museums, historic buildings, the Calatrava architecture, shopping (post-Christmas sales are on, big-time!), etc.



We talked about both movies in class today, then parted for lunch and came back together to see "¿Por qué se frotan las patitas?" a weird but thoroughly enjoyable musical pastiche of rock, flamenco, reggae, and rap. Great actors, an appealing story, and the wonderful Lola Herrera in the main role. Afterwords we stopped for some Cokes with my student Irene Gómez Castellano before the kids ran off again to...to what?







Wednesday's movie was a hoot, a co-production (Spain/Argentina) about "Pérez, el ratoncito de tus sueños," a combination of "real life" actors and computer-generated images about the Spanish equivalent of the Tooth Fairy (in Spain and Latin America, Pérez the Mouse brings you a coin if you leave a tooth under your pillow). It was surprisingly entertaining and well done.

Valencia is indeed the land of sunshine. Here, 9 January 2007, is a pix of people enjoying some lunch at an outdoor cafe.



We had a wonderful tour of the Fine Arts Museum by one of the professors in the program, Enrique Pelaez, a quick romp through the history of Spanish painting. It was quick because we had to be at the movies (naturally!) to see Argentina's candidate for the Oscar, "Derecho de familia" at an art house in a rather isolated area of the city which the students found (guided by the intrepid Layton) without problem.



Courtney and Mallory at the Museo de Bellas Artes.



Foiled today! We had class in the morning (the students are beginning to show the stress of long days and nights) and were supposed to assemble at the Teatre el Musical to see the great Argentine actor, Hector Alterio ("Historia oficial," "El hijo de la novia", etc.) but he took ill and they cancelled the performance. I was out at the Universidad Católica giving a lecture when I got the news, so it was too late to make another plan. I suspect the students were delighted to have an afternoon -- FINALLY!-- to themselves, to shop or see the city. I'm sure I'll find out tomorrow in class.

Here are pictures of the Plaza de la Reina and the Iglesia de Santo Tomás.




Last day: class from 9-11, e-mail, a photo with the group, and then off to see the installations for the America's Cup races, which will take place here in Valencia this spring and summer.




The America's Cup set-up is pretty impressive, and it promises to be an amazing show. There's a free video presentation, then we had a guided tour of the various models, an explanation of what will eventually be open, and a visit to a replica of Magellan's ship.




On to the final lunch at Las Tres Cepas restaurant on the beach: calamares, salad, patatas bravas, chicken paella, vegetable paella, bread, desserts, coffee.



It was a wonderful way to finish up the course. From there, they dispersed to the 8 winds (well, four of us went for a walk on the beach, then came back in a more prosaic manner -- by bus); the students have their flights home in the next day or two.

Buen viaje!