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WITH | Lorca takes on Sassoon | parties & holidays | the best of Valencia & the Community |

independent reviews | ¡aprende inglés con nosotros!

Free!15 Dec

-14 Jan

The The countdown countdown

is on!is on!

When you fi nish with your inVLC. . .pass it on to a friend!

3 inVLC on...

AdvancedFirst certifi cateIntermediate A lo largo de esta revista encontrarás distintos niveles de difi cultad indicados en la

parte superior de cada página y recuadros con vocabulario debajo del texto. Para la pronunciación hemos incluido la fonética.

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Well, it's happened again. Without warning - another year has come and is about to go. Whilst it seems that years go by faster and faster as you get older, this is a great time to stop what you're doing and take stock of your life. Whether you are a true Valenciano, a Valenciano by choice or a Valenciano by just being here over the festive period, take some time to look around at your family, your friends and your associates and be thankful for what you have.

Times are tough at the moment for many people so it's also a great time to be telling people how much you love them and show that love by buying a little present or two for your favourites, which in turn helps give the local economy a much needed boost.

Here at inVLC we want to say thanks to all our readers and our Facebook and Twitter friends for supporting us throughout the last year helping to make our magazine the best, the most widely read and the one that seems to be the hardest to fi nd due to its ever-increasing popularity!

We would also like to thank everyone that has contributed to the magazine be it by taking out an advert, by contributing articles or pictures, taking part in a competition or helping us to deliver the magazine throughout Valencia and the Community. You all know who you are! Many, many thanks, love and hugs from the crew here at the magazine.

Have a great Christmas, New Year and Kings Day and we'll see you next year. Enjoy the read! Andy, Kelly & Sean

hazy shade of winter...

We use CreatorSilk paper It’s chlorine free & the wood used is from sustainably managed forests. We do this because we’re nice & want to reduce our environmental impact.

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The latest News keeping you up to dateHotspotsFree in Valencia has a sweet toothI heart Valencia the poets' tormentHolidays and fi estas are festiveValencia Community we visit CanalsIndependent shop review Love Retro & FunIndependent bar review El Desvan del Café Let's talkExpat life! Eoghan is musicalYour photos of 'it's mine'MapTalking teaching is learning new tipsArt & cultureMusic hot new musical releases Live events only the best make it to the listSport hot newsThe cinema V.O releases in ValenciaRead me Sean loves his books LifestyleCharity Setem needs youGreen Declan is breathing fresh airRecipe it's a Young Ones specialArtist We look back at the last yearArt to see knows artA day in the life Matt shows us his SaturdayCocktails for MadmenAnimal what makes reindeer so specialEvents & classifi eds keeps you in the know

inVLC is for all people in the community of Valencia: whether born here, visiting for a day, or living a new life in the sun.We hope to guide you on what’s going on in the community, help those living in it, and support language learning with a bit of added fun.

Sales VincenzoTranslations JavierCompetition winner Luke

Contact informationemail invlceditor@gmail.comphone 633 822 614 - English speakersphone 628 831 400 - Spanish speakersfacebook inVLCIf you have any thoughts, comments or complaints or want to advertise, please email or phone us.

Important numbers & Embassies / consulatesFire | 080 Local police | 092Medical | 061 General | 112French | 96 351 0359 USA | 96 351 6973British | 96 521 60 22 Dutch | 96 341 4633 German | 96 310 62 53

Legal chatWe do our very best to strive for accuracy in this magazine but we cannot accept responsibility for unintentional errors or omissions, accuracy of advertisements or contributors’ opinions. We aim at all times not to off end. depósito legal V-816-2006

indexabout us

15/12/1988 James Brown adds 'State Park Correctional Institute inmate number 155413' to his 'Godfather of Soul' and the 'Hardest Working Man in Show Business' titles after a skirmish involving drugs, fi rearms and a police chase.

4 News

Intermediate

inVLC in the news | ADN published a very nice article about our magazine

on Friday 9 Dec. If you want to check it out in all its glory, go to www.goo.gl/XFJJv. That's us, sitting in The Portland Ale House with a selection of inVLCs.

UNESCO Award | UNESCO has declared that the Valencian

Communty's festival of Mare de Deu de la Salut in Algemesí is a World Site of Intangible Heritage of Humanity due to its "cultural value that passes from generation to generation". The festival which dates back to the 13th century, includes plays, processions, dances and music and takes place in September each year. It joins the Mystery of Elche and The Water Court of Valencia as the third award from UNESCO for the Valencian Community.

www.unesco.org

Unemployment on the rise again | In what is not happy reading for many,

the unemployment fi gures have risen again for the fourth consecutive month and the total number of unemployed now stands at over 4.4 million. The Ministry for Labour and Immigration also stated that the number without work has risen over 7.5% this year alone.

2012 Euro Championship Draw | Spain have been drawn against

Italy, Croatia and Ireland in next year's European Championships in Poland and Ukraine. England have been drawn against France, Sweden and the Ukraine. The other groups consist of Poland, Greece, Russia and Czech Republic, and in what looks to be the hardest group Portugal, Germany, Denmark and Holland will battle it out.

Paterna - the shopping experience of the future? | A UK investment

fund has chosen Paterna to be the planned home of a new €700 million commercial centre aiming to be the largest of its kind in Europe. They plan to site it next to the CV-35 opposite Heron City and it would be called Puerto Ademuz. The proposed new park aims to provide a new concept in shopping linked to leisure, sports and nature and would have a lake with water sports, skating rink and ski slope, wave pool, a climbing wall and a sports club. IKEA is also being mentioned.

16/12/1773 In Boston Harbour, Massachusetts colonialists disguised as Mohawk Indians board three British tea ships and dump 342 chests of tea into the harbour in protest of British taxes and resulted in British military rule in the colony.

5

Want to see the Valencian Community on the cheap? Every month we'll list some great spots where you can

enjoy Spanish culture, nature and have some good, low-cost fun. This month we'll be:

Free/cheap in Valencia

Adv

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Turrón - honey, sugar, and egg white, with toasted almonds or other nuts. Their earliest mention is in the 16th-century Manual de Mujeres (Women's Handbook), fi lled with recipes for cosmetics and food. They are hard (Alicante): 60% almonds or soft & chewy (Xixona): 64% almonds in a paste with added oil.

Polvorones - soft, dusty, almond shortbread-like cakes, which melt in the mouth and are delicious. They're very similar to Mantecados - sweet crumbly cakes.

Yema - a marzipan desert - rich and creamy with a yolky marzipan inside.

Roscón de Reyes - round soft cakes with a trinket inside - usually a little Jesus or king with a bean. Get the king - you are king for the day, get the bean and you have to pay for the cake. The Spanish decorate them with dried and candied fruits like fi gs, quinces and cherries.

Panettone - the sweet bread loaf which often has chocolate chips, currants, and other types of dried fruits throughout.

1| wandering the city visiting the many craft and artisan markets (see below), and then warming up with a yummy specialist hot chocolate at our favourite hotspot - Valor.

2| enjoying Christmas goodies. We're now blessed with several places to buy expat treats, plus there are the amazing Spanish goods on off er - Turrón & Jij ona, Rosquillos de Vino, Marzipa and Polvorones.

3| strolling along one of the gentle hikes through the protected 10 acre forest of 'The Manguillo', which is in La Pobla de Vallbona. Take a metro there and some easy walking shoes. Want to cycle? There are bike routes, too!

Av del OesteAv del Barón de Cárcer

1/12 - 6/01

ExpoJove 201126/12 - 4/01 11-8pm

€1-€5, Avda. de las Ferias

Cabañal2/01

Next to Cabañal Market3 - 6/1

Feria de ArtesaniaPl. de la Reina

2/12 - 8/01

Mercado Colón16/12 - 5/01

El Punto del CarmenCalle Caballeros, 38

25 mini-shops

Xàtiva metro12 - 17/12

Remember that it's time to buy

your 'El Gordo' lottery ticket to have a chance of winning €2,52Bn on

22 December.www.elgordo.com

This year's Christmas markets have already started!

Las Ciencias y las Artes

23/12-6/01 11-8pm

17/12/1843 Charles Dickens' classic 'A Christmas Carol' is published. It has been (at least partially) credited with restoring the holiday to one of happinesss and festivity after a period of sobriety and sombreness during the Industrial Revolution.

6 I heart Valencia

First certifi cate

This month we have a confrontation between two

poets from the English and Spanish language who

had an awful lot in common: Federico García Lorca

and Siegfried Sassoon.

Round 1| Childhood & EducationBorn in Fuente Vaqueros, Granada in 1898, Federico

del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García grew up with a love of popular songs, which he was able to memorise. He was a weak child, not learning to walk until four years old and submerged himself in the works of Victor Hugo and Miguel de Cervantes. He bounced around from school to school eventually ending up with a law degree from the University of Granada although he never practiced. Granada provided Lorca with a keen sense of the Moorish infl uence and the rough geographical landscape in Spain that remained evident throughout his poetry.

Siegfried Sassoon’s father was a disinherited member of the Baghdadi Jewish Sassoon merchant family. His mother named him Siegfried for her love of Wagnerian operas. They separated when he was four and during his father’s weekly visits, his mother locked herself in the drawing room. He was the second of three sons and was educated at Clare College, Cambridge where he read history, which he never fi nished, instead opting to spend time hunting, playing cricket and writing verse.

WINNER – Lorca (not exactly humble beginnings, but close enough)

Round 2| Life & WorksLorca’s fi rst book Impresiones y paisajes was

published in 1918 and was funded by his father followed by his fi rst theatrical work in 1920 (El malefi cio de la mariposa) and his Book of Poems in 1921. Other books of poetry included Canciones and Romancero Gitanoin 1928, the latter of which contributed to him being labelled a ‘gypsy poet’ – a term he felt to be derogatory. Being involved in the Spanish avant-garde scene brought him into contact with the likes of Salvador Dalí and Luis Buñuel, who he later became estranged from after their fi lm Un Chien Andalou (1929) which he interpreted as an attack on him. He set off for the States shortly afterwards and continued to write with his fi rst-hand experience of

African-American poverty in the US and the poverty throughout rural Spain. His return to Spain coincided with the reestablishment of the Spanish Republic and was appointed the director of La Barraca (The Shack). During his days as theatre director he wrote his best-known plays Bodas de Sangre, Yerma and La Casa de Bernarda Alba. Also known as the ‘Rural Trilogy,’ they openly attacked bourgeois Spanish society. He continued at La Barraca, travelling to Buenos Aires to direct his plays and give talks, until government funding for the theatre was cut in 1934 and it eventually closed down in 1936. A ban was placed on Lorca’s work until 1953 and the fi nal manuscripts of two of his works were

never found.

Sassoon’s fi rst success The Daff odil Murderer (1913) was a parody, but his works would soon become less romantic and light-hearted. A patriot from the beginning, Sassoon enlisted in the army and he was soon fi ghting alongside Robert Graves in the 1st Battalion in France. Sassoon’s behaviour, labelled as heroic but completely reckless, earned him the nickname ‘Mad Jack’ – he stormed a German trench with grenades scattering 60 soldiers and delayed any possible air support by sitting down to read a book of poems for an hour and a half. The death of his friend David Cuthbert Thomas soon changed Sassoon’s stance, however, and he was sent to hospital for treatment for shell shock after declaring his anti-war views in Finished With The War: A Soldier’s Declaration. After the war he wrote Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man (1928), Memoirs of an Infantry Offi cer (1930) andSherston’s Progress (1936); three novels that cemented his reputation as an able novelist. The manuscript of Anthem for Doomed Youth (1917), by a perhaps better known war poet Wilfred Owen, can be found today at the Imperial War Museum in London along with Sassoon’s meticulous notes and suggestions in the margins.

WINNER –Sassoon (a greater output due to living longer)

"To burn with desire and keep quiet

about it is the greatest punishment

we can bring on ourselves" Lorca

18/12/1912 The missing evolutionary link 'Piltdown Man' is announced to the world. Some early doubts about the fi nd lingered and in 1953 they were confi rmed to be mixed orangutan, chimpanzee and human remains.

7

Round 3| Love LifeLorca was openly gay and this was often a source of

deep depression. A rejection from his friend and co-worker Salvador Dalí and the later breakdown of a love aff air with sculptor Emilio Soriano Aladrén left him devastated. It was a source of constant frustration, which he expressed throughout his body of works.

Sassoon was openly gay and had various relationships with many high-profi le names. Artist Gabriel Atkin, actor Ivor Novello, Novello’s ex Glen Byam Shaw, Prince Philipp of Hesse, writer John Beverly Nichols and the Hon. Stephen Tennant. He then married Hester Gatty in December 1933 and they had a son – George.

WINNER – Sassoon (very busy indeed!)

Round 4| DeathOn 18th August 1936 Lorca’s

brother-in-law Manuel Fernández Montesinos – the mayor of Granada was shot and Lorca was arrested. Lorca had fl ed to Madrid knowing that his liberal views would have put him under the spotlight in a dangerous political and social climate. It is believed that he was shot a day later by Nationalist militia at Fuente Grande between Viznar and Alfacar. There is a lot of debate as to whether his murder was for political or non-political reasons. Whilst many reasons have been given and alluded to, a dossier on the murder, put together at the request of Franco himself, has never turned up. Lorca’s body has never been found despite excavations in October 2009.

Living to a ripe old age, Sassoon died of stomach cancer one week before his 81st birthday. His body is buried at St. Andrew’s church in Mells, Somerset.

WINNER – Lorca (a sadder ending)

Round 5| LegacyEl Parque Federico Garcia Lorca can be found in the city

of his birth – Granada, where the Lorca summer home still stands having been turned into a museum in 1995. Another park of the same name can be found in Alfacar close to where the unsuccessful excavations took place. A single stone memorial stands underneath an olive tree where he was thought to be assassinated. There was a gathering here on 17th August 2011 to mark the 75th anniversary of his death. There is also a stone at Barranco de Viznar which reads 'Lorca eran todos, 18-8-2002', at the site of another failed excavation, this time of a mass grave. In Madrid’s Plaza de Santa Ana his statue stands proud. The Lorca Foundation, directed by his niece Laura, takes care of the

promotion of his work. They are currently working on a Lorca Centre in Madrid.

Sassoon is one of sixteen poets commemorated on a slate stone in Poet’s Corner, Westminster Abbey. His son George died of cancer and two of his three grandchildren were killed in a car crash in 1996. Mad Jack’s military cross was bought by the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and is on display at their museum in Caernarfon. His war diaries, a draft of A Soldier’s Declaration, notebooks, post-war journals, love letters to his wife, photographs and letters from other writers were bought by Cambridge University in 2009 for £1.25m.

WINNER – Lorca (well-remembered in the end!)

Firs

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I heart Valencia

OVERALL WINNER 3 – 2 to Lorca A win for Spain’s Lorca against a giant of English poetry. Well done!

"Soldiers are dreamers; when the

guns begin they think of fi relit

homes, clean beds, and wives."

Sassoon

19/12/1984 UK PM Margaret Thatcher and Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang sign an agreement committing Britain to return Hong Kong to China in 1997 in return for terms guaranteeing a 50-year extension of its capitalist system.

8 Learn better with the British Council

www.britishcouncil.esBRITISH COUNCIL — 70 YEARS IN SPAIN

Christmas is one of those holidays which means very different things to different people. It can be a spiritual time, a family

time, a time for giving, a time for partying or a time for just over-eating..... Most people (in those countries where it is the main religious festival of the year) find something to enjoy about Christmas, whether they are Christians or not. But hasn’t Christmas in the consumer age become just a bit too big? And a lot too commercial? We think so. The secret of a good Christmas is to be selective. Here is our personal list of the things Christmas (at any rate, Christmas in Britain) would be infinitely better without.

LET’S GET RID OF…. Fairy lights that don’t work. We have sent people to the moon. Computers have changed our lives. On the Internet, huge amounts of

information travel all over the world at the speed of light. So

it shouldn’t be too difficult to put a few coloured light bulbs in a row, so they last until New Year without breaking down. REPLACE WITH: CANDLES AND FIREPROOF FIR TREES.

British Christmas Weather. In Richard Curtis films (like “Love Actually”) it always snows at Christmas in London. The city is covered with a beautiful white blanket, the perfect setting for a romantic happy ending. What’s the reality of Christmas weather in the South of England? Grey skies with a good chance of cold drizzle in the late afternoon. REPLACE WITH: RUSSIAN CHRISTMAS WEATHER.

Turkey with Cranberry Sauce. In Britain,the usual Christmas dinner is turkey with cranberry sauce – although ultra-traditionalists

may prefer goose. Cranberry sauce is basically a kind of jam. We don’t put jam on meat at other times of year, so why at Christmas?! REPLACE WITH: NO CRANBERRY SAUCE.

Consumerism. You know what we mean. Adverts for toys on children’s TV; Department stores which put out Christmas decorations as early as September; the stress of Christmas shopping. Everywhere the message is spend, spend, spend! Christmas is a Christian religious festival, to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It’s not just an excuse for making money. REPLACE WITH: MIDNIGHT CAROLS AT CHURCH, PEACE ON EARTH, AND GOODWILL TO ALL MEN.

So that’s our advice. Avoid these things and you’ll have a good chance of having a truly Merry Christmas. Which is what we wish you now. And a happy new year!

hristmas is one of those holidays which means very different things to different

CHRISTMAS:CHRISTMAS:THE GOOD, THE BAD THE GOOD, THE BAD

AND THE UGLAND THE UGLYY !!

9

There's no escaping this month's fun, as the

shops get busier, the streets fi ll with lights,

nativity scenes and parades.

24-25 December - NavidadThis isn't as widely celebrated in Spain, but it's

still a day of church services, family gatherings and tasty food.

There are markets all over the city full of crafts, jewelry and gifts. These last until 6 January, see page 5 for further details.

31 December - 1 January - New YearThe Spanish have a diff erent style of celebrations, which

are fun to join in with. Firstly there is a dinner, usually with friends or family - so restaurants are packed full and bookings must be made.

11.30pm Fireworks in Jardin del Turia11.59pm Eat grapes at midnight on each of the 12 bongs.12.01am After midnight, the partygoers pile into the

bars (they will mostly be quiet until then). The dancing begins late and fi nishes even later.

(5-) 6 January - El Día de los ReyesThis is the day that the children are waiting for; the day

when the kings parade through the streets on the 5th, and the children receive their presents on the 6th.

The Three Kings arrive at the Port at 5pm. The parade starts 6pm: Alameda, C/ Del Justice General

Palanca, General Tovar, C/ La Paz, Pl. de la Reina, C/ San Vicente, Pl. Ayuntamiento. Expects the streets to be busy and a great atmosphere.

Holidays and parties

All information correct at time of print. Check with the local tourist information when making plans.

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In the community & neighbouring

towns - Alicante (A), Castellon (C)

15-31 Dec

26| Aielo de Rugat, Castello de Rugat, Catarroja, Guadasequies, Montroy, Otos, El Palomar, Potries, Quartell, Simat de la Valldigna, Tavernes de la Valldigna 2nd day of Christmas

Alfondeguilla (C), Almedíjar (C), Chóvar (C), Nules (C)Alfafara (A), Banyeres de Mariola, (A) Beneixama (A), Benifallim (A), Cocentaina (A), Penàguila (A)

The details for January - 16 January

have not yet been published.

Courtesy of www.docv.gva.es

CHRISTMAS:THE GOOD, THE BAD

AND THE UGLY !

...in Ethiopia

...in Holland

...in Macedonia

...in England

Everyone wears white to celebrate 'Ganna' on 7January and there is a

procession of decorated umbrellas on the 6th.

Children wait for Bishop Sinterklaas on St. Nicholas Day

(Dec 5) to arrive by boat from Spain with a white horse and Moorish helpers.

Remember that national

holidays will mean fewer buses, and

most shops, banks and supermarkets

will be closed.

People enjoy cold nights in with warm mince pies - a pastry stuff ed with mincemeat (a mix

of chopped dried fruit, spirits and spices).

A coin is hidden in a freshly baked bread. The member of the household who fi nds it

will be lucky during the following year.

20/12/1957 While at Graceland, Elvis Presley receives his call up papers for the US Army. After being fi lmed getting his polio shot, vaccine rates among the American population rose from 2% to 85% by the time of his discharge in 1960.

10

Advanced

Valencia community | Canals

The town has two main claims to fame: it is the birthplace of Pope Calixto III and is in the Guinness Book of Records as having the biggest foguera (bonfi re) in Spain. In the early hours of the Día de la Inmaculada (8 January) a single pine trunk is erected in front of the Plaza Mayor and in the days leading up to the Día de la Foguera (16 January) a huge conical bonfi re is built with a circular base eleven metres in diameter.

They say 1200 cubic metres of wood are used in its construction and its exterior is covered in green pine bows with the whole celebration dedicated to San Antonio Abad. Grand it may be, but it almost completely fi lls the square and when the whole thing goes up in fl ames, no-one is allowed anywhere near it, so, all you can see is the fl ames rising over thousands of people’s heads. Heaven only knows what the insurance premiums the town hall has to pay to cover the houses and bars on the Plaza!

The sweep of Carrer el Salvador as it widens into the Plaza Mayor to accommodate the parish church was obviously designed by someone who had an eye for ecclesiastical power. The street has hardly been touched by the hand of reformation and there are some beautiful examples of Modernist architecture. At street-level the church is stunning and in a perfect setting, but no-one seems to have noticed the anomaly of building some appalling apartment blocks nearby of exactly the same height as the church, so that as you approach Canals from the motorway what should be a wonderful feature of the town’s skyline is totally overwhelmed by them.

Canals, the second town of importance in the area known as La Costera, is a pleasantly busy little town, a

mixture of modern and historical. As you wander the streets of the old town, look out for the tiled plaques

high on the walls depicting avocations to the saints.

The main shopping street is the Avinguda Vicent Ferri, with its fountain at the bottom which is the rear entranceof the Casino Gran. The posher front entrance is on the Plaça Mercat. The Casino, a stylish modernista building, was erected in 1930 and was funded by a big win on the lottery. In its great open interior, murals line the walls depicting scenes from town life, including the building of the foguera.

The town is also proud of the huge sycamore called La Lloca that has provided shade for generations of townsfolk to chat in the Plaza Pont del Riu.

Canals fact fi le Population | 14.079 (2010) Km to Valencia | 57km Patrons | San Antonio AbadPlace of interest | The Church Fiestas | 16, 17, 18 JanuaryUseful info | Town Hall | 96 224 01 26 www.canals.es

21/12/1975 Carlos the Jackal leads German & Arab terrorists on a raid of a meeting of oil ministers from OPEC. They killed 3 people and took 63 hostage (all eventually released unharmed). OPEC did not hold another summit for 25 years.

11

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Valencia Community | Canals

Car | A7, exit 640. Takes an hourTrain | Line 2 cercanías RENFE (Valencia-Moixent). www.renfe.com

To visit the Borja Tower that once formed part of the Borja Palace, in which Alfonso de Borja (later Pope Calixto III) was born on the last day of December 1378, you need to follow the follow the green Torre Borja signs on the road to Montessa. The 19-metre high tower has been heavily restored and unfortunately it is closed to the public.

Derek WorkmanTo discover more about Spain, visit

www.derekworkman-journalist.com & www.derekworkman.wordpress.com

251The year in which Canal's saint, San Antonio

Abad was born. His family were rich, but he gave away the estate and the family money to live as a hermit. He fought the temptations of the devil in the wilderness, and won.

He is appealed to for help with infectious diseases, especially skin diseases.

22/12/1978 Killer Clown, John Wayne Gacy confesses to killing over two dozen young men and burying their bodies under his Chicago home. In 1980 Gacy was given the death penalty after being convicted of 33 sex-related murders.

12 Independent Review | Love Retro & Fun

Located in the heart of El Carmen, Love

Retro & Fun is a quirky boutique where

vintage accessories, 35mm cameras,

European marionettes and kitschy Japanese

postcards converge in one cool space. The shop is run

by Ana and her brother Pedro, who became enchanted

with the place given its location in the lively Plaza

Lope de Vega next to what some say is the narrowest

building in Europe.

“What encouraged us to open Love was the fact that we found a very special place, and from that moment my brother and I decided what kind of business we wanted. We love picture books, the toys from our childhood and objects designed with irony. Beyond that, we have the desire to launch our own brand, so this brings us closer to that objective.”

I, too, found this space to be quite charming with its tiny corners and hidden gems. I stepped into this seemingly small shop to fi nd that the fun, in fact, never ended. Along with the fi rst fl oor, Love has two additional fl oors. The store makes effi cient use of its bottom fl oor by packing tables near the front with an eye-catching array of Kirkkeland robots, handmade jewelry, vitrines full of ODM watches and grouping apparel by style in the back. I became very excited when I noticed a corner dedicated to vintage cards written in English that range from birthday to thank you to simply you’re awesome.

The second and third fl oors, while much smaller than the fi rst, are still chock-full of interesting knickknacks. The second fl oor, which I have coined 'Kids Corner', instantly takes you back to your childhood. Mr. Potato Head, vintage planes and space rockets, hula hoops and storybooks line the shelves in this tiny but fun space. In addition, you can fi nd children’s clothing and accessories such as umbrellas and rain boots for the fast-approaching winter.

Making your way up three more steps brings you to the third fl oor, which is quite spacious in comparison to the Kids Corner. This room is called the 'Centro Historico' as it off ers a hodgepodge of 1950s- and 1960s-inspired home goods such as retro telephones, Lego and silver-chromed martini shakers. Beyond the vintage-style items, I discovered an impressive selection of design pieces such as Drawlamp by Doiy design.

Where do they fi nd such an eclectic mix of products you ask? Ana told me the products that are sold in the shop come from around the world. “We fi nd most of them when we travel. From artesan paper workshops, books self edited by artists and independent publishers we look all over the world for the products we sell at Love.”

Celebrating their one-year anniversary this November, Ana explained to me that the success of the shop is really quite simple. “At Love, we combine retro and fun without losing sight of the design. We are surrounded by the most unusual objects you can fi nd.”

Heather Dillon

Pl. Lope de Vega, Valencia, Nr Mercado Central

Mon-Sat 11am–3pm / 5pm–9pm

630 380 542

loveretroandfun.blogspot.com

loveretroandfun@gmail.com

Advanced

indep

endent review we love it

23/12/1888 A severely depressed Vincent van Gogh, cuts off the lower part of his left ear with a razor while staying in France. He shot and killed himself two years later. Up to that point he had only sold one painting.

13

From its hidden back terrace to its

antique wall adornments and its

Latin name, El Desvan del Café was

the perfect discovery one brisk, autumn

afternoon. I stumbled upon this cozy little

cafe while strolling the streets of my new favorite

barrio, Ruzafa, and was drawn to its vintage-chic style

that was apparent even from the outside. I peeked

in and was immediately greeted by the warm and

friendly owner, Luis. Noticing my American accent as

I attempted to speak Spanish, he began to speak in

English with an accent identical to mine. Before I could

inquire as to why, Luis quickly explained to me that he

spent 15 years of his life in San Diego, California, hence

his fl awless English.

“I grew up in San Diego and fell in love with the coff ee shop culture and knew that one day I wanted to have my own.” After travelling extensively and working as a fashion photographer for some years, Luis settled in Valencia and opened El Desvan. “I decided to call it ‘El Desvan’ because of its meaning. A desvan is a room in a house to put all of the things that you love. In a desvan you can fi nd anything from a chair to a lamp, but it is usually something that someone once loved.”

While Luis tended to other customers, I cruised around the café to admire the impressive collection of art and antiques that covered the walls and it was then that I understood that this café was Luis’s desvan. Black and white photos of old fi lm stars, vintage chairs and clocks and a bike that looks as though it came from the 1950s, were just several things that caught my eye.

I decided to take a seat in an inviting cabaret-esque corner table and look over the menu. I was amazed to see the large selection of fair trade and organic teas as well as the wide variety of coff ee drinks. The American latte-lover in me was quite giddy with excitement.

Apart from the teas and coff ees, El Desvan is a full-scale bar that off ers beer, wine and cocktails. In addition to your standard gin and tonic, you can also choose between tea-infused and ice cream cocktails. Turning over the menu, I saw that there is more to this place than just coff ee and booze. The café serves up delicious seasonal cakes (such as carrot cake), croissants and muffi ns for those who have a sweet tooth, and ham and cheese platters for those who prefer something a little more savory. In addition, on Saturday and Sunday mornings you can pop over and enjoy breakfast that includes a selection of yogurt, muesli, toast and cakes.

After Luis took my order, he sat down and told me a bit more about the concept of the café. Most of the artwork that you fi nd hanging on the walls is for sale, which is indicated by a small red sticker located on the corner of each. The pieces come from local artists and art galleries who wish to exhibit their work. Beyond that most of the pieces that you will fi nd come from fl ea markets or simple donations from neighbors. “I want this to be a homey, comfortable space where people can come and enjoy themselves with a nice drink and take in the art that surrounds them.” Mission accomplished Luis.

Heather Dillon

Independent Review | El Desvan del Café

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Puerto Rico 4, Valencia, Nr Mercado Central

Mon-Fri 5:30pm-10pm, Fri -1am

Sat & Sun 10:30am-2pm, 5:30pm-1am Sun-10pm

96 344 1686

Facebook: eldesvandelcafe

Doble €2

Glass of wine €2

Mixed drinks €6.50

Coff ees and teas €1.50–4.50

Ice cream cocktails €6

Tea-infused cocktails €5

Seasonal cakes €3.50

24/12/1865. Tennessee. Confederate veterans form a society bent on reversing the progressive reconstruction of the south. Named after the Greek word for circle kyklos and the Scots/Gaelic word for family clan the Ku Klux Klan is born.

14

Formed initially for the purpose of entering a song writing contest, Emma Get Wild have evolved over the last few years under the guidance of Singer-Songwriter Isabel Castro and guitarist Salva Fito, into a versatile six piece. The name of the group comes from a Sebadoh song on their 1993 album, Bubble and Scrape.

Isabel’s parents are from Galicia but she grew up in London so writes and performs in English. "I’ve never really considered writing in another language. I suppose it comes down to English being the language I best express myself in and it being tied up with the sort of music we play and listen to."

Salva (guitar), Santi (Drums) and Alex (Guitar) are natives of Valencia and veterans of such bands as Jaula de Grillos and Ubisum. New recruit, bassist, Scott DeVore hails from Iowa, USA.

Categorising EGW is no simple thing and this seems to be part of the charm. They are certainly headed in the folk direction with country detours but intentionally stepped away from the acoustic, ‘sellable’ route to go to a full electric sound. That said, they are never that far from that folk edge and when Alex breaks out the ukulele or Scott the banjo, their versatility sets them apart.

The new album is due out soon and Isabel says she is particularly excited this time round. "We’ve never been this ambitious before. I’ve been exploring the music which has most infl uenced me, folk from the seventies, maybe a bit of psychedelia, without veering too far from what is essentially our sound. It helps that we have some great musicians in the band."

The evolution of EGW hasn’t been straightforward. There have been changes in the line-up and an acrimonious experience with a record company but with things settled and the new album in the can, Isabel says, they are enjoying controlling their own destiny.

"There are defi nite plans to just keep doing what we are doing, record more music, play more and see where this next album takes us. We are happy to be releasing it with Malatesta Records, a local label run by musicians. This means that not only are we in total control of how we sound, we are also very involved in what happens to the album after release."

The days of the small intimate gigs may be numbered so get along to see them. You will be able to bore your friends in days to come with the old line - I saw them in a little club in Valencia way back when.

Eoghan Ryan

Secret Stories From the Dark Corner by Emma Get Wild will be released in the New Year.

Expat life | It Might Get Wild

First certifi cate

In the audience at an Emma Get Wild gig, there

is a gentle interaction that happens early in

the performance between the initiated and the

newcomers. As Isabel, the lead singer, hits the fi rst

refrain and the melody settles in, those familiar with

the band smile knowingly, relishing the look of delight

and surprise, on the faces of the newbies. It’s fair to

say that they could be playing to far bigger audiences,

but for now, those of us in the know are enjoying the

intimate club gigs.

25/12/1991 11 Russian states resign to create the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and Mikhail Gorbachev announces that he is resigning as President. From the man of glasnost & perestroika came the man of vodka, Boris Yeltsin.

15Your photos | it's mine

Each month we’ll give you a topic for the following edition. Email us 1 high-resolution image with a sentence describing the photo by 31st of the month. We’ll choose a few entries to print and the editor's favourite wins a prize. This month's favourite is by Luke!

Please send 1 photo per person & only send your own photo for copyright reasons. There are other terms and conditions - email us for them. 

Next month’s topic is 'age’. Look forward to seeing your pictures. invlceditor@gmail.com

James Arendell | Basket in Lliria

Conor Lagan | El Classico!

Luke Irwin | My bubble

Steve Horler | Tarifa

Marcus Hoff erer | What's left

26/12/1966 'Purple Haze is a ferocious two-note guitar march scarred with fuzz,' said Rolling Stone about the song written today which marked the arrival of Jimi Hendrix and a new era of electric music. 'Scuse me while I kiss the sky' indeed.

16

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La Galeria, C/ Baja, 38KandABooks, C/ Tapineria, 18Plou i fa sol, Pl. del Músico López Chavarri, 7bLenguas Vivas, C/ Palleter, 43Sopranos, San Francisco de Borja,6La Gnocca de la Tia, C/ Verger, 1Portland Ale House, C/ Salamanca, 10Blue Moon, C/ Ercilla, 1British Foods.es, Central MarketGusto Nuovo, Av/ Reino de Valencia, 9Orange Language Academy, C/ Santo Domingo Savio, 68Kiss My Feet, C/ San Valero, 1Mad Hatter's Coff ee Lounge, C/ Serrano Morales, 3

(c) OpenStreetMap contributors, CC-BY-SA www.openstreetmap.org/

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17

A recent trip to sunny Seville for an ACEIA (Asosiación de centros de enseñanza de idiomas de andalucia)

teachers conference last month has forced my hand to write something about these teachers conferences,

which everyone seems to greet with that same roll of the eyes.

For those of you who really want to get down to learning the language, we'll be bringing you an expression each month. This is our job. Your job? Get out there and use it! Then tell us how you got on...

ligar con alguien – to hook up with sb.e.g. ¿Ligaste con la chica con quien estabas anoche?

Did you hook up with that girl you were with last night?

Talking Teaching with Orange Language Academy

Orange Language Academy has been an American run language school for the city of Valencia and its provinces since 2005 off ering all types of language related services. They run the Mon language exchange at The Bohemian Café & the Tues and Weds nights at the Portland Ale House. www.orangeidiomas.com

The conference was opened by David Crystal giving a talk on ‘Internet Lingusitics,’ in which he talked about how technological advances such as texting, tweeting, SMSing and other forms of communication were aff ecting the English language. So what? You might be thinking. Big deal. We all know about this. Well, David Crystal (OBE) is 70, which is nothing short of impressive and he seemed fairly clued up for a gentleman of his age. Once David had fi nished his one-hour piece (without notes!) we broke up into smaller groups in order to attend whichever lectures we found of interest or were in line with what we were teaching.

It was possible to attend four throughout the day, with ten taking place at any one time. Each talk was a comfortable one-hour in duration and covered a range of helpful tutorials: teaching children how to write, teaching listening, the importance of memory, how to use technology in class, teaching younger learners and the self-motivating 'From English Teacher to Learner Coach'. With a great mixture of young, enthusiastic teachers sharing their ideas to the much drier long termers who drew from their treasure chest of experience in the teaching world, there was something there for everyone. I found myself using the same ideas only the week afterwards in class, trying to get my younger students to write. Guess what? It worked!

The benefi ts of going to one of these events are obvious, especially if you haven’t been teaching long or if you have just started teaching something new such as Cambridge Exams or if you arrived to class last week and found that you suddenly had an interactive whiteboard with high-speed internet. In fact, for the latter, even the TEFL veterans might benefi t from a little help with this new technology increasingly invading their teaching space. Make sure to choose your talks carefully so that you aren’t listening to someone talk about something which you are already fully acquainted with. ACEIA’s timetable helpfully provided us with which talks were suited to which teachers e.g. T1 = teachers with 1 year experience, T2 = teachers with 2 years experience, etc. There were also talks in Spanish and on management for directors/ owners of academies so a day out for the entire team was not unfeasible.

You don’t have to travel as far as Seville in order to get to one. They are taking place all the time, even here in Valencia and they are (usually) completely free. The only diffi culty is fi nding out about them. Unless your academy is plugged into the Valencia network then you won’t normally

receive the emails that are passed around the staff table and (more often than not) ignored. If you do get wind of one of these conferences, I do recommend that you at least take a few minutes to read the details and check out the website to see if it is something you are interested in or not. You can always say no even after you’ve read what the conference is about and what problems the speakers will address.

Okay. They are normally on Saturdays and you’ve probably arranged to meet Pablo on Friday for tapas and then you’ve got a free ticket for La3 and who knows how that will all end up. And yes, there will be a number of people there trying to sell you their books, CDs, trips to learn English in Kent, but just ignore them; you’re not the one responsible for buying all this stuff . If you fi ll in enough pieces of paper, you might even win something! Have a look at the next one that you hear about and give it a go.

The British Council in Valencia has an annual conference, on the fi rst Saturday of October. There is a conference promoting plurilingualism in Madrid on 18 Feb 2012 (visit www.fecei.es for more details) and a teachers/ directors conference from 9-11 March 2012 in Bilbao (see www.tesol-spain.org for more details.

Scaffolding -Encourage younger learners to write better

by helping them build sentences. e.g. Where did you go? W___ d__ you go? W___ d__ y__ go? W___ d__ y__ g_? ____ ____ ____ ____?Great for getting them for thinking about

the full sentence rather than just the sounds.

27/12/1978 Despite having pledged loyalty to Franco's authoritarian regime, King Juan Carlos ratifi es Spain's fi rst democratic constitution in nearly fi ve decades following its approval in a national referendum.

18 Music

Intermediate

Every month we review the best new music out there and try to keep you up-to-date with those important

goings on in the music world. PJ Evans and Chris Kellet provide us with their album reviews.

Album To Do The Robot To | Audio, Disco, Video - JusticeJustice (pronounced in French, didn't you know?) are undoubtedly the coolest two-piece going. If you haven't heard of them, pretend, or else consider yourself demodé. Better still, listen to this. Their debut album (which was untitled - it simply bore a cross) fi rst hit dancefl oors about 5 years ago, and many still pulsate nightly to the very same tunes. Since then, said cross has been showing up on thousands of walls Europe-wide, testament to their cult-like status. Their second studio album, 'Audio, Disco, Video', is a ballsy mix of heavily distorted electro (think Daft Punk but louder) and - wait for it - stadium rock. Yes, you did hear that right. And yes, it is odd to hear but incredibly it works. Just like chalk and, er, fromage, I guess.Standout Tracks| Canon, Civilisation

Album By A PJ Harvey/ Björk lovechild | Lykke Li – Wounded RhymesWounded Rhymes off ers two things, fi rstly the best of what 'Indie' music has to off er. Lykke Li's style, perfected on this album, isn't whining or self-indulgent like a lot of the music tarred with the 'Indie' brush these days. It's original, soulful, melodic yet simple. Similar to PJ Harvey's 'Let England Shake' this album features lots of diff erent instruments put to good eff ect but unlike Harvey's award-winning concept album Lykke Li's utilizes a mixture of musical and lyrical themes. The second thing that this album off ers the listener is an insight into Swedish people's ability to learn English. At no point on this album is it obvious that she is a non-native speaker, in fact the lyrics on this album are much better than a lot of what English or American artists have to off er, and furthermore her pronunciation is fl awless. English teachers listen and be amazed! Spanish groups, attempting to sing in

English, listen and learn!Standout Tracks| Sadness is a Blessing, Youth Knows No pain

Album To Play Air Guitar To | El Camino – The Black KeysPeople will have been waiting for this in anticipation after last year’s Brothers, which was an absolute belter of an album. DJ Danger Mouse is on board for production once again; his fl ourishes can be found in some of the polished production that might not have been found on earlier releases. Moving from a mere two-piece to incorporate a bassist, keyboardist and another guitarist has also proved a popular move. There are the trademark guitar licks and riff s combined with an occasional Northern Soul vibe and a touch of T-Rex in places. The eclectic mix of styles on their last album is noticeably absent with The Keys returning to more bluesy roots, but we’re sure you can forgive them for that.Standout Tracks | Lonely Boy, Money Maker, Sister

Other releases | Gorillaz, The Lemonheads, Rhianna, Seal, Westlife, Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, Kate Bush, Taylor Swift, R.E.M and many, many more…

Music news| Grammy winner and massive-lunged Brit Adele has downloaded an app for her phone to speak for her so she can save her voice to record more music.

Alex Turner, Joss Stone and Florence Welch have joined the likes of Craig David, Duff y, Lily Allen & Paolo Nutini on the UK Under 30’s rich list.

Elvis Costello told fans not to buy his boxset ‘The Return of the Spectacular Spinning Songbook’ because it rocks in at £212.99. He has recommended Louis Armstrong's ‘Ambassadors Of Jazz’ for a lower price.

In case you haven’t been following our Facebook page, The Stone Roses, Florence & The Machine and The Vaccines are the fi rst three acts to confi rm their presence at FIB Benicassim 2012.

Wilco, The Drums, Goldfl esh & SBTRKT are amongst the latest to sign up for Primavera 2012 alongside Björk, Death In Vegas, Josh T. Pearson and Yo La Tengo.

28/12/1908 Most destructive earthquake in recorded European history hits the Straits of Messina in Italy, destroying Messina and Reggio di Calabria. The earthquake and resulting tsunami killed around 100,000 people.

19

Nick Lowe & Geraint Watkins| 15/12 (21:30) That’s right! The all round legend will be visiting us at Sala Mirror for an early Christmas treat promoting his new album ‘The Old Magic.’ €20/25

Sala Mirror| San Vicente Martir, 200 (VLC) A popular place for dance music lovers with a wide variety of DJs. 17/12 (21:00) 37th Anniversary of Hip Hop Festival. Acts like DJ Soyez, Metro, Latecnika, and Payo Malo. €15/2031/12 Nochevieja €25 but you get free entrance for 5/01 & 6/01 too.www.discomirror.es

Sala Wah Wah| C/ Campoamor, 58 (VLC) Great venue with a lot of local and international acts visiting. 30/12 The Charlottes €531/12 Nochevieja €7 w. drink6/01 Tribute to The Smiths & Morrisey 11pm €614/01 Shining Crane + Neuman 10.30pm €5/720/01 Tribute to Red Hot Chili Peppers - bring your own sock 11pm €7www.wahwahclub.com On Facebook.

**Sala El Loco| C/ Erudito Orellana, 12 (VLC) Has free entry on both Christmas and New Years Eve.Reserve your spot at www.lococlub.org and you'll also get a free drink to get the party started. 16/12 The Xmas Surf Party €031/12 Free entrance until 12.30am05/01 The Pepper Pots play their incredible vintage 60s sound €15/1820/01 Danny & the Champions of the World for some guitar strumming and smooth melodies 11pm €11/14www.lococlub.org

Rock City| A new venue in Tavernes Blancas. 24/12 Fiesta Nochebuena €6/€8 & 31/12 Fiesta Nochevieja €12/€15 has an interesting idea. Choose your favourite songs and youcan air guitar or air drum the night away. Free drinks are included.30/12 The Real McKenzies from Canada are also appearing. €12/15www.valenciarockcity.com

LA3| C/ del Padre Porta, 4 (VLC) www.la3club.com

Jimmy Glass| C/ Baja, 28 (VLC) 20/12 Ryan Blotnik Quartet 9.30pm €1327/12 The Gael Horrelou Quintet 9.30pm €16www.jimmyglassjazz.net 

Excuse me| C/Tomasos 14 (VLC) Two fl oors with the usual eclectic mix to keep the dancefl oors moving. 24/12 Nochebuena Bloody Mir di Namek & Sais31/12 Midnight & Too Fat DJs, Gonzo in Vegas. See Facebook for more info. Sala Matisse| C/ Campoamor, 60 (VLC) 22/12 has an I Love the 80's night €523/12 The Peace Dogs are playing their best Cult tributes €8/€10 07/01 Marwan Spanish sInger/Songwriter with a smooth voice and mesmorising lyrics €10 www.salamatisse.es

Pop Club Deluxe| C/ Poeta Mas y Ros, 42 (VLC) Pop Club Deluxe - Intimate setting for live music. On Facebook.

Café Mercedes| C/ Sueca, 27 (VLC)A nice, cheap jazz venue in the heart of Ruzafa with free jam sessions on Sundays from 20:30. www.cafemercedes.es

El Palau de la Musica| (VLC) 28/12 UNICEF Benefi t concert €67/01 Johan Strauss Gala Concert €32 29/01 The London Symphony Orchestra €tbcwww.palaudevalencia.com

Durango| C/ Llanterners 35, Poligono La Closa (Meliana) Still to be announced what they will be up to for New Year but expect it to be loud. They promise the best guitar music in Valencia for New Year for your €35. Oh and a free bar all night too!www.xmassmetalfest.tk & www.durangoclub.es

La Caverna| C/ Cuenca, 70 (VLC) A very cosy venue and you’ll often fi nd a mad gig going on. All the latest at www.lacavernaclub.blogspot.com

Café del Duende| C/ Turia, 62 (VLC) A great place to catch decent fl amenco dancing, music & tales from Thurs-Sun. 18/12 sees a Storytellers Evening 22/12 Manuel Serena (dancing)23/12 Carlos Ruiz29 & 30/12 Aloma de Balma Closed Nochebuena and Nochevieja. www.cafedelduende.com

Music Box| C/ Pintor Zariñera, 16 (VLC) & Radio City| C/ Santa Teresa 19 (VLC) Open daily with visiting DJs and Tuesdays off er live fl amenco music at Radio City 11pm €7 w. free drink. www.myspace.com/themusicboxclub & www.radiocityvalencia.com

Mya| 31/12/11 At L'Umbracle at New Year. If you buy an entry for New Year's Eve you will also get free entrance on 5/01 and 6/01 €25

Low Cost Festival Tickets| Tickets have gone on sale for only €30! www.lowcost.com

Black Note Valencia| Calle Polo y Peyrolon, 15 This club near the Mestalla has a great music policy covering everything from jazz, blues, r&b, soul, funk, acid jazz, swing and latino sounds.17/12 Catch the Rat Pack DJ's €0Mondays open jam sessions01/01/12 Senegal Party €10www.blacknoteclub.com

Dub Club| Calle Jesus 91, (VLC)Dub Club's motto is 'to play music and not noise'. And if you like reggae and ska then you will agree. Special nights on Nochebuena and Nochevieja.www.myspace.com/dubclubvalencia

Live events

Every month we pick out the best live music in and around the Valencia Community for those of you who want

to get out and enjoy music as it should be heard. If we hear of anything else coming up, we'll Facebook it.

Like 'inVLC' on Facebook for more live events

30/12/1922 In post-revolutionary Russia, the USSR is established, comprising a confederation of Russia, Belorussia, Ukraine, and the Transcaucasian Federation and becomes the fi rst country in the world to be based on Marxist socialism.

20

Off road biking | 18/12 The River Turia riverbed will play host to the XVI Ciclo-cross Internacional

Ciudad de Valencia. This is one of the top events in the world for this sport which has the competitors cycling on pavements, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and obstacles requiring the rider to quickly dismount and carry the bike whilst navigating the obstruction and remount. A bit like you did when you were a kid!

www.ciclocrossciudadvalencia.com

Running| 30/12 The San Silvestre XXVIII Popular de Valencia will take place. This 4,600m run seems

to be more popular each year. It starts in Plaza de Ayuntamiento at 8pm. Early January also provides another running opportunity with the Divina Pastora 10km run on the 8th. €1500 is up for grabs for the winner and there are other cash prizes too. 9.30am from Paseo del Alameda.

Football for Africa| To fi nish off Valencia's year as holder of the European Capital of Sport in 2011,

Sevilla FC footballer and African Player of the Year in 2007, Frédéric Kanouté, in partnership with UNICEF, brings his Champions For Africa charity to the Mestalla on the 29th of December. A show game featuring many well known football faces will take place, which aims to help raise awareness of child malnutrition in Africa. Entry is €5 for this very worthwhile scheme which is now in it's 4th year.

Sport

Intermediate

Levante fi xtures| **18/12 Granada v Levante - La Liga 21/12 Levante v Deportivo La Coruna - Copa del Rey (Fourth Round) 8/01 Levante v Mallorca - La Liga 15/01 Athletic Bilbao v Levante - La Liga

** Fixture dates are not cast in stone - check local papers/internet for more information nearer the time.

Valencia fi xtures| **18/12 Valencia v Malaga - La Liga 21/12 Valencia v Cadiz - Copa del Rey

(Fourth Round) 8/01 Villarreal v Valencia - La Liga 15/01 Valencia v Real Sociedad - La Liga

© Valencia Basket

Valencia Basketball Club| 17/12 (19:30) Valencia - Civic Banking Cajasol - League

20/12 Telenet Oostende - Valencia - Euro Cup28-29/12 White Rueda Valladolid - Valencia - League03-04/01 Valencia - Obradoiro CAB - League07-08/01 Gran Canaria 2014 - Valencia - League14-15/01 Valencia - Basketball Fuenlabrada - League

www.valenciabasket.com

Like 'inVLC' on Facebook for more sports news & events

Football games| Buy tickets for Valencia at the kiosks at the Mestalla on Avendia de Suecia, on their web page,

on ticketmaster.es, at any of the offi cial Valencia football shops, or even from the La Caixa website. Just ask for una entrada. The seats at Grada de la Mar are cheap and have a good view. Get your tickets for the Levante games at the football stadium on the day.

www.valenciacf.com www.levanteud.com

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31/12/1999 The US offi cially hands over control of the Panama Canal to the Panamanians for the fi rst time. In May 2006, the Maersk Dellys paid a record toll of $249,165, while the smallest ever toll (36 cents) was paid by a swimmer in 1928.

21Cinema

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Babel, C/ Vicente Sancho Tello, 10, www.cinesalbatrosbabel.comYelmo Cines, Avda Tirso de Molina, 16, www.yelmocines.esFilmoteca, Plaza del Ayuntamiento, 17 www.fi lmoteca.es

Every month inVLC brings you the best that cinema has to off er in and around the Valencia Community.

This month we’ve got a variety of Versión Original fi lms for you to enjoy.

La Maleta Mexicana| (Trisha Ziff , 2011) A documentary about a suitcase full of 4,500 negatives taken over seventy years ago during the Spanish Civil War, which turn up in a closet in Mexico City. It was the work of three men exiled from their own countries: Germany, Poland and Hungary. Robert Capa, David ‘Chim’ Seymour and Gerda Toro understood the dangers of fascism and decided to take the journey into Spain with their cameras. The fi lm details the journey of the negatives from France to Mexico and in doing so it ponders how Spain looks back on its own past from those who managed to escape. Mexico was one of the few countries to open its arms to those who had to fl ee Spain whilst the rest of the world did nothing. Promises to be an intriguing watch.Babel: TBC

Afi nidades| (Jorge Perugorría & Vladimir Cruz, 2010) Vladimir Cruz, Cuca Escribano, Gabriela Griffi th, Jorge PerugorríaBruno (Cruz) is married to Magda (Griffi ths) – a young romantic who has yet to experience much in life.Néstor (Perugorría) is married to a Spanish lawyer called Cristina (Escribano) a happy-go-lucky person. Bruno works for Néstor as a physicist and their jobs look to be in jeopardy. The fi lm is an exploration of values and infi delity set to the wonderful backdrop of Cuba. Stranded in the wilderness and away from the exhaustion and stress of the world in which they normally live, the couples turn to instincts and, ultimately, sex with some unpredictable consequences. www.cinesalbatrosbabel.comBabel: TBC

Carnage| (Roman Polanski,2011) Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, John C. ReillyPolanski’s adaption of Yasmina Reza’s award-winning play Gods Of Carnage is already being lauded by the pundits.Penelope (Foster) and Michael (Reilly) are bohemian Brooklynites whose son is attacked in the park. Nancy (Winslet) and Alan (Waltz) are the parents of the boy who did it and attempt to make peace. Peace comes, as we all know, at a price and our attention is soon distracted away from the initial attack onto the couples themselves. The results are tense as the polite Penny and her rude spouse Michael clash on various occasions with a very cold Nancy and her misogynist husband Alan.Babel: 16:45, 19:00 & 23:00

The Fimoteca American Way of Death is still going strong up to the end of the year and hopefully into the new year. All fi lms are in original version with Spanish subtitles and are limited to one or two screenings. Get your tickets quick. 15/12 (19:00), 17/12 (18:00) The New World (Terrence Malick, 2005)18/12 (20:00) Reservoir Dogs (Quentin Tarantino, 1992)22/12 (22:30) Wild At Heart (David Lynch, 1990) 27/12 (20:00) & 28/12 (22:30) Homicide (David Mamet, 1991) 29/12 (20:00) Silence of The Lambs (Johnathon Demme, 1991)

www.fi lmoteca.es

Keep yourself up-to-date with

the January fi lms by liking us on

Facebook.

Like 'inVLC' on Facebook for more cinema information

01/01/45BC New Year's Day is celebrated on January 1 for the fi rst time as the Julian calendar takes eff ect after centuries of the lunar calender. It was Julius Caesar who decided that every 4 years an extra day should be taken in February!

Read me | Patrick DeWitt

The Sisters Brothers - After catching a little bit of Booker fever here at inVLC, we decided to visit some of those lucky enough to make the shortlist, but not

quite win the coveted prize. Not wanting to commit the age-old sin of ‘judging a book by its cover’ I found myself doing exactly that when I came across The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt.

The action takes place in Oregon in 1851 where we are introduced to Eli Sisters atop a new horse he is trying to break in whilst his brother Charlie negotiates another contract with the seemingly omnipotent Commodore. The contract? To fi nd and kill Hermann Kermit Warm who has to die, but they do not know why – they never do. They just do it. The Sisters brothers are notorious contract killers throughout the land and this particular job might prove to be the job that really tests them both, as killers as well as human beings.

Events are narrated through the eyes of Eli Sisters whose voice is perfectly suited to the task. The last job – mere exposition in the book – was a disaster and involved Eli getting a bullet in the leg and both brothers losing their trusty horses in a fi re. Eli fi nds himself doubting his career and wondering if he might meet a nice lady and settle down to enjoy the quiet life. His brother Charlie meanwhile, is a brutal killer and drunkard who Eli feels obliged to stand by for nothing more than familial loyalty. Their journey takes them from Oregon through to California in search of their target amidst Gold Rush fever in the US.

The pace of the novel is incredible and the vernacular used by the brothers and the various characters that they meet along their adventures is pitch-perfect for the era, lending the story an enviable authenticity. The brothers bounce from confl ict to confl ict on the road to California and the eccentric support characters that appear are all colourfully drawn and provide great moments of levity which have seen the book

compared to something that would be directed by the Coen brothers. Although they are hired killers it is hard not to identify with Eli - the thoughtful brother looking for the right gal to settle down with and, towards the end, the materialistic Charlie who cuts something of a tragic fi gure by the end of the book despite his continual debauchery.

DeWitt seems keen to question those reasons for leading the life that we are currently leading and that particular moment when those reasons themselves come into question. Herein lies the perfect basis for the equilibrium – revolution – new equilibrium structure that most authors strive for in their work leaving their readers enriched by the experience. The journey of

the brothers, as much a physical one as a spiritual one, is bloody, funny, sad yet uplifting, full of snappy dialogue between them and their foes – many of whom meet their maker at their quick-draw hands.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the book was picked up by Hollywood at some stage. Indeed, Dewitt's fi rst screenplay Terri has been directed by Azazel Jacobs and stars John C. Reilly (a Cohen brothers favourite). The fi lm will make its debut at the Sundance Festival in

January 2012 and, if the book is anything to go by, will be well worth a watch. Dewitt’s debut novel Ablutions – the tale of a barman stuck in a dead end job and making a dangerous escape – might very well be my next visit if The Sisters Brothers is anything to go by.

22

Advanced

Bikes| The monthly bike meeting of VLC will take place as usual on the fi rst Friday of the month. This aims to promote bikes and bike safety in VLC.

Place| Plaza de la Virgin, VLC Time| 7.30pm

Come with me into

the world and reclaim

your independence.

You stand to gain so

much, and riches are

the least of it.

Patrick DeWitt

Like 'kandabooks' on Facebook for more on books

02/01/1492 The kingdom of Granada falls to the Christian forces of King Ferdinand V and Queen Isabella I, and the Moors lose their last foothold in Spain. In 1609 the last Moors still adhering to Islam were expelled from Spain.

23Charity | Setem

There are many local charities and organizations in Valencia to choose from and SETEM is one whose cause

happened to be of particular interest to me. I had scheduled an interview with a woman named Silvia to

learn more about this interesting organization that I had so often heard about.

Inte

rmed

iate

Tucked away on a quiet street in Ruzafa, the Valencia branch of SETEM operates as an offi ce and a store. Walking in, I was awestruck by the array of handcrafted goods and fair trade products that surrounded me. Silvia introduced herself soon after and we took a seat in the back part of the store, better known as the 'offi ce', to discuss the history of SETEM and how it has developed over the years.

Founded in 1993, SETEM Comunitat Valenciana is a non-governmental organization (NGO), which promotes an economic system and a more just world. They do this through united education and awareness in the Valencian society by providing alternatives such as fair trade and responsible consumption. They are a part of the SETEM Federation composed of 10 regional associations in Spain of the Spanish Coordinator of NGOs and the State Coordinator of Fair Trade Organizations. In addition, they network and collaborate with organizations, institutions and social movements, with whom they share the same principles and ideas.

Silvia explained, "In order to spread our message and our cause, we off er courses on international cooperation and volunteerism. We also organize activities that are directed at groups such as universities, city councils, public administrations and La Ropa Limpia (Clean Clothes Campaign)".

La Ropa Limpia and the Free Trade Agreement are a couple of examples of the campaigns that SETEM currently promotes. In short, La Ropa Limpia is an international campaign, calling for the improvement of working conditions in the textile sector.

The FTA, on the other hand, are trade agreements that seek maximum trade liberalization to reduce political power of governments to make way for greater freedom of choice to multinational corporations.

The products in the store come from all over the world and include items such as handmade lokta notebooks from Nepal, Chilean rainsticks, Kalamkari bags from India and ceramic jugs from Vietnam. Don’t even get me started on the food section. The shelves were lined with speciality chocolate bars from the Dominican Republic, jams from Ecuador and quinoa cookies. There, of course, was an abundance of fair trade teas and coff ees and even a small selection of imported beers and liquors.

After I thanked Silvia for her time I made a quick lap around the shop and stocked up on some gifts. This was the perfect place to take care of my holiday shopping while contributing to a good cause. Below you can fi nd a link to the SETEM gift catalogue where you can purchase items online and create your own gift baskets.

www.setem.org/setem_ftp/comunitatvalenciana/fi les/actividades/catalogos/SETEMCV_Catalogo_2011.pdf

Heather Dillon

The number of members & volunteers that make up Valencia's branch of SETEM. There are many ways to volunteer including helping in the store, assisting with activities and courses and developing the social media campaign.

Calle Tomasos 14, bajo Nr Ruzafa marketMon-Fri 10.30-2pm, 5.30pm-8.30pm

Sat 11am-2pm963153505

setemcv@setem.orgwww.setem.org/site/es/comunitat-valenciana

160

03/01/1987 Since the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame was introduced in 1986, of 159 total inductions only 10 have been women. Women needed to be shown 'Respect' so fi ttingly it was Aretha Franklin who got the honour of being the fi rst.

24

I wasn't surprised that during the latest election

campaign of the 20th of November I didn't hear

the environment mentioned even once. Both of

the large parties are two sides of the same coin, one

wanting profi ts and the other jobs. Though they will

pay lip service to the environment, when there is a

confl ict between green issues and either profi ts or jobs

then the environment is quickly forgotten. They still

don't understand that nature is the house we live in and

that burning it down will only produce short-term gain

(in paper money) in exchange for long-term misery

(hunger, degradation, etc.).

The fundamental weakness of our political system and the capitalist system is that they only think in the short term. Politicians only look to the next opinion poll or maybe the next election and the companies can't see beyond their next quarterly profi ts report. The environment is a long term project and requires vision, but in many instances, the negative eff ect is felt immediately which can be seen in the following cases and it shows the lengths that politicians are willing to go to protect profi ts and jobs.

It was reported in El País newspaper that Milan had prohibited cars on Sunday the 9th of October from 08:00 to 18:00. This happens every time that the contamination goes above 50 micrograms of particles per cubic metre (European limit) for 12 days in a row. The ban fi nishes when the contamination level has been below the accepted maximum for 3 consecutive days. So the people of Milan have to breath contaminated air above the accepted norm for 12 days before they get a break and 3 days of reasonable air before the cars are allowed back!

This only makes sense if we understand that the politicians’ priorities are business and jobs, the health of the citizens or other concerns are considered to be trivial issues compared to the Gods of business and jobs.

The car has never been prohibited in Valencia and obviously that can only mean that the air we breath is clean and healthy, or does it? "Ecologistas en Acción" would say that we really don't know. It was reported in the Levante newspaper on the 18-11-2011 that "Ecologistas in Acción" are in the process of taking the Ayuntamiento to court, accusing them of hiding the contamination levels in the city. They claim that the Ayuntamiento has, between the period 2002 and 2010, reduced the number of air quality measuring devices from 16 to 6! They also accuse them of moving the devices from the centre of the city, where most of the contamination is, to the suburbs where there is obviously a lot less pollution.

In particular the 4 devices which were giving the worst air quality measurements have been moved to the

suburbs. Obviously if you don't look for something then you'll never fi nd it! If proven to be true, it shows once again how far politicians are willing to go to keep business ticking over with minimum consideration for their citizens.

There are many ways to make a diff erence to the air around you. Start with the hint below, and have a great and green Christmas!

Declan Lehane

Green living | Political power

First certifi cate

A little goes a long way

What| Buy local products from local businesses instead of from the internet.

Why| Your town provides you with interesting local products in your hand immediately!

Why not| It sometimes costs a little more.

Benefi ts| Reduce the pollution of international delivery.

Urban outdoor air pollution is estimated

to cause 1.3 million deaths worldwide

per year. Those living in middle-income

countries disproportionately

experience this burden.

World Health Organisation

04/01/1999. The Euro (€) arrival marks the fi rst time since Charlemagne's reign in the 9th C that countries in Europe had shared a common fi nancial tie. Whether it lasts as long as Charlemagne's livre carolinienne remains to be seen.

50 The number of diff erent types of lentils that are produced in India. Many are used in one of their staple meals, Dhal.

25

Firs

t cer

tifi c

ate

Recipe | Lentil stew

One of the fi rst meals made for us by our Spanish

friends when we came to Spain, many, many

moons ago, was the surprisingly delicious dish of

lentil stew.

The idea of eating a bowl of lentils has never particularly appealed but we ate it willingly and happily, and were very pleasantly surprised. The lentils are really only the fi ller. What makes the dish are the added ingredients, of which the limit is only your imagination.

We made ours with mushrooms, basil, thickly cut bacon pieces and with grated Parmesan cheese on top, but then, we're not traditionalists. Some recipes call for a stock cube or sprinkles of paprika to add to the fl avour and 1-2 tins of tomatoes to thicken up the stew sauce, and again, that's up to you. Our favourite suggestion was to add sausage and apple. But that's for next time.

You'll often fi nd this dish on a menu del día, and it is both warming and nutritious as the cool damp sets in. The bonus is that it is almost too easy to make, leaving you more time to enjoy a nice glass of Requena wine while it's cooking.

Before you start, you should know that this is not the most attractive of dishes, they are lentils after all. If you plan on serving this to your friends, consider putting a sprig of something on top.

How to make it|

one Soak the lentils for half an hour.two Dice the meat, and slice the vegetables relatively small. We prefer ours chunky, but it's your choice.three Fry the garlic with the sliced onion and pepper.four Put drained lentils in a pan with the rest of the ingredients and cover with hot water. Cover with a lid, and let simmer for 40 minutes. Check regularly that there is enough water in the pan.fi ve Boil off any excess liquid at the end.

What to buy| (Serves 4)250 gr. lentils (lentajas)1 chorizo 100 gr. serrano ham1 large onion1 small glass of red wine(and 1 for the chef)2 cloves (optional)1 red pepper (optional)Half a small glass of olive oil1 bayleaf2 large carrots3 small potatoes2 cloves garlic1 pinch of saff ronFresh parsley, salt & pepper

Wow Factor| The warming sensation is long-lasting.Eff ort| Easy!

Lentils really don't

need soaking, but it softens them for this recipe. They are full of Folic Acid - great if you

are or want to be pregnant.

05/01/ 1933 Construction begins on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Offi cially opening on 27/05/1937 the fi rst day saw 200,000 people walk, run and even roller skate over the new bridge nearly twice the length of any in existence.

262266 Artist of the month| Thank you for 2011

We want to support new and up-and-coming artistic talent in the Valencian Community. Each month we choose

one artist at random and devote a page to that artist. We've been very pleased to see how many of you have

been in touch with your art. Keep it coming! Here's a reminder of the local artists of 2011. Get in touch with them for

more information on their work.

If you, or anyone you know, would like to feature in our art pages, contact us at invlceditor@gmail.com

name| Sandi Goodwinphone| 636 790 267

email| sandigoodwinart@gmail.com

name| Jaine Thornephone| 647 368 322

name| Hampton Terryphone| 963 563 364email| hterry44@yahoo.es

name| Laura Clementiphone| 671427222email| m.appiano@tiscali.it

name| Gabriel Chalmetaphone| 637 088 616

email| gchalmeta@gmail.com

name| Valerie Steademail| valstead@googlemail.com

name| Carmela Doménechemail| artenganxat@gmail.com

name| Michael Brownemail| barcelonabrown@gmail.com

name| Miriam Moranteemail| mirisdesignworld@gmail.com

272277Art to see

For most folks, no news is good news; for the press, good news is not news." (Gloria Borger)

What’s black and white and red all over? (Until 22

January)| Broadsheet or tabloid; sports section or TV listings; scandal and intrigue or home aff airs? We all have our preferences for what we like to read and where we choose to fi nd it. Gianiluigi Colin’s Mitographie (Mythographies) exhibits a postmodern unearthing of past events, presented to the observer through a carefully exhumed, examined and indexed array of themes, including confl ict, human rights (and human wrongs), politics and economics.

His vivid account of these topics shows the best and the worst aspects of human behaviour and endeavour, expertly interwoven throughout a series of large-scale images created from nothing more than layers of

Museo de Prehistoria de Valencia| C/Corona 36, Valencia| 963 883 565 | Tues-Sun: 10am - 8pm, Closed Mon| www.museuprehistoriavalencia.es| Free!

"

Artefacts and Allegories (Until 29 Jan)| Archaeology exhibitions were never my bag. I always found them a bit dry. Too much beige, too many things I could only decipher by screwing up my eyes in order to see what they were; what they’d once been. Better to make a beeline for the good stuff : jewels, coins and other shiny things – the rest I could leave for the archeabuff s.

So why on earth did I venture down to the Museu de Prehistoria? Well, principally because I wanted to see the work of a man whose passion for photography equalled – if not surpassed – his fervour for archaeology. Indeed, Pierre Monet spent over 3 decades painstakingly documenting all things old and desiccated with as much devotion as any man could muster. Furthermore, the tools of his trade were, by modern day standards, relatively simple. A 6x9 Kodak and a 3D stereoscopic Verascope (a camera with a lens for each of your eyes) served him exceptionally well until the end of his tenure as site director in 1957.

Accordingly, Tanis, Images from a buried city, an exhibition which traces the excavation of a site of the same name on the Nile River Delta, is a quintessential dual-attraction. If you love archaeology, you’ll fi nd it riveting, as the artefacts, images, recording devices and the accompanying narrative and video installation collectively make for an extremely well composed exhibition.

Alternatively, if you simply love remarkably good photographs, a consequence of this remarkably good photographer – and those of his equally accomplished daughter, Camille, you won’t be disappointed. After all, the work of anyone who (with the use of a kite!) eff ectively invented aerial photography has to be worth a look.

ML

newsprint and printers ink. Enlarged fragments of ‘news,’ cleverly reveal once newsworthy (now forgotten) stories. Their horror now diminished or their messages of hope dismissed. Each monstrous piece reminds us of our unfailing ability to almost instantly forget that which once unnerved, appalled, delighted or amused us. As Colin disentangles the past from the present and then paradoxically unites them, he reminds us of the notion that history not only repeats itself, but off ers remnants and relics, left apparent, as lessons to be learnt from or summarily ignored.

IVAM, Calle Quevedo, Guillem de Castro 118 | 96 386 30 00 | Tues-Sun: 10am - 8pm www.ivam.es| Free!

Like 'inVLC' on Facebook for more art to see

06/01/1994 Ice-skater Nancy Kerrigan is attacked after a practice session just 1 day before the U.S. National Championships and 1 month before the Winter Olympics. Turned out the attack was planned by one of her rivals for the gold medal.

28

We have been absolutely adoring the Madmen series set in New York in the 60s, and were thrilled to fi nd

that on www.madmen.com they have a full list of the best cocktails from then. So if you want to make an

Old-Fashioned like Don Draper, check out our guide below, and then log onto the site.

Madmen cocktails

Peggy's. three Pink Squirrel

2cl Crème de noyaux(almond cream liqueur)

2cl Crème de cacao1½cl Vodka

1 oz Fresh cream/nata

Pour all over ice in mixing glass. Stir and serve.

Serves 1

Serve in a martini glass.

Don's.one Old-Fashioned

2 Dashes aromatic bitters½ Tsp sugar dissolved with water

and bitters4½cl Bourbon

1 Cherry1 Orange slice

1 Lemon wedge

Fill glass with ice. Add cherry, orange slice, and

lemon wedge. Pour in bourbon.

Serve over the ice.

Serves 1

Serve in an old-fashioned glass.

Betty's. two Vodka Gimlet

5cl Vodka2cl Lime juice

3-4 Lime slices

Pour vodka and lime juice into mixing glass.

Shake and strain into martini glass.

Add 3 to 4 slices of lime.

Serves 1

Serve in a martini glass.

*Tip| For fun, you can make your own

Mad Men character, or fi nd out which character

you are at www.madmen.com

I’m living like there’s no tomorrow,

because there isn’t one.

Don Draper

I’m not a solution to your problems.

I’m another problem.

Joan Harris

29A day in the life in VLC| Matt Hanks

Living in Valencia and the Community is surprising, varied and exciting and everyone sees something

diff erent. We thought it would be fun to see what other people see. For one day, a reader will take a photo

of what they can see on the hour, every hour for 9 hours. This month, Matt shows us his Saturday. Contact

us if you want to have a go. We're looking for non-city residents especially. invlceditor@gmail.com

11h 12h 13h

14h 15h

17h 18h 21h

16h

07/01/1979 Vietnamese troops seize the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, toppling the brutal regime of Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge. It is thought that up to 25% of the country's 8 million people were killed in just 4 years.

30 Animals| Reindeer

The cold has fi nally hit us, however we won't be

seeing any reindeer in Spain this winter season.

They haven't been living naturally in these parts

for many thousands of years, but this hasn't stopped

reindeer being synonymous with the festive season.

Perhaps it's the infl uence of the Christmas card industry, which has created innumerable versions of the classic image of snow capped hills with feeding reindeer, or in more recent times, of Rudolph and his 8 friends pulling a sleigh over the rooftops on Christmas Day's early morning.

The story of the reindeer pulling the sleigh came from the anonymous 1823 poem 'A Visit from St. Nicholas', of which only four hand-written copies still exist. In 2006 one copy was sold, to an unnamed bidder from the US for over $280,000. The story has changed only a touch over the years: Donner was originally Dunder and Blitzen was Blixem, and Rudolph wasn't even added until Robert L May introduced him in 1939.

Going much further back in time, there are many cave paintings around Spain, some of which date back to as many as 34,000 years ago. These underground works of art include images of animals, including reindeers, which reveals to us that during the last major glaciation, approximately 18,000 years ago, lolloping reindeer were a common sight in the Iberian peninsula. While it's diffi cult to imagine reindeer roaming the Valencian Community now, the southern European countries like Spain, France and Italy at the time were home to these huge animals, as most of Northern Europe was uninhabitable due to ice and glaciers.

Julius Caesar himself wrote in 53BC about being impressed by this sizeable creature, and with good reason as some male species can grow to 214cm, and can weigh up to 300kg. As they don't eat meat, with the exception of the odd bird egg, they keep themselves warm through the winter period with their double layer of fur, which is made up of air-fi lled hairs. They have a four-sectioned stomach, and use this to ruminate. No not ruminate as in to think but in terms of eating their food over and over again.

They chew and digest the food once, then regurgitate the semi-digested food (the cud) and chew it again to break it down further (in a similar way to cows).

But while their ability to survive in harsh climates is impressive, it is their sense of sight which is the most

incredible part. This is the only mammal which can see ultraviolet light - extremely handy if they want a job

on CSI looking for blood stains, or helping the police identify counterfeit banknotes. They use

this skill to see hair, urine and other fl uids, which would normally disappear in the

harsh winter light refl ecting off snow and the landscape.

The meat of a reindeer is lean and tender, and as such, many

Scandinavian countries regularly eat reindeer meat in sausages, steaks and meatballs. It's salted,

smoked, boiled and roasted, and is a very popular dish. No part

is wasted, and the innards are included in many traditional dishes. And even those parts that are not eaten are still attractive to some cultures: it should come as no surprise that the antler of the reindeer is seen by the Chinese as an aphrodisiac.

So this Christmas as you leave your milk and biscuits out for Santa and his troops, you might just want to leave them a small 'Welcome back to Spain' message too!

Foster/ permanent homes URGENTLY required

Name| Chloe and her 2 sisters, Bibi and SandyAge| 4 months Size| Will be largePersonality| Typical playful pups,good with other dogs and cats Appearance| Podenco/German Shepherd XHealth| Health vaccinated

Info| P.E.P.A - 650 304 746 www.pepaspain.com

08/01/1642 Galileo Galilei dies in Italy at age 77. The 'father of modern astronomy, physics and science' had been found guilty of heresy due to his revolutionary discoveries and had been sentenced to life imprisonment 9 years previously.

Events & Classifi eds 31

In the number puzzle, each letter is represented by a number 1-26. Crack the code! 3 letters are already in place. In Sudoku, every row & column of 9 numbers & 3x3 box must include all digits 1-9 in any order.

If you’ve got an event coming up or you are buying, selling or donating

anything, drop us an email and we’ll try to give it a mention.

Markets | Mon-Montroy, Tues-Monserrat & Turis, Weds-L’Eliana Piccassent & Villamarchante, Thurs-Alaquas & Lliria, Fri-Moraira, Turis, Torrente & Chiva, Sat-Real de Montroy & Torrente, Sun-Alborache Rastros | Montroy | Sun 4 Dec, 8 Jan (1st Sun of month)| Calle La Pau, 625 674 906 Sagrario Olocau | Sun 18 Dec (diff erent for Dec only)| Social Club Centre, Urb. La Lloma Olocau, 10am-2pm. Spaces free, Tables €1 Carolyn 962555819, 664809608. Masia | 18 Dec (every 3rd Sun) | Mas Pavia Restaurante, Masia Pavia Urba, nr Monserrat. Eng 625819734/ Span 616399372, sparklesinsunshine@gmail.com.Lliria | 7 Jan (every 2nd Sat) | Bellamy's Bar, 18 Avenida Polideportivo, Domeño, Tables free. 962728708, Lyn 625217777 magpiesbar@yahoo.com

IWC| Monthly coff ee mornings. An independent organisation off ering: Support, Friendship, networking... 12 January, 2 February. HIPERCOR - C.Comercial Ademuz, Av. Pio XII, 51 Valencia, top fl oor restaurant. www.iwc-valencia.ning.com2nd Friday lunch| 13 January A get together group for lunch and chat. 2pm. The venue changes regularly. Contact mm@centralpoint.es for more info.Internations events| A monthly meet up of international people. Sign up or simply check the website for more information at www.internations.orgValencia Loves You| VLY is a group created for the international ladies of Valencia looking to expand their social and professional network. For more information and monthly events join 'Valencia Loves You' on Facebook.

For sale| Hauck buggy with Group 0 car seat, Under 1 year old €40, Range of 3-6 month boys clothes some not worn or worn once €20 ONO, vlckaty83@gmail.comFor sale| Panasonic 32” (80cm) TV, not fl at screen 85€, Acer fl at screen monitor (x2) 17” (42cm) 30€, Childs buggy – 3 wheel type 25€, Air Con unit – portable with window fi ttings (as new) 30€, Solar inverter 600w (12v) 45€, Gas bottles - empty (standard size) 22€ each - Call Sandra 961105196 (Lliria)For sale| Bed. CAMA DE 1.35MTS*1.80MTS NUEVA. Cabezal de madera nueva maciza color nogal, colchon nuevo de 1.35mts espuma HD de 21 cms de alto con cara especial para zonas de frío extremo y cara normal y base tapizada marca Picolin de 1.35 mts con estructura reforzada de hierro y patas incluidas, refuerzo central. Venta por error en la medida. €100 o €70 sin el cabezal. El transporte es por cuenta del comprador, zona de la Vall dels Alcalans. 655761584.For sale| IPAD2 64G, 3G. 5 months old. Perfect cond. Black, + protective cover + carry bag. Bought for €845. Will sell for €550 ono. Bradford@orangeidiomas.comLearn Spanish| Want to learn Spanish? Bilingual native teacher available €10/hr, references avail. Nacho 628 892 061.

Finished with your inVLC? Pass it on to a friend..!

32