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WITH | Vicente Blasco Ibáñez versus Victor Hugo | parties & holidays | the best of Valencia & the Community |

independent reviews | ¡aprende inglés con nosotros!

Free!Free!15 Apr

-14 May

LovingLovinglocal local

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NNo o 2424

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

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VLCVLCinin Make

the

mos

t of the Valencian Com

munity!

WITH | Vicente Blasco Ibáñez versus Victor Hugo | parties & holidays | the best of Valencia & the Community |

independent reviews | ¡aprende inglés con nosotros!

Free!Free!15 Apr

-14 May

LovingLovinglocal local

productsproducts

NNo o 2424

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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Spring is fi nally here and we can feel those fi rst rays of sunshine beaming down on us after a rather odd spell of weather, which seemed to combine rain, cold and heat at sporadic times during the last couple of months. Finally the streets start to fi ll up, the bars appear more vibrant and the plazas are buzzing with life. You can fi nd your way around these wonderful plazas by checking out our double page map in the middle of the magazine.

What better way to take advantage of this than by grabbing a copy of inVLC and fi nding a nice spot in the sun with a coff ee or a caña. With inVLC you can’t go wrong! We’ve got all the best live music listings for the next month or so (and keep an eye on those festival line ups as they start to land the bigger acts) on page 19. We visit the

wonderful village of Carcaixent on page 10, Valencian writer Blasco Ibáñez kicks off with Victor Hugo on page 6 and we learn to cook asparagus perfectly on page 25.

In addition to all of this we have the usual goings on in terms of cinema, music albums, sport, green issues and expat life to provide a varied and interesting read. We’ve had some great feedback from our readers over recent months, both Spanish and English. We strive for quality at inVLC and are always looking for new ideas. Please use the contact details below if you have any comments or suggestions and remember to ‘like’ or ‘follow’ us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up-to-date and in the know about all things Valencia.

Enjoy the read. Andy, Kelly & Sean

...you are my sunshine...

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The latest News keeping you up-to-dateHotspotsFree in Valencia is enjoying wineI heart Valencia has a writer's blockHolidays and fi estas it's a busy periodValencia Community we visit CarcaixentIndependent shop review El Atelier Language Intercambio informationLet's talkExpat life! Eoghan meets the future generationTalking teaching is planning for examsMap never get lostArt & 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 LifestyleYour photos of 'refl ection'Green Declan is on the big pictureRecipe long, twiggy asparagus Artists Inma Palmero & Joaquín LópezArt to see knows artA day in the life Liam QuashieCocktails with wine, sweet wineAnimal is buzzingEvents & 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 Javier & Clara

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

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.

in this issueabout us

15/04/ 1947, Brooklyn Dodgers Jackie Robinson becomes the fi rst African-American player in Major League Baseball. Segregation had existed for over 50 years. 50 years later his number becomes the fi rst ever to be retired.

4 News

First certifi cate

Austerity | The fi rst Spanish Budget of 2012 was unveiled by Mariano

Rajoy's ruling Popular Party at the end of March. The following details the main ways the Spanish Government are attempting to save €27bn.

- Ministries' budgets cut by up to 50%- Civil servants' wages frozen- Electricity up 7% and gas up 5%- Unemployment benefi t frozen- No rise in VAT- Pensions to rise in line with infl ation- Corporation tax revenue to rise by reducing company deductions- Amnesty on tax evasion in return for 10% fee.

Unemployment fi gures released this month show that 4.75 million Spanish are now claiming benefi ts (23.6% of the workforce) which is the highest level since records began. There are now real fears that this could hit 25% by the end of the year.

Celebration of history| 22-24 April sees the annual Moors

and Christians Festival in Valencia Community (the best example can be found in Alcoy about an hour to the south of Valencia). The festivals represent the capture of the city by the Moors and the subsequent Christian re-conquest between the 8th and 15th Centuries. The festival features parades of people dressed up in the fi nery of both sides to the soundtrack of fi reworks, the smell of gunpowderand it all ends with the Christians winning a simulated battle.

Teachers' holidays at risk| The Generalitat has announced

proposals to change holiday entitlements for state schoolteachers.

They propose summer holidays to run 1 -31/08 inclusive. July could be used for teacher training and initiatives to combat any educational failures with obligatory attendance. This means a loss of a month's holiday each year. Christmas holidays for pupils could change too with holidays from 24/12 (previously 23) to 6/01.

The new proposals are still to be discussed and agreed by the unions and educational institutions before potentially becoming reality at the start of the next school year.

House evictions| A record 58,200 families were evicted from their

homes last year which is up 22% on 2010 fi gures with The Valencian Community (along with Cataluña and Madrid) the hardest hit.

The Government has now been forced to issue new guidelines to banks on their eviction processes in an eff ort to give some help to people with payment diffi culties. These include alternatives to eviction such as debt restructuring, writing off some of the debt, or accepting the return of the property to clear outstanding debt. ©Chris Kellett

16/04/1943 In Switzerland, chemist Albert Hoff man accidentally consumes LSD-25, a synthetic drug he had created as part of his research into the medicinal qualities of lysergic acid diethylamide. 26 years later Woodstock happens.

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

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The Botanical Gardens in Valencia off ers a range of activities for all ages and genders. There are year-round displays of seasonal fl owers to please the eye, whilst also growing medicinal and herbal species for research.

Culturally the two dedicated spaces within the Gardens are often fi lled with interesting, provocative and diverse exhibitions, with art occasionally creeping out into the open air. There are also courses, outings and conferences to educate, inform and entertain.

Jazz and classical concerts take place during the year, and when not, it off ers a bit of peace and quiet in some of the crazier moments of life.

www.jardibotanic.org

1| heading over to the Botanics. It's time for the passion fruit fl owers to bloom, and they are stunning. Entrance is €2 but there are concessions for groups and card holders.

2| heading into the wine bodegas to try something new. With so many taste sensations on off er, it's easy to fi nd exciting fl avours. We were impressed by locally made Mala Vida at €5.

3| taking a hike in the hills of Adamuz. There are some very easy hikes with panoramic views. And if hiking isn't your thing, Adamuz has charming waterfalls and a lot of history and interesting old architecture.

www.topwalks.net www.ademuz.es

351567

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The price in Euros of the yearly Botanics pass which gives you free access, email updates on events & shop discounts. A €6 pass allows you 10 visits throughout the year.

The year that the Botanical Gardens in Valencia was founded.

The number of days with no entrance fee to the park| Tree day: 31/01, Museums day: 18/05, Day of Biological Diversity: 22/5, Environment day:5/6, Science day: In November.

Every month we ll list some great spots where you can

low-cost fun. This month we'll be:

Inttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

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iate

17/04/1961 The Bay of Pigs invasion starts when a CIA-fi nanced group of Cuban refugees lands in Cuba and attempts to topple the government of Fidel Castro. It was a disaster and led to the Cuban Missile crisis the following year.

6 I heart Valencia

Round 1 | Early lifeBorn in Valencia on 29 January

1867, Vicente Blasco Ibáñez (VBI) was the son of a businessman. He obtained a law degree from the University of Valencia in 1888, but never pursued a career in law after graduation. Instead he divided his time between literature, politics and women, of whom he was a great admirer.

Hugo was an illegitimate child born in Besançon, France on 12 February 1802. Born into a politically turbulent France, this was further heightened in the family home where his father, who was a high ranking offi cer in Napoleon's army, and his Royalist mother. They both exhibited the ideologies of the two battling sides.

WINNER – Victor Hugo (to be a fl y on the wall at the Hugo's dinner table.)

Round 2 | FamilyVBI married María Blasco in 1891

and they had four children: Mario (1891), Libertad (1895), Julio César (1896), and Sigfrido (1902). Julio César died at the young age of 24 at the hands of typhus fever. Sigfrido went on to become a politician and journalist and fl ed the country during the civil war.

Hugo got engaged to Adèle Foucher in secret as his mother did not approve and eventually married her in 1822 (after his mother died in 1821). He had fi ve children with Adèle: Léopold (1823), Léopoldine (1824), Charles (1826), François-Victor (1828) and Adèle (1830). Léopold died in infancy. Léopoldine died at the age of 18 in a boating accident on the Seine, Charles went on to become an award-winning author, not much is known of François-Victor, and Hugo also had diffi culties with his youngest Adèle, who was never quite as sociable as Léopoldine. She was later confi ned to a nursing home suff ering from paranoid schizophrenia.

WINNER – Vicente Blasco Ibáñez (a much more fortunate outcome for

his off spring.)

First certifi cate

Every month we take something from the world of Valencia and put it head-to-head with something from

somewhere else. This month we’ve got a literary battle between Valencian writer Vicente Blasco Ibáñez

and the Frenchman Victor Hugo.

Round 3 | WorksVBI wrote over forty novels. Los cuatros

jinetes del Apocalypsis - The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse (1916) was translated into English in 1918 and was the biggest selling book in the US in 1919. Arroz y tartana (1894), La barraca and Cañas y barro (1902) are considered to be his most ‘Valencian’ novels. But VBI didn’t just write novels, he also wrote a number of plays and became the editor and owner of the controversial and very popular periodical El Pueblo, for which he wrote a number of articles. After a period of particular importance in his career between 1894-1898, the term Blasquismo was coined to describe his politicised work and realism. In his later years he also embarked on a number of fi lm projects, many of which were adaptations of his novels.

Hugo used romanticism as a tool to voice his politics. Hugo wrote over 50 books, and his romantic poetry brought him fame at an early age, earning him a royal pension from Louis XVIII. For many Hugo is associated with his great work about social justice Les Misérables (1862), which would have enormous success as a novel and later as an opera. Le Dernier jour d’un condamné – The Last Day of a Condemned Man (1829), Notre-Dame de Paris – The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831), and an essay on William Shakespeare (1864) are also other notableworks.

WINNER - Hugo (Les Misérables AND The Hunchback of Notre Dame!! Legend!)

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18/04/1974 Italian prosecutor Mario Sossi is kidnapped by The Red Brigades. It was the fi rst time that the left-wing terrorist group had directly struck the Italian Government. It leads to 10 years of confl ict between the two sides.

7I heart Valencia

Round 4 | PoliticsYo soy un hombre de acción, que he

hecho en mi vida algo más que libros.

I am a man of action; I’ve done more in my life than just write books.

VBI fl ed to France in 1890 because of a rally he organised against conservative politician Antonio Cánovas del Castillo. A number of articles written for La Bandera Federal led to detainment, particularly the manifesto Unión Republicana written in 1893. Once La Bandera Federal was dissolved VBI set up El Pueblo. His article En pleno absolutismo saw him thrown into prison again, forcing him to hand the reins of El Pueblo to Salvador Mateo. He took part in a protest against the Cuban War of Independence at the Plaza de Toros de Valencia, fl ed to Italy to continue his writings condemning the war and was thrown into prison again in 1896. In 1898 he was in prison again for the story La paella del roder. He created the Partido del Unión Republicana Autonomista (PURA) in 1898, of which he was named representative fi ve times.

Hugo entered the Higher Chamber in France in 1941 where he argued against the death penalty and social injustice. Although he lived in France for most of his life, Hugo had to live in exile after Napoleon’s coup d’état in 1851, moving from Brussels to Jersey and then on to Guernsey until Napoleon’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. Hugo saw Napoleon as a traitor to France and voiced this in public – the pamphlets Napoléon le Petit and Histoire d’un crime were banned in France, but this did not stop

them being read. He was responsible for eliminating the death penalty from constitutions in Geneva, Portugal and Colombia. Granted amnesty by Napoleon in 1859, Hugo refused to return to France until 1870 after Napoleon’s fall from power. During the siege of the Prussian army in 1870, Hugo was forced to “eat the unknown” to stay alive and famously accepted animals given to him by the local zoo.

WINNER – VBI (imprisoned for his beliefs and unwavered by the forces

against him.)

Round 5 | LegacyVBI is one of the most important

Spanish writers from the literary branches of Realism and Naturalism. The Centro de Estudios de Blasco Ibáñez enjoyed a period of success in the Ayuntamiento de Burjassot between 1996-1998. Of course there is Avenida Blasco Ibáñez where the University of Valencia’s main campus can be found. It is perhaps unfortunate and ironic that the extension of this very road to La Malvarrosa may indeed spell destruction for Ibáñez’s beloved Cabañal, where his family chalet has been turned into a museum.

Hugo was a grand master of romanticism and a champion of realism – contemporaries include Camus, Dickens and Dostoyevsky. Les Misérables is one of the longest running shows at London’s West End and his poems have been adapted by composers such as Rachmaninov and Wagner.

He returned to France in 1870 a national hero and for his eightieth birthday in 1882 a six-hour-long parade passed in front of his home. More than two million people attended his public funeral on 22 May 1885. Hugo was considered a statesman as well as a writer and partly responsible for the forming of the Third Republic and, ultimately, democracy in France.

WINNER – Victor Hugo (perhaps more widely known and more infl uential on

a world scale.)

OVERALL WINNER Hugo 3 – 2 Blasco Ibáñez

A good fi ght put up by the strong-willed Valencian, but ultimately diffi cult to topple such a grand

literary fi gure. In Valencia, however, Blasco Ibáñez is always

visible and ever-present in a Spain, which he would no doubt have a few words to say about were he

alive today.

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19/04/1993 Live on TV the FBI launch a devastating tear gas and fi reball attack on the Branch Davidian Compound in Waco, Texas. A gun battle ensues and leads eventually to 85 sect members (20 children) and 4 FBI offi cers dying.

8 Learn better with the British Council

9

T his month is a fl ower festival spectacle.

Below are the main celebrations to

look out for and join in with.

San Vicente Ferrer | Sun 16 April The Patron Saint of Valencia is revered with a day in his memory on the approximate anniversary of his death. There will be activities at his old home, which is now a church on Pouet de San Vicent, 1, near Plaza Tetuan. A fl ower off ering will be made there at midday, a parade will start at the Cathedral at 7pm and in the evening there will be stages re-enacting his miracles in various locations in the city.

This festival will also be celebrated in towns around the Community, so check them out!

Fiesta del Trabajo | Tues 1 May A bank holiday to enjoy with your friends and family.

Cruzes de Mayo | 3 May Installations of stunning fl oral crosses throughout the city as the locals ask God for protection.

Virgen de los Desamparados| Sat 12 &

Sun 13 May The Virgin of the Helpless is the Patroness of Valencia. She holds a lily and baby Jesus, who himself carries the cross.

She has a slight forward tilt, giving her the nickname of La Geperudeta de Valencia (the hunchback). She is highly thought of as she helps children, the blind and the mentally & physically ill.

12/05 Sat 11pm | The city band plays in Pl. de la Virgen followed by fi reworks & dancing.12/05 Sat night 12pm | Fireworks in the Turia near Torres de Serranos then more dancing in Pl. de la Virgen. 13/05 5am Sun | Misa Descoberta Mass, Discovery Mass.8am Sun | Misa de infantes An open-air altar decorated with fl owers will be erected in Pl. de la Virgen.10.30am Sun | Traslado The Virgin is carried above the fl ower-throwing, excited crowds and heads backwards into the Cathedral.Sun | Ceramics Escuraeta market begins in Pl. de la Reina.6.30/7pm Sun | A fl owery procession with costumes and candles in the historic centre of El Carmen.

Holidays and parties

National holidays mean

fewer buses, and most shops, banks

& supermarkets close.

April 17 & 18| Bolbaite (V) Cristo Del Amparo & San Isidro Labrador19| Alicante (A) Santa Faz, Cocentaina (A)20| Cullera (V)23| Onil (A)23 & 24| Alcoy (A), Banyeres De Mariola (A)30| Lorcha (A), Alcudia De Veo (C), Caudiel (C), Cheste (V) Virgen De La Soledad

May15| Villagordo Del Cabriel (V), Venta Del Moro (V), Utiel (V), Sinarcas (V)2 & 3| Domeño (V), 3| Jávea (A) Santa Cruz14 & 15| Muro De Alcoy (A) La Virgen De Los Desamparados, 15| Camporrobles (V) San Isidro Labrador

Courtesy of www.docv.gva.esAll information correct at time of print. Check with the local

tourist information when making plans.

Don't miss| The Virgin's move

to the Cathedral on 13/05. Prepare for

the crowds!

© Tu

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In the community & neighbouring towns - Alicante (A), Castellon (C), Valencia (V)

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20/04/1881 The Ku Klux Klan Act comes into force and authorises President Ulysses S. Grant to declare martial law, impose heavy penalties and use military force to suppress terrorist organisations.

10

The town has some architectural gems that are unfortunately not open to the casual visitor, although given a couple of days notice the tourist offi ce will arrange a private guided tour. Even so, it is a pleasant little town with enough to see for a short and entertaining visit.

The 18th century Palacio de la Marquesa (part of the Town Hall) was originally the home of gentry involved in the silk trade, and has a gloriously tiled kitchen in the neoclassical Valenciana style that was added during a 19th century restoration.

The two main modernista buildings in the town, the Real Acequi and the Magatzem de Ribera, represent the wealth of the community. The former, built in 1927, controlled the fl ow of water in the area, in both the literal and legal sense, while the latter, designed in 1910 by José Ríos Chiesta, is the most ornate orange warehouse you could imagine, although no longer used for that purpose.

What appear to be beautiful wooden beams in the Real Acequi are actually painted steel-reinforced cement, the fi rst of this kind to be used in the Valencian Community. Anyone old enough to remember ‘Dolly Blue’, the deep blue cleaner that for some reason made clothes white, will recognise the colour in the painted ceiling, because a Spanish version was used to tint the paint. The fl ight of steps up to the fi rst fl oor was to raise the building above fl ood level, something it has in common with the more wealthy houses in the town.

The water court still meets every week to deal with any disputes and to allocate water supplies to the farmers during the dry summer months. They gather around a heavily carved table sitting in equally grand armchairs, although quite why there was a television plonked in the centre when I was there, the guide couldn’t really explain. Perhaps there had been a dearth of water complaints and they had decided to watch the football instead.

First certifi cate

Valencia Community | Carcaixent

Carcaixent is one of the most important and attractive towns in the area known as the Ribera Alta – at least

that’s what their publicity says, and who am I to argue. I have to admit, though, that it’s not a bad little place.

Last time I went the town was quite easy to get into but now the road diverts you past a great big shopping

mall called Ribera del Xuquer and then you have to drive around a one-way system to get into the town.

Carcaixent fact fi le Population | 21,973 (2008) Km to Valencia | 48kmPoint of interest | Magatzem de RiberaReal AcequiAnd nearby | Simat de Valldigna: Monastario de Santa Maria Fiestas | 12 NovemberUseful information | Centro de Promocón Económica, Pl. Major, 1 (2' fl oor) 96 245 76 58 promociovalencia@ayto-carcaixent.es

21/04/1980 Rosie Ruiz fi nishes fi rst in the women’s race in the Boston Marathon. 8 days later Ruiz is stripped of her victory after race offi cials learned she jumped into the race about a mile before the fi nish line.

11

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Valencia Community | Carcaixent

Car | A35/CV50 Valencia to Alzira, CV41 from Alzira to XativaBus | Autobuses Buñol www.bunyol.comTrain | Every 20 mins, Valencia Nord, 35 mins www.renfe.com

Without being part of a guided tour all you see of the Magatzem de Ribera is a decorative brick façade and a small garden, but it’s worth walking there just to nip into the restaurant beside it, the Salón Royal 1915. It takes its name from the date the house was built on, so one of the owners was determined that I clearly understood, what was the fi rst and most important street in the town. The façade is beautifully restored, but it’s the bar that draws you in. Camp as a row of tents, the outrageously kitsch decoration of gaudily painted pillars, bunches of fl owers and fruit that never saw such glorious colours in real life and cheerful cherubs is wonderful. It looks as if it was done when the building went up but the decoration is only four years old. The restaurant is elegantly low key after this display of decorative boisterousness.

The Iglesia Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de la Ascunción (15-18th century), with its sparkling blue, white and bronze tiled cupola, is stunning and each of its side chapels is worthy of being a church on its own. You can even light a real candle, a rarity in these days of coin-fed electric fakes. Wandering down Calle Julian Ribera you come across an ochre painted cafeteria above which the town band practices, (also on the aptly named Passatge del Musical). It’s a barn of a place inside and worth a glance into to see how little changes in small town Spain. Its interior has barely been touched since Edwardian times except for a few battered Formica-topped tables.

You can stock up for a picnic at the Mercado Municipal at the bottom of Calle del Pare Marechena, a big, bright open market with all the stalls occupied (unusual these days) and as much a place for locals to meet and chat as a place to do the shopping.

Derek WorkmanTo discover more about Spain, visit www.derekworkman-journalist.com & www.derekworkman.wordpress.com

22/04/1886 Ohio passes a law making seduction unlawful for all men over the age of 18 who worked as teachers or instructors of women of any age - including when the seduction was consensual. The penalty - 2 to 10 years in prison.

12

Opened on February 14th, 2011, this retro glamour meets modern beauty shop was the brain-child of owners, Fabiano and Valero. Together, they look to source wearable vintage threads (that means no fancy dress prom dresses) from across Europe and within Valencia. Considering they make regular visits to London and Paris to handpick their women's and menswear, it’s quite surprising that prices remain reasonable with almost all pieces (including coats and shoes) coming in under 100 euros.

I have to admit, when I fi rst discovered the shop (via Facebook) it was more for the hair services than for the vintage pieces they sell. But I was pleasantly surprised when I entered and saw such an array of clothes, shoes, handbags and hand-crafted jewellery, thoughtfully displayed within a full-service hair salon.

After years of styling models and celebrities in London, Sao Paulo native Fabiano, brought his brand of precise, sophisticated snipping to Valencia (Valero’s hometown). Not able to handle the dreary London weather any longer, the duo made the move here two years ago and immediately wanted to open a shop. “We wanted to open something with a Soho/Boho style. Our inspiration came from (the shop) Liberty in London ”, Fabiano explained.

Located on a quiet street in the Abastos neighbourhood, El Atelier boasts an open fl oor plan made up of a large common area, a quintessential Spanish terrace and a quaint, two-chair parlour. The gleaming wood fl oors paired with exposed-brick walls adorned by old record albums, make this an über-inviting space. “We really wanted to create a warm and welcoming environment that wasn’t black and white but that had some character. We also wanted a space where the latest trends in hairstyling could unite with art and accessories.”

Unlike many thrift stores, El Atelier’s regular infl ux of fashion-savvy patrons makes aff ordable designer fi nds a fairly common occurrence; recent scores included a pair of Helmut Lang pumps and chic Chanel pants. In addition to the trove of inexpensive, gently used fashion, this sleek boutique salon off ers a large selection of jewellery, a majority of which has been made by Valero himself. One glass case is even dedicated to his Disney-inspired pieces taken from 1940s picture books. By the way, no one piece is the same.

Let’s get back to hair because, after all, that’s why I was there. It was clear that Fabiano is the stylist and Valero is the designer but both are always there and happy to help any customer that walks in. I was greeted and off ered a drink by Valero and shortly thereafter seated in Fabiano’s chair to discuss the sad state of my hair. Chit-chatting away, I learned that Fabiano graduated from the acclaimed Vidal Sassoon and L’Oreal Academies. I was impressed by the thoroughness shown in styling my hair. It was obvious that Fabiano is very passionate about his work and the needs of his clients. An hour later, the magic had been completed and I looked (and felt) like a completely diff erent person. I must say, it was the best haircut I’ve had after living in Spain for three years. I thanked Fabiano and Valero profusely and happily made my way back home, knowing that I would soon be back – but next time for a shopping spree.

Heather Dillon

Independent review | El Atelierind

ep

endent review we love it

Haircut/blowdry €28

Color €26+

Highlights €30+

Makeup applications

€25+

C/ Navarra, 7, Abastos, Valencia

Tues, Wed, Sat 10am-7pm Thur & Fri 10am-9pm

(open through lunch hour)

960723470 www.el-atelier.es eatelier1

eatelier1@facebook.com, elatelier7@gmail.com

El Atelier, a small hair salon and boutique, not only off ers Valencia locals an intimate hair salon, but

also vintage clothing that won’t break the bank.

23/04/1969. After shooting and killing Robert 'brother of JFK' Kennedy the previous year, Sirhan Sirhan is sentenced to death. Later commuted to life imprisonment he claims the killing was for Kennedy's support of Israel.

13Intercambio

As international people, many are choosing to live an international lifestyle - travel abroad, make exotic

friends, and work in other countries. Valencia is crammed with more locations than ever to learn and

practice new languages, with diff erent styles of events to choose from. Take your pick from easy going

chats to more formal aff airs and take into consideration that some have a small fee, work in association with

language schools, and/or off er free drinks or snacks. Try a few to see what suits you best, and above all, have fun!

24/04/1916 Nationalists launch the Easter Rising in Dublin, seizing buildings such as the main Post Offi ce and declare Irish freedom from the UK. Rebel leader Éamon de Valera went on to become the new Republic's President 3 times.

14

I was recently invited to teach a creative writing

workshop at the American School of Valencia as

part of their Arts Day. Considering I was competing

with Garage Band and a guy who makes musical

instruments from vacuum cleaner tubes and other

household scrap, I was initially just happy to see

anyone show up.

The bright ground-fl oor classroom was about evenly divided, a row of boys by the window and a balancing row of girls at the wall. The invisible wall down the middle would have made Hadrian himself proud.

I launched into warm up questions and technical pointers. I was planning to progress to group activities then gradually reduce the group sizes until I had set them free to work alone, inspired and free to wander the fertile meadows of their imaginations with me as their friendly guide. About thirty seconds into the fi rst group activity I was cursing my stupidity. I was losing them and in danger of getting stonewalled. I quickly abandoned Plan A and went to divide and conquer, hoping that I could salvage things enough to persuade the school that I wasn’t some charlatan to be banished from their midst.

What happened next was a bit special. I had of course massively underestimated their desire and capacity to write and express themselves. The exercise was to describe

a space from their childhood. They were to use all fi ve senses and stick to showing the space to the reader without explaining anything about it. Very quickly, blank pages began to fi ll up, and I was soon moving from desk to desk digging through hand writing almost as bad as my own.

The group was pretty evenly split between home grown Spanish kids and International students and with very little interaction the style of narratives began to fall into matching categories. The Spanish kids for the most part stuck close to home and were much quicker to express the desire to move on to tell a story. The International kids dived back to places left behind. The descriptions were immediately evocative, fragrant, full of colour and tangible emotion.

"The room fi lled with aromatic home cooking, wafts of cigarette smoke drifted up hallways and lingered in the fabric of sofas. Hands slid over cornhusks, smooth then surprisingly sticky. Laughing children played around rough wooden benches in parks, fell over fat dogs and were stalked by skinny cats. Sand, grass, and gravel rubbed against bare skin."

One boy eff ortlessly evoked the boredom of youth that is only ever felt in a place where you feel completely comfortable and safe. One of the girls defi ed everything I had suggested about structure and technique and remarkably in just two drafts produced a fi ve-part prose poem. The writing was so full of melancholic images and longing that it seemed to come from much older souls. This I realised was the rub. These kids, young as they were, had already lived the emigrant experience. They could genuinely tap into the universal themes, draw from the emotion of separation, and loss, feed off the experience of being immersed in a new country, a new language, a multi-cultural environment and starting again. They wrote of what was left behind with a perspective and ability unavailable to those who have never had to leave.

Eoghan Ryan

Expat life | Use your imagination

25/04/1980 A Dan-Air Boeing 727 carrying British tourists to Tenerife crashes and kills all 146 on board. This terrible crash came just three years after another even deadlier accident at the Canary Islands airport.

15

one Dealing with grammar (again)

“We did the present perfect last week.” A cry that you’ll hear in staff rooms the world over, but does it mean that they understand it just because you did classes on it? Time to go back over those diffi cult tenses by asking a series of questions that elicit the grammar that you’re looking for. Get them in pairs to answer the questions and then ask the brave ones for an answer. Make sure everyone gets to answer the questions and cover a variety of grammar to see

what they need to work on. You’ll fi nd that the further away from talking about themselves that you get, and the more abstract the tense is, the more diffi cult it will be for them to use it as it does not come into play in the classroom. Compare present simple with I & you with he and she and you’ll see where they (still) trip up. Just as ‘be going to’ is much easier to fathom than ‘will have + past participle.’ Then plan a class in order to work on this. The more abstract/ unused the tense, the more reason to work on it before exam time.

Post Easter almost always marks a slump in a teaching diary. The students are tired, so is the teacher. Let’s

face it, you’ve known each other for six months now, maybe longer. There’s no need to set up activities any

more because they know exactly what you want them to do and you’ve become boring and predictable.

They’ve got exams and summer is just around the corner, and you need to keep them engaged for the fi nal lap.

These are some ways to focus students after the Easter break:

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...

jugar el cuello - bet one’s neck on it

e.g. Andy estará ahí mañana. Me jugaría el cuello.- Andy will be there tomorrow. I’d bet my neck on it.

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 language exchanges at The Bohemian Café (Mons), Portland Ale House (Tues & Weds) and Sherlock Holmes* (Thurs).*new www.orangeidiomas.com

two Revision

Time to bring up all of that vocabulary again rather than simply start off with new things that they haven’t seen before. There are a number of ways to present grammar that they already know and vocabulary that they’ve already seen. How about some pelmanism games to revise their vocabulary – get them doing something with their hands? I tend to use www.puzzle-maker.com/WS/index.htm a lot in order to put together crosswords for children. There are plenty more if you search for them using Google. It needs to be something familiar so they can sense that they are a bit more clued up than they were back in September.

three Varying Activities

So you’ve been doing the same reading exercise for the last six months, have you? Maybe you’ve just been following the course book blow by blow in a very dry kind of delivery? (God help you if you have.) Why not turn these activities into speaking or listening activities? Most course books give you that option by providing a spoken version of the text, which can be turned into a gap fi ll easily enough. Just try to take a step back from your classes for a moment and ask yourself “Is there another way I can do this that’s diff erent from before?” Being self-critical often has its benefi ts. Look at your students’ faces. Are they bored? Looking at the ceiling? Try to bring things alive or do them another way. Even if it doesn’t work, at least you tried something new.

four Personalisation

What did they do during the holidays? Probably nothing or, they just don’t want to talk about it in front of the class. Get them to talk about it in pairs and then have them talk about what their partner did. This helps them use those subject pronouns that they don’t normally use and means they have already used the target language in private before using it in front of the class. You could get them to guess what you did during the holidays, give them a mixture of true and false or just let them ask whatever they want, depending on how private a person you are. I would always do something like this after the holidays rather than dive straight back into the book. Mix it up a bit, a bit of the book and a bit of something fun to ease them back into the fi nal semester.

fi ve Homework

Try to keep moving forward through the book whilst keeping one eye on what you have already done and what they need to know for the exams/ following year. How do you maintain this balance? Well, give them homework for stuff that they have already studied rather than what you’ve just done in class. My new ‘Voices’ book has an excellent ‘cumulative grammar’ section that combines grammar they have just learnt with stuff they have been learning throughout the year. Try to get them thinking about this by doing things that require looking back on what you have already done.

26/04/1986. Reactor #4 of the power plant in Chernobyl goes into meltdown and the resulting explosion means the entire 150,000 population of Pripyat has to be evacuated. Estimated time for a safe return is 150 years from now.

16 Valencia mapValencia map

(c) OpenStreetMap contributors,

CC-BY-SA www.openstreetmap.org/

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17La Galeria, C/ Baja, 38KandABooks, C/ Tapineria, 18Plou i fa sol, Pl. del Músico López Chavarri, 7bLa Strada, C/ Quart, 17Lenguas Vivas, C/ Palleter, 43Il Genovino, Campoamor, 50Rostro, Calle Quart, 13Portland Ale House, C/ Salamanca, 10Troppo Bene, Avda. del Puerto, 87British 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, 3Anita Giro, Pintor Domingo, 7Dhaba, Plz.Don Juan de Villarrasa, 6British Council, Av. de Cataluña, 9Taste Of America, Av Reino de Valenica, 6Vesuvio, C/ Beato Nicolás Factor, 8

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tht e country's fi fi fi rst bllllaaack President. 27 years of his llififife ee had been spent in n prp isonn c ells includinggg 18 onnn RRRobobobbebeb n Island.

18 Music

First certifi cate

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. Here's the selection of albums that impressed us this month. If you have heard

something amazing, let us know what it is, or write a review and send it to us.

Album For Indie Fans | Port Of Morrow – The ShinsThe fourth studio album from James Mercer et al. in fi ve years has received mixed reviews from the world’s music critics. From the opening chords on the fi rst track there is an unmistakable Shinlike feel to the album and arguably not a major departure away from what has come before. A long time in the making (Mercer has been sidetracked by a project with DJ Danger Mouse called Broken Bells), it could be that people were expecting something a little more. Despite this distraction, we’ve got probably one of the most well produced albums of the year so far. Layers upon layers of guitar, wonderfully arranged strings and samples litter the album throughout and make for rather pleasant listening.Standout Tracks: Simple Song, September, No Way Down

Album To Headbang To | Open Your Heart – The Men The Men have released an incredibly haunting album this time round, managing to mix the quiet melancholy with occasional punches of loud garage rock. Almost akin to Battles by being without vocals for most of the album, The Men expose themselves for the world to see warts and all. Feedback, guitar eff ects, bum notes and throat-clearing all audible in between tracks, it really wears its heart on its sleeve. Strongly guitar driven and reminiscent of the old punk days before The Clash went reggae, The Ramones played their guitars as low as they could and Sid Vicious was at his off ensive best. However, be prepared for those quiet, acoustic numbers that crop up in between and off er a certain degree of depth to the end product. Standout Tracks: Animal, Candy, Ex Dreams

Album To Fill The Dancefl oors | Visions – Grimes Very much in the same vein as La Roux, Grimes’ third album boasts some pretty amazing tunes as well as holding it all together as an album. Think Lykke Li crossed with Blade Runner and what you’ve got is a good idea of what Grimes’ sound is all about. Claire Boucher mixes human emotion with technology, layers and layers of her voice mixed with electronic drum beats and keyboard sounds. Her voice is disguised by reverb, tweaked, distorted, but remains an ever-present falsetto throughout the songs. Ambient, playful and occasionally dissonant in its structure, Visions shows an incredible leap forward for the artist and will certainly leave the listener to wonder what on earth she will do next.Standout Tracks: Infi nite “heart” Without Fulfi lment, Vowels = Space and Time, Skin

Other releases | Paul Weller, Madonna, Plan B, The Wedding Present, Iron Maiden, The Mars Volta and many, many more.

Music news | Bob Dylan has been announced as a headliner at FIB Benicassim 2012. He will top the already impressive line up, which includes The Stone Roses, New Order, Florence & The Machine and Noel Gallagher.

In timing with the release of a new album, former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash has claimed that music has "lost its magic". ‘Apocalyptic Love’ will be released on 21 May and is sure to set the world of music straight.

M83, Marianne Faithful & Wild Beasts meanwhile have been added to the ever-growing Primavera Sound list, which already includes Björk, The Cure & Franz Ferdinand.

Robbie Williams has put in a £15m off er for the Beverly Hills mansion where Michael Jackson died. Maybe some of that musical genius will rub off on him?

Smashing Pumpkins will release new album ‘Oceania’ on June 18. Songwriter Billy Corgan has called it an "album within an album". Sweet!

The Flaming Lips are going to use the blood of a number of contributors from their latest album at a record launch. The packaging of some limited edition (thank God!) copies of ‘The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends’ will include the blood of artists such as Ke$ha, Bon Iver, Nick Cave, Neon Indian and Erykah Badu.

28/04/1945 Benito Mussolini is caught trying to escape Italy and is arrested and killed at the Swiss border. His body was taken to Milan and hung upside down at a petrol station to allow everyone to see he was dead.

19

29/5 Lenny Kravitz Velódromo Luis Puig €45-145 Time TBC www.goo.gl/RjpQc21/06 Madonna - Barcelona's Palau Sant Jordi. 2nd night tickets available. €95

www.ticketmaster.esMay & June - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band play across Spain - but they're not coming to VLC! €65+ www.ticketmaster.es

Sala El Loco| C/ Erudito Orellana, 12 (VLC) 20/04 Daniel Johnston. His truly madcap life was captured in the 2006 documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston. Says it all. €18/2526/04 Doctor Feelgood. Pub rockers around since 1971. €15/1828/04 The Smokin Stones. Homage to The Rolling Stones from Barcelona. €12/1508/05 Chuck Prophet. American singer-songwriter. €15/€1815/05 Richard Buckner. American alternative country. €10/13 www.lococlub.org

Sala Wah Wah| C/ Campoamor, 58 (VLC) Great venue with a lot of local and international acts visiting. 20/04 Depredro. Soul, funk and rock'n'roll. €1027&28/04 Ivan Ferreiro plays an intimate double header. €15/1811/05 La Habitación Roja. Spanish indie pop. €12/15 www.wahwahclub.com

Sala Mirror| San Vicente Martir, 200 (VLC) Dance music lovers and DJs. www.discomirror.es

Jimmy Glass| C/ Baja, 28 (VLC) 19/04 Arthur Kell Quartet €1420/04 Piano Duo €424/04 Fly €1827/04 Piano Trio €4

www.jimmyglassjazz.net 

Black Note Valencia| Calle Polo y Peyrolon, 15 (VLC) Jazz, blues, r&b, soul, funk, acid jazz, swing and latino sounds. Mon - Jam sessions, Tues - house band 2 Animales with their blues/acoustic rock sounds, Weds - reggae. 18/04 LA Gang Band 20/04 Nasty Boogie 26/04 Relevo de Plata and 27/04 Arcana www.blacknoteclub.com

Café Mercedes| C/ Sueca, 27 (VLC) A nice, cheap jazz venue in the heart of Ruzafa with free jam sessions on Sundays from 8:30pm.

www.cafemercedes.es

Sala Matisse| C/ Campoamor, 60 (VLC) Lots of great local and national music.21/04 Mañana €8/1026/04 Xoel López €15 www.salamatisse.es

La Caverna| C/ Cuenca, 70 (VLC) A very cosy venue with mad gigs!

Ubik| C/ Literato Azorín, 13 (VLC) Book readings, fi lms, intercambios and music.

El Palau de la Musica| (VLC) Beautiful classical music but not always open to non-members. 9/04 Lang Lang (piano) €30-60, Hilary Hahn and Cory Smythe (violin and piano) €25, Peter Pan musical 21/04 €3/6 & 11/05 The Budapest Festival Orchestra €25-50

www.palaudevalencia.com

Durango| C/ Llanterners 35, Poligono La Closa (Meliana) Heavier rock club with plenty on Fris & Sats. www.durangoclub.es

Rock City| Tavernes Blancas. Heavier rock club. 27/04 Cloverace from Barcelona. Punk pop in English and Spanish.04/05 Control Stone. Rolling Stones tribute from Alicante. www.valenciarockcity.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.radiocityvalencia.com

www.myspace.com/themusicboxclub

Café del Duende| C/ Turia, 62 (VLC) Great fl amenco every Thu, Fri, Sat & Sun.

www.cafedelduende.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.

www.myspace.com/dubclubvalencia

LA3| C/ del Padre Porta, 4 (VLC) The best dance music and coolest DJs. Fri and Sat nights. www.la3club.com

Excuse me| C/Tomasos 14 (VLC) Two fl oors with the usual eclectic mix to keep the dancefl oors moving.

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

Mya| Popular dance club down at the Arts and Sciences buildings.

Xtra Large Playground| Av Germanias 21. New buzzing dancefl oor in Ruzafa.

Festival informationLow Cost Festival| Alicante 27-29/7

€50, VIP €125 Kasabian, Suede.www.lowcostfestival.es

Benicassim| 12-15/7 Bob Dylan, Stone Roses, Florence & The Machine, New Order, Noel Gallagher, Dizzee Rascal, David Guetta and De La Soul. Many others. €165 www.fi berfi b.com

Sonar | Barcelona 14-16/6 2 days €100, 3 days €130 Fatboy Slim, The Roots, Friendly Fires, Deadmau5, Hot Chip, Richie Hawtin, Laurent Garnier and more. €155

www.sonar.es BBK Live | Bilbao 12-14/07 Radiohead,

The Cure, Klaxons & Snow Patrol. 3 day incl camping. €105

Primavera Sound | Barcelona 30/5-3/6 Bjork, Death Cab For Cutie, Rufus Wainwright, Justice, The Cure, Beirut, Wilco & Franz Ferdinand. €80/190

www.primaverasound.comArenal sound | Burriana 2-5/8 Two

Door Cinema Club, The Kaiser Chiefs, Love of Lesbian & The Wombats. €30

www.arenalsound.comAzkena Music Festival | Bilbao 23-25/06 Black Sabbath, Lynyrd Skynrd, Blue Oyster Cult, The Dropkick Murphy's. €102

www.azkenarockfestival.comRototom Sunsplash | Benicassim

16-22/08 All things reggae-tinged. €60/2 days, €150/ full week! www.rototom.com

Live events

Every month we pick out the best live music in and around the Valencian 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

29/04/2011 Prince William weds Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in London. 1,900 guests attend, 1 million line the streets of London and 2 billion watch on TV. Most men only seem to take notice when Kate's sister is on the screen.

20

Bad advice? | Spanish motorbike rider, Dani Pedrosa, has been indicted on a charge of cheating in his exams to

qualify as a yacht captain. 21 people were arrested and 10 were detained at the Polytechnic University in Valencia on 31 March including the star name of Pedrosa who is accused of using an earpiece in the exam.

Pedrosa who now rides in the Moto GP World Championships was the 250cc World Motorbike Champion in 2004 and 2005. Pedrosa has made a public statement of apology admitting his error after following some bad advice.

Sport

Levante fi xtures | All games - La Liga **22/04 Sevilla FC v Levante UD29/04 Levante UD v Granada CF02/05 Real Zaragoza v Levante UD06/05 RCD Mallorca v Levante UD13/05 Levante UD v Athletic Club

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

Valencia fi xtures |15/04 RCD Espanyol v Valencia CF La Liga19/04 Atletico Madrid v Valencia CF Ch. League 22/04 Valencia CF v Real Betis La Liga26/04 Valencia CF v Atletico Madrid Ch. League 29/04 Málaga CF v Valencia CF La Liga 03/05 Valencia CF v Osasuna La Liga 06/05 Valencia CF v Villarreal CF La Liga 13/05 Real Sociedad v Valencia CF La Liga

© V

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Valencia Basketball Club | Following Valencia Club de Baskets's appearance in the last 4 of the Euro Cup

playoff s in Russia on 14/15 May, the end of season playoff s will start on 17 May so every game this month takes on ever increasing signifi cance.

Buy tickets online or at the Pabellon Fuente de San Luis on the day of the game.

www.valenciabasket.com

Valencia Basketball Club fi xtures | *Dates to be confi rmed18/04 - 8.45pm Baloncesto Fuenlabrada v Valencia22/04 - 12.30pm Valencia v Gescrap Bizkaia26/04 - 9.45pm Cajasol Banca Civica v Valencia 29/04 - 12:30pm Valencia v Gran Canaria 2-3/05 Obradoiro CAB v Valencia *5-6/05 Valencia v Blancos de Rueda Vallodolid *

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

Football tickets | An exciting month ahead as the football season comes to its conclusion. Valencia have

a Europa League semi-fi nal clash with Atletico Madrid and a win will take them to the 9 May fi nal at the National Stadium in Bucharest. They are also fi ghting pretty much neck and neck with Levante in La Liga for one of the coveted Champions League spots.

Buy tickets for Valencia at the kiosks at the Mestalla on Avenida 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

© L

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la P

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VCF

It's your turn | Bernie Ecclestone has confi rmed that from 2013 Barcelona and Valencia will alternate the Spanish

Grand Prix."The recession means that both cities are in need of this type of cooperation and it's a case of fi nding a way to help Valencia and, if by alternating the event with Barcelona, we can help, then that's a good solution", said the F1 Boss. Barcelona will host this year's Spanish Grand Prix on 13 May with Valencia hosting the European Grand Prix on 24 June. Ecclestone confi rmed that Mayor Rita Barberá wanted Valencia to continue hosting the European Grand Prix and made her position very clear in a meeting with him last year. This change to the F1 calendar opens the door for New York to join the tour from 2013.

30/04/1993 Tennis star Monica Seles is stabbed during a match in Hamburg. The attacker, a fan of rival tennis star Steffi Graf, said that he hoped that by injuring Seles his idol Graf would be able to regain her No. 1 tennis ranking.

21

Mirror Mirror | (Tarsem Singh, 2012) Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Armie HammerA diff erent take on Snow White & the Seven Dwarves sees exiled princess Snow White (Collins) recruiting a group of seven rebels after an Evil Queen (Roberts) takes control of her kingdom. Tarsem Singh previously worked on fi lms such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and The Immortals (2011), which have both been big box offi ce draws. Expect Roberts hamming it up as the Evil Queen, Lily Collins looking adorable and even some eye candy for the ladies in the form of Armie Hammer (J. Edgar, 2012). The biggest talking point so far has been Roberts’ transformation into a hag before the end of the fi lm.Yelmo - 17:45, 20:00 & 22:15

We Need To Talk About Kevin | (Lynne Ramsey, 2012) Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra MillerLionel Shriver’s successful 2003 novel fi nally gets the celluloid treatment with an impressive cast to boot.Eva (Swinton) has become estranged from her husband Franklin (Reilly) after a high school massacre committed by her son Kevin (Miller). The fi lm deals with Eva’s attempts to try to come to terms with what her son has done and, more importantly, whether she was to blame through displaying such indiff erence to maternity. Director Ramsey was responsible for the faithful adaptation of The Lovely Bones (2009), so expect another well-handled adaptation of another dark, yet enthralling exploration of those things that parents fear most

for their children. Promises to be an uncomfortable watch all round.Yelmo - 22:30

The Ides of March | (George Clooney, 2012) Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoff man, Ryan GoslingI have to admit that, following four directorial credits for George Clooney (most notably Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, 2002 and Good Night, Good Luck, 2005), I was rather looking forward to his fi fth. Stephen Meyers (Gosling) is a young staff er working for a presidential candidate Governor Mike Morris (Clooney) in the run up to the next elections. Working alongside the unscrupulous Paul Zara (Hoff man) and against the formidable Tom Duff y (Giamatti), Meyers suddenly becomes aware of a dirty secret that the governor has been trying to keep away from the press that sickens him to his very core. An interesting look at the dirty politics that exists under the glossy surface and the choices that those involved are forced to make in order to survive.Babel - 16:30, 18:30, 20:40 & 22:45Kinepolis - 19:00

The Intouchables | (Oliver Nakache, 2011) François Cluzet, Omar Sy, Anne Le NyNot to be confused with the Connery/ De Niro/ Costner fi lm from 80s about Al Capone, Eliot Ness and Prohibition, but a French fi lm that is already able to boast being the second biggest grossing French fi lm in history behind Welcome To The Sticks (Dany Boon, 2008). Two men from completely diff erent backgrounds are thrown together in unlikely circumstances – Philippe (Cluzet) is an aristocrat made paraplegic after a paragliding accident and Driss (Sy) is from the projects. Whilst deemed ‘off ensive’ for its Uncle Tom racism by US magazine Vanity Fair, this hasn’t stopped The Weinstein Company buying the rights for an English language remake. The plot of the fi lm has apparently been inspired by a true story and was the subject of a documentary fi lm in 2004.Babel - 16:30, 18:40, 20:45 & 22:45Kinepolis - 18:00, 20:30 & 22:45Yelmo- 17:40 & 20:10

Cinema

Inte

rmed

iate

Filmoteca, Pl. del Ayuntamiento, 17 www.fi lmoteca.es Yelmo Cines, Av. Tirso de Molina, 16, www.yelmocines.es

Kinepolis, Av. de Francisco Tomás y Valiente, Paterna www.kinepolis.esBabel, C/ Vicente Sancho Tello, 10, www.cinesalbatrosbabel.com

Every month inVLC brings you the best that cinema has to off er in Valencia. This month we’ve got a variety of

Versión Original fi lms for you to enjoy.

Keep yourself

up-to-date with the latest fi lms by liking us on

Facebook.

Like 'inVLC' on Facebook for more cinema information

02/05/1808 Napoleon's invasion of Spain sees a Spanish fi ghtback in and around Madrid's main square. The Spanish were defeated and as a response to the uprising the French army rounded up and shot hundreds of madrileños.

Read me | Johnathon Franzen 22

Freedom - With the release of The Corrections in 2001, Johnathon Franzen found himself propelled to the literary forefront as one of America’s most

important novelists. His new novel Freedom, published in the US in August 2010, has just been released in the UK and looks set to further cement his reputation.

The story centres round a supposedly quintessential liberal American family called the Berglunds. Walter and Patty Berglund meet at university and despite Patty’s fascination with Walter’s punk-rocker roommate Richard Katz, she ends up falling in love with and eventually marrying Walter after an accident that puts a premature end to her basketball career. They have a daughter (Jessica) and a son (Joey), who has fallen in love with and is having a sexual relationship with the neighbour’s daughter Connie. Patty is not happy when she fi nds out about this and seems content on hating Connie no matter what, expecting much better for her beloved son. Walter on the other hand seems more concerned about Joey’s increasingly Republican tendencies, which are completely contrary to Walter’s liberal views and environmental worries.

There is a lot going on in this novel and, given the time and the space, I could write a lot more (the book clocks in at 576 pages). I found The Corrections a fascinating read and remember being impressed by the way Franzen portrays living in a family and the often-diffi cult relationships that we have with those that belong to it. Freedom takes it one step further allowing us to not only see the family from within and from the viewpoint of its individual members, but also the perception of the Berglunds from the outside. The novel introduces us to the Berglunds through the eyes of a nosy neighbour and, indeed, the fi nal part of the book also has us looking at them again from the outside after getting to know them throughout the book. The disappointment of a child’s choice for a partner, the neglect of one sibling in favour of the other, the

inheritance of a relative’s fortune, knowing that you have made the same mistakes as your parents or realise you have made entirely new ones altogether – Franzen covers it all. Not a single stone is left unturned throughout the novel and Franzen paints a very broad picture of American society, taking in every detail, every landscape. He not only brings these places to life – the motel where Walter lived and worked as a boy, the allure of the bright lights of New York City, the Washington DC suburbs, the beautiful West Virginian countryside under threat from constructors – but populates them with vividly drawn characters that breathe life into every page.

At no point did the book seem like a long slog nor did I feel as though I were wading through the prose to get to the good bits. Sadly this can often be the case with novels of such a size and thankfully Franzen manages to make it an easy read. I can’t imagine this being an easy task for the author whose subject matter is so all encompassing yet I believe his success lies in adopting a number of diff erent viewpoints and voices throughout the novel. A particularly dense passage

about Patty’s inner worries might be contrasted with the loveable rogue Richard about to undertake another of his diabolical schemes. Or Joey’s inner struggle between

accepting Connie’s unquestionable devotion to him or whether there’s still time for him to play the fi eld with other women – turned on its head by Connie willing to let him do what he wants, which makes him second guess. It’s this mix that gives Freedom its readability and provides the reader with a wonderful cast of well-rounded characters complete with all of their charming qualities and not-so-charming

foibles. And charming or not, they stay with you long after you’ve fi nished the fi nal page, which is an admirable feat.

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

Like 'kandabooks' on Facebook for more on books

It's doubtful that

anyone with an

internet connection

at his workplace is

writing good fi ction.

Johnathon Franzen

03/05/1990 A prisoner is fi nally executed in Florida after his electric chair malfunctions 3 times causing fl ames to leap from his head. Many states then adopted lethal injection for capital punishment. Death row inmates didn't rejoice much.

23Your photos | Refl ection

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 Stuart!

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 'sweet’. Look forward to seeing your pictures. invlceditor@gmail.com

Miryam Shemwell | Classic

Isabel Rubio Gil | Handcrafted

Declan Lehane | On route

Hartley Spencer | Car park

Stuart Atkinson | El lago azul

WINNER!

05/05/1821 English arch rival the Duke Of Wellington was once asked who was the greatest general of the day. He answered "In this age, in past ages, in any age, Napoleon" who died this day as a prisoner of Wellington on the island of St Helena.

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This month I'm going to tackle one of the 'big'

themes and as it's a 'big' theme, I'm going

to defi ne the problem this month and next

month I'll propose some alternatives. The state of the

economy and economics in general are as important

to Greens as they are for anybody else. The way the

world is run has a very big eff ect on the planet, the

quality of the environment and on our lives.

One of the fundamental parts of capitalist economic theory and practice is 'growth'. Every country wants to get back to a rate of 2% or 3% per cent annual growth in order to create jobs, increase profi ts, pay back debts, reduce defi cit, etc. Every state's goal appears to be to grow themselves out of this current crisis and get back to the good old days of 10 years ago but to put it bluntly, this just isn't going to happen. Maybe this was possible 30 or so years ago but it is now completely unsustainable for reasons I will go into soon. Those reasons apart (for the moment) there is nothing in the natural order of things that grows and grows and grows. The nearest thing that I can think of that has infi nite growth is cancer and that will grow until it eventually kills the organism which in turn leads to it killing itself. Below are some key reasons why our economic system can't go on its merry way of infi nite growth. I believe that it's only a question of time before it will collapse completely if we don't choose a sustainable economic system before then.

one Continuous growth is causing greater and greater inequalities in the world. The wealth of the planet isn't trickling down to the less well off ; it is being sucked up by the wealthy. "20% of the population has 76% of the wealth and another 20% has only 2% of the global income". The following may be diffi cult to believe but over 1 billion people on our planet live on less than 1 dollar a day! The question is, who is going to buy all the consumer products that are being produced? How many cookers, cars, iPhones and TVs can the wealthy 20% use?

two We need to ask where we are going to get the resources to make the products? The principle energies that are fueling our economic growth are oil, gas, coal, and nuclear power (uranium). Of these, oil and gas stand head and shoulders above the rest and the majority of experts, including those in the oil industry, believe production will peak in this decade (pessimists) or the next (optimists).

three Oil is the energy that is driving our economies and their growth. It won't suddenly come to an end but the price will inexorably increase as sources of oil diminish and production quantities decrease. In a fi nite world and in an economy of continuous growth, oil is not the only resource that will peak and decline. Richard Heinberg describes in his book "Peak Everything" how all the resources on the planet will have peaks/declines and the faster we use them the sooner those peaks/declines will arrive.

four The capacity of the planet to absorb and deal with the contamination produced by our never-ending growth. We are not only contaminating the Earth with waste from oil and coal but we are also overfi shing the oceans, cutting down the forests/rain forests, contaminating the water, reducing the fertility of the land, polluting the air, etc. Ecologist Bill McKibben said "Before we end up without petrol, we'll end up without a planet" but really when these limitations kick in or what combination of them, and to what extent they will aff ect our economies is not as important as the realisation that the 'infi nite growth' party is defi nitely over. You can fi nd a very good (6min) video called "Who killed economic growth?" by the "Post Carbon Institute" on YouTube which explains the history of economic growth and what new dangers we are facing now. To understand the video no economic expertise is necessary.

For these reasons I believe our economics of

continuous growth will fail and it will be extremely painful for all concerned unless we change direction soon. I have heard madness defi ned as "someone who knows he/she is going down the wrong road and redoubles his or her eff orts". The vast majority of governments, political parties, and economists are hell bent on continuing down the same road that got us into this mess. Next month I will be proposing some alternatives to this current economic madness from economists who truly understand the situation we have got ourselves into and have realistic ways of getting out of it.

Declan Lehane

Statistics from "Prosperity Without Growth,

Economy For A Finite Planet" by Tim Jackson.

Green living | The bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiccccccccccccccccturrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Advanced

A little goes a long way

What| Smile and laugh.

Why| You'll reduce blood pressure, stress & feel better.Why not| You worry about wrinkles!

Benefi ts| A healthier body and mind means less medicine. This reduces your chemical intake and the eff ect of chemical production on the world.

06/05/1937 The Hindenburg disaster occurs when the airship, while attempting to moor in New Jersey, suddenly bursts into fl ames, falls 200 feet to the ground and is incinerated within seconds. Zeppelin travel rapidly falls out of favour.

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How to make it|

one Grate the peel of one lemon (preferably organic, because it should be wax free). two Heat a very generous glug of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium fl ame and add the peel. three Rinse and dry the asparagus. four After a minute add to the pan and fry for another minute, or a bit less if the asparagus are really thin. fi ve Stir and add the crushed walnuts and a few good twists of freshly ground pepper. six Dive in immediately with some fresh bread.

Cantina Marinawww.cantinamarinacatering.blogspot.com

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Recipe | Green asparagus with lemon & walnuts

This month I’ll not only give you a recipe for a

delicious dish, but for a very good day out as well.

We're talking about wild asparagus and Spring is

the perfect season for them, especially after a little rain!

All you have to do is leave the city and head for the countryside. It's best go to a place with a light kind of soil such as Chulilla. As asparagus like moist conditions, head for a place along a river, stream or reservoir.

When I fi rst heard about the green gold, I kind of crouched down to see if I could spot some little heads sticking out of the soil. Wrong. White asparagus might grow that way, but green wild ones are very diff erent - and not just in taste. Most of the ones you'll see grow as a single stalk to a height of about 30 cm. But don't be surprised if you see them up to 1 metre with small side branches.

As for collecting, my neighbour Juan explained the art of snapping to me. Start quite low and bend the stalk lightly. If the stalk doesn't give way immediately, move up a bit and try again and if necessary again. The stalk should snap without you using any force. Break them too low and you'll have tough ends that don't taste right.

While collecting keep the asparagus in a little bag or, if it will be a while before you're ready to prepare them, wrap them lightly in a wettish towel. If you're a real dominguero, or a true climbing bum, you now head for your furgoneta (little campervan) to prepare your delicacy.

What to buy| (Makes 24 asparagus)Mild tasting olive oilBlack pepperA handful (or two) of crushed walnutsA lemon (although I prefer to pluck them right off the tree on the way.)Fresh bread from your village bakery Thin green asparagus if you want to cheat instead of picking them.

Wow Factor| Absolutely gorgeous!Eff ort| A child could do it!

Funny smell? Asparagus are very low in calories but high in

fi bre and minerals. They are also good for liver and blood and clean your

urinary system. That's why your pee will

smell a bit funny after eating them.

07/05/1896 Prolifi c murderer Dr Holmes is hanged after the way he sells human cadavers to medical schools is fi nally questioned by authorities. He reputedly killed over 200 whom he had abducted during the World Fair in Chicago.

262266 Artist of the month | Inma Palmero & Joaquín López

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.

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

phone | 96 108 0158 mobile | 649 968 471

email | prosperart.c.b@hotmail.comstudio | Partida Casablanca 115 LL, Torrente, Valencia

name | Inma Palmero & Joaquín López, Prosperart Cb location | Torrente

what's available | Original paintings on canvas, wood or methacrylate, murals and windows.

style | It depends on market trends, always according to home decoration.

infl uences | Velázquez,Klimt, Picasso, Sorolla, Feito, Valdés.

prices | paintings from €10 to €300 (Prices agreed for special orders).

history | Prosperart started to run in 2004 and both partners, Inma and Joaquín, studied Fine Arts at the University of Valencia and the Artesanos School of Valencia respectively.

272277Art to see

A nice blend of prediction and surprise seem to be at the heart of the best art." (Wendy Carlos, musician)

Two for the price of one (IVAM until 6th May)

As much as I love the facets which characterise Fauvist and Cubist art, I invariably imagine such works as sober, rebellious in nature and, to some extent, reproachful refl ections of ‘those times’. For me, I can’t help but feel a quiet discontent fi ltering through many a canvas, like a colour unseen to the naked eye, but as much a part of the painting as infrared or ultraviolet is to the colour spectrum. On entering A Free Spirit, a fi ve-decade retrospective of the work of Basque artist Menchu Gal, I once again get that familiar feeling. Although each still life is expertly executed and beautifully proportioned, the strains of colour handpicked by this National Painting Prize winner are indisputably solemn, pushing light, shade and form to the front of the stage where they take a gracious bow for their award winning performance.

As I start my ascent to an upper gallery, I can see a myriad of colours and fl ashes of light abounding with energy and leaping from all sides of the

room. Could these landscapes, seascapes, interiors and portraits vying for my attention really have come from the same mind?

Centro Cultural Bancaja | Plaza de Tetuán, 23, Valencia | 96 387 58 64 | Daily 9am-9pm | Free!

"

Smart Nouveau (Centro Cultural Bancaja until 31st July)

The seriously fun 1900. El origen del arte publicitario exhibition is an excellent collection of lithographically rendered, early advertising posters which work on diff erent levels. Surely the Mad Men of their time, these advertisers had money to spend and engaged some of the best artists and copy writers of the day to make us want that which we had no idea existed (prior to their seduction).

So what were they trying to Sell! Sell! Sell!? Well, everything from common comestibles, books and magazines to less familiar services and pursuits. You too can enjoy the Sport of Kings, suggests one; seek relief from Syphilis, enthuses another. And what, back then, enticed us to Buy! Buy! Buy!? Sex, celebrity and success, of course, and in some cases the promise of all three. Indeed, the selfsame tactic employed to this very day.

Like 'inVLC' on Facebook for more art to see

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

Produced around the last decade of the 19th Century, the posters’ fi n de siècle exuberance and gaiety is much in evidence. The ‘It Girls’ of their day - sinewy damsels, bejewelled and beguiling - are glorious. Their art of persuasion brought to life by Lautrec, Mucha and their contemporaries is inspirational; their artwork an outstanding legacy gratefully enjoyed by more

than a few. As a result, who wouldn’t want to sip on a glass of chilled Laurent Perrier Belle Époque Champagne? The well-heeled thirty-something couple, enjoying a more than modest measure of Absinthe, on the other hand, should probably have known better.

ML

Yes, indisputably the same artist, unquestionably the same quality but what a departure from what now resided below me. I feel as if I’ve walked out of Hamlet after Act 1 and wandered into Act 2 of Much Ado About Nothing. I off er a personal standing ovation and leave feeling pleased that I’ve managed to catch a double matinee.

An artist is not paid for his labor but for his vision. (James Whistler)"

10/05/1940 Germany invades Holland and Belgium and Winston Churchill becomes PM. A few days later he makes his famous "I have nothing to off er but blood, toil, tears, and sweat" speech which sparked unifi ed British resistance.

28

I know it may sound weird to some of our friends but sometimes we do struggle to fi nish a bottle of wine of an

evening. It's true! As you will be aware drinking next day wine can be a bit hit or miss so this month we focus

our thoughts on making cocktails out of red wine whether it be left over or fresh out of an uncorked bottle,

making some refreshing drinks to enjoy in the sunshine.

Red wine cocktails

three Seaside Summerbliss For an extra kick use real cider

2 parts red wine3 parts sweet non-alcoholic

apple cider

Pour the red wine. Add the cider.

Serves 1

Serve in a long glass.

one Kalimotxo

100 ml red wine100 ml Coca-Cola

Combine the two liquids. Best served cold, but without ice

Serves 1

Serve in a highball glass.

two Cabernet Cobbler

120 ml chilled Cabernet Sauvignon1 tsp fresh lemon juice1 tsp superfi ne sugar

60 ml chilled soda water or carbonated water

Dissolve the sugar in the lemon juice and the water.

Add cracked ice. Pour the Cabernet Sauvignon.

Stir gently. Garnish with an orange slice.

Serves 1

Serve in large wine glass.

*Tip| During the warmer months try

serving your red wine cooled for 45 minutes in

the fridge. Best with lighter wines like

Tempranillo.

29A day in the life in VLC | Liam Quashie

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, Liam shows us his Fallas. Contact us

if you want to have a go - invlceditor@gmail.com.

13h 14h 15h

15h 16h

18h 19h 23h

17h

11/05/1981 Reggae's Bob Marley dies. He had collapsed the previous year while jogging in Central Park. It was found that a cancerous growth on an old soccer injury on his big toe had spread to Marley's brain, liver and lungs.

30

April has arrived and with it

comes the blue skies, bright

sunlight, sizzling daily

temperatures and the balmy

nights that we all associate with

the arrival of the summer months

here in the Valencian Community.

However with the advent of those days, which are constantly over 20 degrees, we quickly remember that there is also a downside to living here in the sunshine - the arrival of the blood-sucking mosquitoes.

Some people are lucky and very rarely get bitten while others seem to act like a mosquito magnet. Others can suff er quite strong allergic reactions to their bites and fi nd themselves constantly scratching their infl amed skin for relief. I know - I'm an allergy suff erer myself.

There is a saying that the female of the species is more deadlier than the male. This is certainly borne out with mosquitoes, as only the females will bite animals and humans. They are reckoned to be the most deadly force in human history due to their profi ciency in transmitting malaria, yellow and dengue fever and elephantiasis (where in the most part legs - and even worse the scrotum - can swell to the size of a basketball!). The World Health Organisation's World Malaria Report 2011, estimated there were 216 million cases of malaria and 655,000 deaths attributable in 2010. Luckily for those living here - Spain offi cially eradicated malaria in 1964.

Malaria is once again in the news this month as word has just broken of a new worrying development in malaria on the Thailand/Burma border. Doctors are seeing increasing resistance of the malaria parasite to the most eff ective treatment to combat it - the Chinese plant Artemisia Annua (also known as Sweet Wormwood). If this type were to move to India or Africa the consequences would be simply horrifying.

Now we at inVLC do not normally advocate killing in any form but this month's article is diff erent and we have discovered the following tip which we want to pass on: the blood-sucking is done in support of reproduction and is at the risk of the mosquito's life, so not surprisingly, they tend to be adept at dodging direct attack. However, if mosquitoes were to take alarm at every nearby movement, they would not be able to rest in breezy weather with leaves oscillating in the wind.

Accordingly, they are adapted to ignore side-to-side movement, so a resting female permits a fi nger to approach slowly if the fi nger moves several centimetres from side-to-side about once a second. With practice you can use this strategy to squash resting mosquitoes with high frequency. We hope that this tip will help lessen the anger you feel after missing it for the tenth time with your rolled-up magazine at the nightly man vs. mosquito fi ght around your bedroom.

Foster/ permanent homes URGENTLY required

Name| Berty BoyAge| 18 Months Size| MediumPersonality| Energetic, friendly, good with dogs Appearance| Catalan Sheepdog Health| Vaccinated, castrated.

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

Animals | When a buzz in the bedroom isn't so fun

©enimal

Advanced

13/05/1981 Pope John Paul II is shot in the Vatican City. His attacker Mehmet Ali Agca claimed after that "he had planned to go to England to kill the King but couldn't because it turned out there was only a queen and Turks don't shoot women."

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.

Rastros | Montroy | 6 May 3 June (1st Sun monthly)| C/ La Pau, 625 674 906 Sagrario Masia | 21 Apr 19 May (3rd Sat monthly * Note day change!) Mas Pavia Restaurante, nr Monserrat. Eng 625819734/ Spa 616399372, sparklesinsunshine@gmail.com.

Lliria | 12 May (2nd Sat monthly) | Bellamy's Bar, 18 Avenida Polideportivo, Domeño, Tables free. 962728708, Lyn 625217777 magpiesbar@yahoo.com

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

For sale| - Free Standing 4 ring gas cooker €50, Prenatal travel cot with sleeping bag (used once) €40, Child's booster seat €5, Selection of Sky boxes for sale P.O.A, Montserrat area, 637004816- Good quality portable massage table. €50 Robert 633752202 pladecalvo@gmail.com

Events & networking groups| Charity May Fayre| 28 April La Drova, Barx. In aid of PEPA and CARITAS, there will be market stalls, food, drink, games, activities, competitions. All welcome. IWC| Monthly coff ee mornings. An independent organisation off ering: Support, Friendship, networking... 3 May, 7 June. HIPERCOR - C.Comercial Ademuz, Av. Pio XII, 51 VLC, top fl oor restaurant. www.iwc-valencia.ning.com2nd Friday lunch| 18 May 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. www.internations.orgValencia Loves You| A group for the international ladies of VLC to expand social & professional networks. Join 'Valencia Loves You' on Facebook.

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

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