My very first night in Valencia — just hours after I had arrived and signed the contract for our new apartment — I was invited out for dinner, by a guy in my building. I was exhausted, but agreed to meet him and his friends for pizza.
After getting a few glasses of wine in my system, I was feeling better and agreed to go out for a drink after dinner. This is how I ended up at my first gay bar in Valencia: North Dakota Western Bar.
Although it’s close to where we live, I’m not sure how often Juergen and I are going to stop in. The main reason is that it caters to bears — at least, that’s what I assumed from the fliers advertising a Mr. Bear 2008 pageant the next evening. I have nothing against that subculture, but it’s not really my scene (I’m more of a ‘cub’, if anything). Still, the bar was cool and I appreciated the American West decor. A fun first night out in the city.
Update – Unfortunately, the North Dakota has shuttered its doors forever, and is no longer offering bears, cubs or otters a nice downtown location to rub their bellies together.