Looking to pick up some junk fished out of garbage containers? Then head on down to the Mestalla this Sunday and marvel at the wonders of the Flea Market!!

The Sunday morning flea market in Plaza Lluis Casanovas, adjacent to the Mestalla, is probably the best known & biggest in the city. We went a few weeks ago, and were amazed at how crowded and popular it was.

I was skeptical before arriving, but this actually wasn’t so bad. Yes, there were some blankets spread out where the trash for sale was literally trash. But there were also a lot of acceptably decent items as well. If you’re in the market for things like picture frames, used books, ornamental figures or second-hand toys and trinkets of all sorts, you’ll be in heaven here.

We loved the flea markets of Berlin during our time there, particularly in Friedrichshain, and while the Sunday Mestalla market doesn’t quite rise to the same level of quality, it comes decently close.

- Spanish Bargain Site

Dra åt helvete: Swedish for “Drop dead”

I can’t stand IKEA. Because of their global domination, the apartments of young people from Germany to Britain to the US look exactly the same.

IKEA is the only way for those of modest means to furnish their apartment in a decent manner. Stepping into our place is like browsing through their catalog. When friends come over, they invariably recognize everything, because they have it too. “Love your Billy! And the Kvart looks super there! OMG!”

Yes, I hate IKEA, and shudder at the thought of visiting one of their brightly lit stores, full of pasty zombies. But I need them. Without my tender IKEA, I’d either be broke or watching TV from an air mattress. Precious, despicable IKEA.

So it’s with mixed emotions that I read today’s news about the breakdown in negotiations to bring a store to Valencia. The opening of one in nearby Paterna had pretty much been a done deal, but terrified local furniture associations and a problem with the promoter have killed it. Valencia remains the only European metropolitan zone of over 1 million inhabitants without an IKEA.

Sigh? Exalt? I’m not sure what to do. Currently, the nearest store is in Murcia. As a result, we only visit when absolutely necessary and our apartment isn’t completely overrun in chic, Swedish design. On the other hand… it’d be nice to be able to pick up a decent dining room table without having to drop a month’s wages.

What do you all think? Does Valencia need an IKEA?

More Information in El Pais

- Alcoy – Christians & Moors Festival

On Calle Salvador Sastre 16b, near Plaza de Espanya, we happened to walk by the Sociedad Acuariófila, a great aquarium store which also serves a club and get-together locale for fans of peces.

If you have an aquarium, this store has all the products you could ever need, and knowledgeable employees there to help. It’s still worth poking your head in, even if you don’t own fish. In addition to the store, there’s a bar and a gallery of interesting fish presented by members of the club — big, colorful fish which you don’t see every day. The piranhas were watching Juergen and I with hungry eyes. Honestly, it was freaky.

When we lived in Berlin, I kept an aquarium and loathed it. The cool fish were the first to die, and I was left with a horde of guppies who spent their time procreating and eating each other. Eventually, the sheer number of unwanted young prompted the tragic Guppicide of 2004. Nearly all of the babies & females met their maker at the bottom of my toilet. But this would have dire consequences on life in the tank. The horde of violent males attacked the young and constantly molested the remaining female, reducing my aquarium to a terrifying psycho-sexual horror show. I quietly prayed for their deaths while feeding my guppies, and tried my best to avoid watching them.

Anyway, don’t let my experience keep you away from the Sociedad Acuariófila. Although I’ll probably never own another aquarium, this is a neat place to spend a little time.

Sociedad Acuariófila Valenciana
Calle Salvador Sastre 16b
46007 Valencia
Phone: 96 341 34 62
Web: Sovac Pretty flashy!

Location on our Valencia Map

- Real big fish in Valencia

When it comes to T-Shirts with a Valencian theme, there aren’t really too many options available in souvenir shops, especially if you’re interested in unique designs. “I Heart Valencia” is about the entirety of the selection. So, we thought we’d try our luck (even though we’re not the world’s most talented graphic designers)

Our first foray into the world of T-shirt creation is this La Lonja T-shirt. We’re pleased — it actually looks wearable and has gotten us motivated.

So, we’ve started an online shop here: Valencia Souvenirs and Shirts. Every T-shirt on there can be modified to your liking. You can add text, and change shirt style or color.

Over the next couple of days we will be adding more designs. Don’t forget we’re brand new to this, so please give us feedback by leaving a comment or by rating the shirts. This will help us with future designs.

Do you think it’s a cool idea and want to help us to promote our fledgling shop? Here are couple of tools to help us to get the name out.

We look forward to hearing to your feedback.

Having a conversation with my father can be difficult. Since retirement, he’s turned into an avid fossil collector and usually has just one thing on the brain…

A Typical Phone Call
	Hey dad, been awhile. What’s up?
	Well! Went fossil hunting with Larry, and I found trilobites and an echinoderm!
	Huh, you don’t say. What did you think about that OSU game?
	I named the echinoderm EDDIE! Haha, Eddie the Echinoderm, how d’ya like that?!
	Yup that’s, uh, clever. What’s mom up to? Could you put her on the line? Please?
	FOSSILS FOSSILS hee-hee! FOSSILS [slobber] ROCKS!

And so on, for hours. So you can imagine his delight when, during his visit, we happened to walk by La Pedra — a tiny rocks & fossils shop in the center of the city (location). Dad almost ran through the glass door in his eagerness to get inside. I cringed along with the shop owner, as he greedily pawed every fragile fossil she owned.

But Dad dropped a pretty penny there, so the shock of suddenly having a clumsy, excited American inside her shop was worth it. If you have any interest in fossils, make sure to check out La Pedra. It’s small, but the collection is awesome. At least according to my dad.

La Pedra
C/ Corregería 23
665 233 678
Open Weekdays, 10:00 – 13:30
Location on our Valencia Map