A long trek, but we made it! We left PA on October 31 and after a quick stop in Detroit, we had a brief visit to Amsterdam during a 9 hour layover. Finally, we’re back in Valencia as of November 1! It’s good to be back!
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
A recent highlight was our 50th Anniversary Celebration in Sacramento over the weekend of September 22-23. We very much appreciate the planning and attention to every little detail by our sons that made the celebration perfect in every way. Mark proved to be an amazing event planner and host extraordinaire! We feel so fortunate to have such talented, thoughtful, and creative sons who each have a wonderful woman in their lives. Each of their toasts meant so much to us (and Shannon’s too!). Here’s a link to the party website including photos (both oldies and current) – https://www.edandbonnie50years.com/. After a wonderful time with family and friends, we spent nine fabulous days in Santa Fe, New Mexico wandering through art galleries and enjoying numerous great meals.
NEW WILMINGTON HIGHLIGHTS
May through October we hung out in New Wilmington, PA and enjoyed lots of kiddo time including frequent sleepovers, gardening, a family gathering in July, and a few dinner parties with new friends.
We’ve also had the pleasure of watching Matt and Maggie as they work to open The Tavern. You can follow the progress on Instagram or Facebook and sign up for their newsletter – https://www.thetavernonthesquare.com/.
RETIREMENT!
Another big change this year is Ed’s retirement. As of November 1, he is 100% retired. Long awaited and much desired, it is also one of those life events that has a significant number of change stress points.
BECOMING VALENCIANOS
We’ve settled in to our apartment in El Carmen, a neighborhood at the very heart of old town Valencia (Ciutat Vella in Valenciano, Ciudad Viejo in Spanish). A first priorty has been to enjoy some of our favorite restaurants. So far, we’ve had hamburgers, amazing pizza, sushi, Thai, and French food – all within a five minute walk from our apartment. There’s a favorite Burmese restaurant on the list for sometime soon! I joined a book club and a “Spanish Coffee” group which involves talking in Spanish for an hour over coffee. Ed is busy studying to get a Spanish driver’s license and we’re new members of a small gym near our apartment. We’ve checked in with our expat friends and made a few new ones too. In our spare time, we’ve been building this website and blog. Life in Valencia is good!
About Us
Welcome to our little corner of the world where we invite you to embark on exciting journeys with us!
We’re Ed and Bonnie, a duo passionate about exploring the world and experiencing its wonders. Our love for travel isn’t just about discovering new places; it’s about sharing those moments with cherished family and friends like you.
Our hope is that you will feel like you’re right there with us, sharing in the excitement and wonder of each destination. Better yet, let’s plan a rendezvous somewhere wonderful! Learn more
Your are Both Looking Wonderfully Relaxed and your food, book, coffee, Dr. Lic. Adventures All Good! We know that you have made the Best Choice for at least the next Decade and look forward to Blog!
We have just purchased 20 Quality Sleeping bags and are preparing, along with volunteers and students, for a Great Thanksgiving Feast for our 20+ Unhoused friends. We are Finally back Inside!
Hope that You will enjoy a Thanksgiving, Valencia Style, with your Ex Pat friends! Jo and Nayan xoxo
Jo – Thanks for trying our new blog!
We’re currently sitting in a Madrid train station on our way to Malaga for the week. Our friend Susan is meeting us there and will spend Thanksgiving with us. We’ll post more later in the week.
Your plans for your homeless folk sound wonderful!
All our love – Ed&Bon
Love all the color in this post and on the site, in general. It’s a beautiful retirement that you are painting!