Hello from Punxsutawney Phil
I am very pleased to report that our membership is robust and growing, with members representing no less than 35 different countries at last count! Our 2024 IWCV year is in full swing, and we have so much in store for you this month!
For those of our members who are UK citizens, you may find this link interesting: What to do after a British person dies in Spain - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Read on to find out about the activities we have already planned for you this month and don’t forget to check the IWCV website (www.iwc-valencia.com) periodically as events are added all the time!
February Events
First Tuesday Coffee, Tuesday 6 February, 10:30am indoors at Rogel, C/Sant Francesc de Borja 13. Open to all women in Valencia, both IWCV members and those who haven’t formally joined us yet. No need to register in advance; just drop by for a cuppa and a chat!
Real Estate in Valencia Series – Session 1, Renting vs. Buying, Wednesday 7 February, 3:45pm at Rebecca Cabo’s Office. For IWCV members, their partners/spouses, & Fellows of the IWCV. This event was so popular last year we are repeating it! Come learn about buying versus renting in Valencia from our own real estate expert, Rebecca Cabo. For details and to sign up, click here: Real Estate in Valencia Series - Session 1, Renting vs. Buying | IWC - Valencia
IWCV Luncheon for Member’s Only, Thursday 22 February, 2:00pm. Join us this month for some authentic, old-fashioned, home-made Cuban food at restaurante La Perla de la Habana! For complete details and to register, click here: February Luncheon | IWC - Valencia
Exclusive Guided Tour of the New Centro de Arte Hortensia Herrero, Wednesday 28 February, 11:30am. Join us for this English language guided tour of the new Hortensia Herrero Art Center. This up-close and personal look at art patron Hortensia Herrero’s private art collection in the newly restored 17th century Valeriola Palace is open to IWCV members, their spouses/partners, Fellows of the IWCV, and out-of-town guests. For complete details and to register, go to Exclusive Tour of the new Centro de Arte Hortensia Herrero | IWC - Valencia
OWL – The IWCV’s Happy Hour –Wednesday 28 February, 6:00pm indoors at Taberna La Mora, C/de Sant Francesc de Borja 1 (at the corner of Calle Marques de Zenete). For IWCV Members, their partners/spouses, Fellows of the IWCV, and guests. No need to register in advance, just stop by for a drink and to meet new friends!
How to Spend Your Summer Vacation: Lifelong Learning, Thursday 29 February, 4:00pm. Join us for an informative presentation about the Lifelong Learners Summer School Program at Cambridge University, England! What better way to beat the Valencia summer heat than a week or two living “in college” in beautiful Cambridge? Open to IWCV members, their partners/spouses, Fellows of the IWCV, and out-of-town guests. For full details and to register, click on How to Spend Your Summer Vacation: Lifelong Learning | IWC - Valencia
Please remember that you cannot cancel your place at any IWCV activity by clicking a link on our website. It will not work! Instead, please email pres.iwcvalencia@gmail.com so that we can cancel your place and give the next person on the waitlist a chance to attend. Thank you for understanding.
MEMBERSHIP
Janine Forbes, VP— Membership
Thanks for all your messages of welcome. I look forward to meeting you and spreading the word about our great female community in Valencia. The best advert is a personal recommendation, and I would urge you to “Invite a Friend” to join. Most new members come via an existing member!
Let me take this opportunity to mention that the IWC has 40 Neighbourhood Ambassadors who are happy to provide local information to new and other members. To connect with one in your neighborhood, just email Joanne Simpson, Joanneis1@hotmail.com.
The IWCV now has 201 members.
New Members in January
Alida Murphy - American
Carmel La Rue - Sicilian/US
Ele Blackshaw - Irish
Joanne Haas - American
Sita Dapper - Dutch
Violeta Salvador Medina - Spanish
Happy Birthday to our February Birthday Members!
Barbara Grelling
Heather Power
Jane Buck
Karen Magee Koski
Kate Caster
Lea Davies
Lorna Bullock
Louise Walker
Lynn Sweeney
Mimi Carrera
Pamela Manokalis
Risa Spargel
Sita Dapper
Susan Amatouri
Susan March
Teresa Lemon Shepro
Charities & Fundraising
Pauline Fitzgerald, VP—Charities
Thank you to each of you who supported our team during 2023. Moving forward in 2024, we continue to focus on our three charities, that during these winters welcome our support. For those of you who wish to make a private donation, the bank details of our charities are as follows; please ensure that you note IWCV in the reference box.
Proyecto Vivir ES75 3159 0066 9828 5328 2123
Casa Caridad La Caixa: ES47 2100 0736 0022 0061 2310
Banco Sabadell: ES75 0081 7352 4300 0105 7311
Casa Ronald ES27 0081 1518 9300 0150 8057
Right now, we are looking for a few good women who are willing to act as IWCV liaisons between Casa Caridad or Proyecto Vivir and the IWCV. The only way we can really help these charities is if we understand and know what their needs are at any given time. While this is far from a “full time” job, it is very important! As liaison, you maintain contact with our contact person at the charity to find out what they need in any given month (for example, is Casa Caridad low on disposable diapers? Is Proyecto Vivir running out of women’s hygiene products?); determine how we can support the charity through donations, fundraising or volunteering; and report back to Pauline Fitzgerald, the IWCV VP – Charities, to figure out how best to meet each charity’s needs.
For the liaison positions, a working knowledge of spoken Spanish is extremely useful. If you think this might be something you’d like to try, or if you just want more information, please contact Pauline at pauline.fitzgerald9@gmail.com.
Again, thank you Ladies, our three charities greatly appreciate our efforts and I know that in 2024 we will continue to make a difference.
Activities
Susan Burke March, VP—Activities
Getting people together to learn new things and have fun socializing is the mission of the Activities and Events. If you have an idea for a weekly or monthly regularly scheduled social activity or a special event like a presentation or a series of classes, don't hesitate to contact me to brainstorm!
We also have two WhatsApp chat groups where we share in real time - where you can ask a question about life in Valencia (Social Chat) or learn about local activities (Join Us for Local Activities) - WhatsApp me +34651848364 or email: vpactivities.iwcvalencia@gmail.com
Recap of January's Events
Nutrition & Prevention: On 12 January, Susan Burke March, our own retired Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator, gave a presentation titled, "Can You Detox to Better Health?" The program began with a 'quiz' to see how much the participants knew about the subject, then proceeded to 'bust' some myths about the subject, followed by information about how to eat healthfully throughout 2024, with concrete examples of how each person can improve their diet and stay healthy naturally.
Cultural Tour in Valencia: On Thursday, 25 January, Brenda Stein and our English-speaking Valencia expert guide, David, guided a sold-out tour of central Valencia's critical Spanish Civil War sites. David provided a history of the circumstances leading up to the war and how it affected the city and its citizens. The tour stopped at ten unique sites, from the Torres de Serrano to the Ayuntamiento to the Estacion Norte. It was an extremely interesting tour and enjoyed by all. We hope to repeat this tour in the future, knowing how many of the IWCV members are interested in our city's history.
Upcoming events in February and March
Register now at the Events page for upcoming events, including
on 28 February - a private guided tour of the Centro de Arte Hortensia Herrero;
on 29 February 29 - How to Spend Your Summer Vacation: Lifelong Learning;
a 4-part Real Estate Series with Rebecca Cabo – 7 & 21 February and 7 & 20 March.
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Ongoing Activities
All the following ongoing activities have private WhatsApp groups to keep members informed of what’s happening with that particular activity. Please visit the Activities page of the website to learn more about each one and send a WhatsApp message to the coordinator if you want to join a particular group; you'll find their contact numbers below.
Mah Jong Mondays
Contact info: Jane Buck, forjbuck@aol.com (WhatsApp 672 228 427)
Spanish and Coffee
Contact Info: Mary Reeves, +34 686 50 20 90
Stitches and Yarns
Contact Info: Cathy Cleaver +34 635 97 89 98
Women Who Walk
Contact Info: Liz Humphreys +34 637 74 89 90
Board Games and More
Contact info: Ann Linton +1 (312) 208-8666
Chicas de Libros
Contact: Ruth Ann Hepler ruthannhepler@gmail.com or What’s App +34 613 395 458
Do you have ideas for other activities? Our members make this work, and you, our members, have so much talent to share! If you have any ideas, please contact Susan March Whatsapp +34 651858463 or Email: vpactivities.iwcvalencia@gmail.com
Special Projects
Susan Kaplan, Member-at-Large
Looking for a great place to eat? Check out the Restaurant Recommendations on the IWCV Website at Restaurant Recommendations. IWCV member Amanda Cushman, a professional chef, is sharing some of her recommendations.
In addition to the Restaurant Recommendations, our website's Resource Section may be very helpful to you. It contains:
Valencia Resources. (valencia resources) - Check it out. If you would like to submit recommendations of your own for services you enjoy, do so to iwcvalencia@gmail.com.
Recipes (Recipes) - If you would like to submit your favorites, please do so to iwcvalencia@gmail.com.
Women: By, About and For (Spanish Women in Literature). You may find something interesting to read.
Fellows of the IWCV
Carey Hepler, Coordinator
The Fellows of the IWCV is for the men of Valencia, including the male spouses/partners of IWCV members, current & former. To join the group, please have your guy email Carey Hepler at carey.hepler@gmail.com and give him his name & contact details. If there is a particular activity that you are interested in and would like to coordinate, let Carey know!
Here’s what the Fellows have been up to recently:
Golf, Pádel, and Photography are meeting on a regular basis.
The Hiking group just had an event, but there is nothing currently planned for February.
Phil Duff has a bi-weekly Current Events meeting.
Phil is also organizing a wine tasting, but there’s no date yet – be on the lookout for more details!
February Holidays in Valencia
—None—
While there aren’t any holidays in February, don’t forget (how could anyone??) that next month is Fallas! Valencia will be filled with fun, excitement, and tourists! Now is a great time to join our “Join Us For Local Events” private WhatsApp group to find out what will be happening when and where as Valencia turns into a giant celebration! With so much to do and see, you won’t want to miss any of it, especially if you are new to Valencia. To join the “Join Us” group, please contact Susan Burke March at vpactivities.iwcvalencia@gmail.com.
Jane Buck,
President