One knows when Christmas is arriving as all manner of end-of-year lists, predictions and other silliness infiltrate all of our email inboxes.
Forbes has just released its list of the most livable cities of 2022, and this has caused a sensation in my household because Valencia, Spain, has been propelled to the very top, and this is where my Italian wife’s twin sister has lived for the past two decades or so with her Spanish family.
I have been to Valencia numerous times, and I do like it tremendously. Forbes does say that it has challenges, and I know this.
Wages are quite low, and international innkeepers looking for a change of scene might be amazed that it is very difficult to charge more than a euro for a beer there. And because Mediterranean people know how to enjoy life, the average person spending an enjoyable evening sitting in the evening sun chatting with friends might have two drinks at most, while enjoying free snacks placed on their table.
The article touts the recreational opportunities in the city. For me, that includes running around La Turia, a former river that had its water diverted decades ago to avoid the continued flooding of the city. I also enjoy the occasional swim in the Mediterranean on the beaches of Malvarrosa, Patacona and De Las Arenas.
The city does have a slightly forgotten feel — as does Trieste, Italy; and Marseille, France — but this obviously is changing as tourists stray away from Barcelona and Madrid.
It's very enjoyable and odd to attend the Thursday Tribunal de las Aguas, or the Water Council, in which seven or so officials dressed in regalia set up chairs outside the Valencia’s cathedral and await any locals who have complaints about water rights.
Chairs are set up, the officials sit down, and one of them barks out the order that if anyone has a beef then now is the time to air it.
When I was there, no one did. The tourists felt cheated. They had complaints.
The officials stood, picked up their chairs and went back into a small anteroom to stack the chairs, disrobe and prepare for a nice lunch with wine.
Just for this, Valencia should be top of the list, plus the fact it is possible in 20 minutes to get from the airport right into the heart of the city for about three euros. Also, the city’s Albufera Marsh and National Park is one of Europe’s jewels.
Forbes did mention Valencia’s affordable public transportation.
Apparently, Miami is the best U.S. city to live in, and Johannesburg ranked last, although I doubt cities such as Kinshasa, Port Moresby or Detroit got anywhere near the questionnaire.
The trouble with these lists — and of course we could just ignore them, which I haven’t — is that there are so many qualifiers that the final selection makes little sense.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi do well, perhaps, because of a high “ease of settling in” score due to there being no income tax.
U.S. cities generally rate poorly on questions about healthcare, as we all know healthcare in the U.S. is among the very best in the world as long as you are fortunate to have coverage.
In the United Kingdom there is tremendous pride in our National Health Service, but if asked about it, most people have complaints. Yes, they say, it works, but slowly, and that means of course too slowly for some people.
As for China and Russia — the world’s two biggest pariah nations whether because of invasions or continued COVID-19 restrictions — simply have been expunged from all lists and considerations.
When this blog is published, I will have just arrived home from Rome, where my wife and her sister grew up, so I will let you soon know if the city should go up or down the list.
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