10-12 Valencia and Jojo

Saturday morning Michael and I eat our stale bread with ham.  Jojo doesn't eat until about 3pm and didn't want any.  After that we set off to the metro.  Michael bought a refillable card and put enough on it for a couple of rides for all three of us.

We got off at the Old Town stop and began to explore.

How many times can you paste on another notice on top of the others before this happens?

 We made it to the main square.

As there was in 2023, there are a lot of people dressed up as characters.  This guy took off his costume to talk to someone.  Letting me see the canister forcing air into the enclosed costume to make it very big.

Jojo was attracted to the gorilla.

Michael gave her some change to give to him.

The gorilla immediately wrapped her in a hug!

The central market is almost completely fresh fruits and vegetables and meats.  There are also some deli stands.  We are getting hungry. The one paella stand is still there - but when we had it in 2023 it was not very good - so we passed it by.

There was a photo exhibit in this building, but it looked closed.

On our way to the cathedral.

Still more characters here!

There is an ice cream flavor here called Kinder.  We had a running joke that it was German and was made of children.  Actually it is a brand name.

We wandered past another church.

Trees with interesting trunks.

We walked past the Colon Market.  There was a lot more prepared food here.  It looked like all the tables were full.  Next time we will come here.

We stopped at the HAK cafe for snacks.  They did not have Coke here - but did have something called fritz kola, also with zero sugar.  I ordered chocolate cake - and got a chocolate croissant!

Michael got avocado toast which he enjoyed with his vermouth.

Jojo got water - still too early to eat!  She liked the glass bottle and wanted to take it home for a vase.

We are walking back to our Airbnb - through a park and then onto the City of Arts and Science.

We rested a bit in our apartment and then walked on to Jojo's apartment.  Our apartment is located between metro stops - so not close to any one of them.  We walked again - we are so tired and our legs ache - next time we will plan better!  We gave the metro card to Jojo to use.

She has a bedroom and bathroom to herself.  She shares the kitchen and living room with four other roommates.  One of the roommates, Gabby, was cooking when we got there which inspired Michael to decide to teach Jojo how to make chicken fricassee.  This resulted in another walk - to get all the ingredients needed.  But it is yet another Spanish holiday and the usual grocery stores are closed.  Jojo decides to try the Indian grocery store - The Taj Mahal Raja SL - as a last resort before we abort the project.  Low and behold - it is open and has everything needed.  While Jojo and Michael are cooking I researched restaurants nearby.  Jojo really wants to find a restaurant close by that serves Spanish food.  She lives in a very International district - you can find any kind of restaurant you can possibly desire.  I find a Spanish restaurant - Flir de Valencia - that specializes in paella.  

Jojo and Michael are going to share a meat and mushroom paella.  I order fish with vegetable stew.  They tell us it will take 40 to 60 minutes or more to make the paella.  So we order multiple appetizers.  Jojo gets the classic toast with aioli and tomato topping.

Michael gets anchovies.  They are served in the tin.   It wasn't until we got the bill that we saw they cost more than everything else did.  Those eight anchovies cost 24E!

We also got this Valencia salad with tuna.  It was delicious!

I got cheese and ham croquettes.  

And here is the master piece!  It is a very thin layer - so there is lots of crispy rice on the bottom.

My grilled fish with vegetable stew.  It tastes like ratatouille.  Yum - more tomatoes.  I scaped it off and enjoyed the fish!  I also tasted the paella - so don't worry I had plenty to eat and am very full - we all are!  But all of it was delicious!  Jojo will be taking her father here when he comes end of October.

We walk back to Jojo's apartment and say goodbye to Jojo.  We grab an Uber back to the Airbnb.  

In the morning we discover that the elevator is not working.  Or maybe someone is holding it on the 11th floor as that is where it is stuck when we get to the bottom floor!  We end up having to walk down 9 flights of stairs!  Our drive home to El Campello is uneventful!