Valencia Vacation Days 3 - 6

• Mercado Central
• Foo Foo Food.
• Nuns with Plastic Babies
• Mediterranean

The last few days have been a whirlwind of activity.

After the debacle that was the meal at Ocho Y Medio, we awoke the next morning and headed to the Mercado Central. This is an immense under-one-roof market open six days a week from 7 to 2 PM. When I mean immense, I mean it. As you can see in the pictures, this is one of the largest, not only in Spain, but the travel guides brag in Europe. We so no end of ham, fresh meat, dried and fresh fish, and vegetables. It was as overwhelming to he senses as it was welcoming. We negotiated the purchase of grapes, cherries and (of course) olives. Then we trundled back through the streets until we reached Moltto where we ate once more, drinking small sips of wine and sangria with tublouleh (best I ever had) and a Spanish square slice of pizza with iberico ham bacon and mushrooms. That night we didn't mess around. We went back to Las Fuecas. We had all different tapas. I especially enjoyed the sardines in viniger, while Yvonne wanted to curl up beside the stuffed avacado. The Rum Sausage (that's the thing on fire below) was a surprising delicacy. And by the sequence of pictures, you can see that Yvonne and I were greased into happiness with Agua Valencia, a concoction of organge juice and liquor that reminded me of the jungle joices I used to get hammered on at Paulie's Kettlehouse in Seoul.

(the next days after picture)

Dried Shark

Snails Anyone?

The next day was Yvonne's birthday. Matt and Kaola, our hosts at the B&B found a cake and we all celebrated with song and her embarrassment. She might have got some cards from me. It was all fun. Then we went shopping. Lots of fun going to different stores and buying gifts for people. Across from the old Silk Exchange, we spied a street artist. His drawings of the skylines of Valencia were amazing. We grabbed some for ourselves as well as for gifts. These are one of a kind. We made our way to Moltto again for lunch.

Then we went back to relax. Yvonne painted. I wrote, working on a new story called The Matador's Son, based on a man I saw. Later, we went to the upscale Asian-Spanish fusion restaurant Sue Xera. Everything was like it came from an episode of top chef. Cuveed pork with crispy skin, perfectly cooked scallop on squid ink foam, King prawns and much more. Yvonne wanted to sleep with the dessert. Luckily, she settled for me.

(the next day after pictures)

Birthday Cake

Matt doing a Danish jig for Yvonne

Interesting Wall Art

Surreal

Surreal X 2

This was Yvonne's dessert. She wanted ten of them.

Cuveed Pork with crispy skin.  WOW!

King Prawn

Strawberry Gaspacho

Today we relaxed a little more. It was took chilly to go to the beach. We have that planned for tomorrow, along with Le Pepica. I spent the morning searching with success for a Flemenco venue. We'll see them tonight after an early dinner. That should be special.We ate lunch, did a little shopping, then came back and napped. We had to. Since 6 AM we'd been hearing bells and chanting and church services. And not just hearing bells. There's a flipping belfry not twenty yards from our window with at least six bells.

But the best part was the Plaza de la Virgin today. There were some traditional dancers. But there were also some protestors. One one side were some animal rights protestors and on the other were nuns with plastic babies. You have to understand. These nuns (I question their authenticity) had a huge banner. I know if I read the sign, I'd understand what it meant, but being unable to understand, the whole image of a nun holding a plastic baby by its leg and shouting at someone was too surreal.

Ahhh. The theater of human life.  Love it.

(See the nun pictures above)

Today we went to the beach. It was the warmest day and we spent several hours on the Mediterranean. It was lovely. Then afterward, we ate at La Pepica, made famous by Hemingway. The paella was marvelous as was the view.

And yes. There were a lot of free swinging tatas. Bless every one of them.

But alas, sand got in the lens of our camera and now it won't open. So I am afraid, my friends, that this is possibly the last pictures you shall have.

Weston in Mediterranean

Yvonne getting her toes wet 

More pictures can be found here --

Valencia 2012