Valencian breakfast

[DoughnutANZ]

I allowed three weeks at the end of my Madrid/France/Portuguese Camino for unexpected situations. Afterall, Aotearoa New Zealand is as far away from Spain as it is possible to get and still stay on this planet and, especially at the moment, airfares to get here are very expensive. The plan was to make the maximum use of the trip and so I am away for 12 weeks, sadly missing a Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland winter

I thought that I might use the three weeks to walk another short Camino like the Ingles but after the best part of two months walking I am Caminoed out for the time being.

I sort inspiration from the forum about what to do next and I got some great suggestions, thanks. Being a Kiwi and living on a set of islands where the furtherest distance from the coast is 119.44 kilometres I am naturally drawn to the sea and so I headed out to the North West coast and explored some areas around there.

Mighty fine places and I made some Kiwi connections in A Coruña but something was missing.

After the North I headed to Valencia, which is where I am now and what ever it was that I was looking for, I think that I have found it.

I am staying at an Airbnb outside the central city, in what looks like a working class area. Here the architecture and the city are designed for people rather than for cars.

Lowrise apartment blocks, narrow streets, excellent public transport, small, owner run specialist stores and cafes. People who stop to talk to each other on the footpath. Elderly and disabled people who are integrated into the community and seen on the streets. Family groups who meet and eat together (at extraordinarily late in the evening) comprising three generations. Kids playing safely in local parks.

And then, of course, are the Valencian breakfasts like this one.



Or my Mocha from yesterday.

Mine is only a fleeting visit, of course, but this seems like a very civilised way to live and is attractive to me.

I am sure that Spain is not perfect and it will have its own set of social problems but I can now see a relationship between how a city is designed (or grows organically) and how this fosters or diminishes social interaction. I don't know which part drives the other. Was it a lack of social wealth that meant that few people could afford cars and so their traffic needs were not part of the design. Certainly, higher density living makes public transport much more affordable.

Anyway, this forum probably isn't the place to explore city planning and some groups have politicised city planning of late, unfortunately.

So, I will try to give a glimpse of life in Valencia to encourage future pilgrims to come start their pilgrimage down this way.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I am sure that my youngest daughter would love exploring this central city street with it's boutiques and sweet (candy if you are that way inclined) shops.


My favourite Mocha shop, hidden away.

 

[Bradypus]

The way you describe the area you are staying in sounds like a good explanation for why I like to walk all of my chosen Camino route from beginning to end. There are so many interesting things to observe in the "ordinary" places which never feature in the tourist guides. Things that you would miss by cherry-picking only the scenic parts and bypassing the suburbs and industrial zones along the way.

 

[Kirkie]

I allowed three weeks at the end of my Madrid/France/Portuguese Camino for unexpected situations. Afterall, Aotearoa New Zealand is as far away from Spain as it is possible to get and still stay on this planet and, especially at the moment, airfares to get here are very expensive. The plan was to make the maximum use of the trip and so I am away for 12 weeks, sadly missing a Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland winter

I thought that I might use the three weeks to walk another short Camino like the Ingles but after the best part of two months walking I am Caminoed out for the time being.

I sort inspiration from the forum about what to do next and I got some great suggestions, thanks. Being a Kiwi and living on a set of islands where the furtherest distance from the coast is 119.44 kilometres I am naturally drawn to the sea and so I headed out to the North West coast and explored some areas around there.

Mighty fine places and I made some Kiwi connections in A Coruña but something was missing.

After the North I headed to Valencia, which is where I am now and what ever it was that I was looking for, I think that I have found it.

I am staying at an Airbnb outside the central city, in what looks like a working class area. Here the architecture and the city are designed for people rather than for cars.

Lowrise apartment blocks, narrow streets, excellent public transport, small, owner run specialist stores and cafes. People who stop to talk to each other on the footpath. Elderly and disabled people who are integrated into the community and seen on the streets. Family groups who meet and eat together (at extraordinarily late in the evening) comprising three generations. Kids playing safely in local parks.

And then, of course, are the Valencian breakfasts like this one.

View attachment 153911

Or my Mocha from yesterday.
View attachment 153912
Mine is only a fleeting visit, of course, but this seems like a very civilised way to live and is attractive to me.

I am sure that Spain is not perfect and it will have its own set of social problems but I can now see a relationship between how a city is designed (or grows organically) and how this fosters or diminishes social interaction. I don't know which part drives the other. Was it a lack of social wealth that meant that few people could afford cars and so their traffic needs were not part of the design. Certainly, higher density living makes public transport much more affordable.

Anyway, this forum probably isn't the place to explore city planning and some groups have politicised city planning of late, unfortunately.

So, I will try to give a glimpse of life in Valencia to encourage future pilgrims to come start their pilgrimage down this way.

Valencian breakfast? Dublin lunch... your journey is admirable. Hats off. And yes, I am jealous of your choices!

 

[TravellingMan22]

I allowed three weeks at the end of my Madrid/France/Portuguese Camino for unexpected situations. Afterall, Aotearoa New Zealand is as far away from Spain as it is possible to get and still stay on this planet and, especially at the moment, airfares to get here are very expensive. The plan was to make the maximum use of the trip and so I am away for 12 weeks, sadly missing a Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland winter

I thought that I might use the three weeks to walk another short Camino like the Ingles but after the best part of two months walking I am Caminoed out for the time being.

I sort inspiration from the forum about what to do next and I got some great suggestions, thanks. Being a Kiwi and living on a set of islands where the furtherest distance from the coast is 119.44 kilometres I am naturally drawn to the sea and so I headed out to the North West coast and explored some areas around there.

Mighty fine places and I made some Kiwi connections in A Coruña but something was missing.

After the North I headed to Valencia, which is where I am now and what ever it was that I was looking for, I think that I have found it.

I am staying at an Airbnb outside the central city, in what looks like a working class area. Here the architecture and the city are designed for people rather than for cars.

Lowrise apartment blocks, narrow streets, excellent public transport, small, owner run specialist stores and cafes. People who stop to talk to each other on the footpath. Elderly and disabled people who are integrated into the community and seen on the streets. Family groups who meet and eat together (at extraordinarily late in the evening) comprising three generations. Kids playing safely in local parks.

And then, of course, are the Valencian breakfasts like this one.

View attachment 153911

Or my Mocha from yesterday.
View attachment 153912
Mine is only a fleeting visit, of course, but this seems like a very civilised way to live and is attractive to me.

I am sure that Spain is not perfect and it will have its own set of social problems but I can now see a relationship between how a city is designed (or grows organically) and how this fosters or diminishes social interaction. I don't know which part drives the other. Was it a lack of social wealth that meant that few people could afford cars and so their traffic needs were not part of the design. Certainly, higher density living makes public transport much more affordable.

Anyway, this forum probably isn't the place to explore city planning and some groups have politicised city planning of late, unfortunately.

So, I will try to give a glimpse of life in Valencia to encourage future pilgrims to come start their pilgrimage down this way.

Hi. Looks like you are having a great time. Spent over two months living there last summer and love the place. I tried to respond to your thread re ‘what to do’ but for some reason my reply kept ‘corrupting’ and it didn’t publish! . Most of it was bar, music and sports related anyway!!!!Sure you have see the bus app with the very cheap tickets! Cheers !

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

And then, of course, are the Valencian breakfasts like this one.

That’s my kind of (holiday) breakfast! One thing I seriously miss now I’m home - the fresh OJ….

 

[IngridF]

I allowed three weeks at the end of my Madrid/France/Portuguese Camino for unexpected situations. Afterall, Aotearoa New Zealand is as far away from Spain as it is possible to get and still stay on this planet and, especially at the moment, airfares to get here are very expensive. The plan was to make the maximum use of the trip and so I am away for 12 weeks, sadly missing a Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland winter

I thought that I might use the three weeks to walk another short Camino like the Ingles but after the best part of two months walking I am Caminoed out for the time being.

I sort inspiration from the forum about what to do next and I got some great suggestions, thanks. Being a Kiwi and living on a set of islands where the furtherest distance from the coast is 119.44 kilometres I am naturally drawn to the sea and so I headed out to the North West coast and explored some areas around there.

Mighty fine places and I made some Kiwi connections in A Coruña but something was missing.

After the North I headed to Valencia, which is where I am now and what ever it was that I was looking for, I think that I have found it.

I am staying at an Airbnb outside the central city, in what looks like a working class area. Here the architecture and the city are designed for people rather than for cars.

Lowrise apartment blocks, narrow streets, excellent public transport, small, owner run specialist stores and cafes. People who stop to talk to each other on the footpath. Elderly and disabled people who are integrated into the community and seen on the streets. Family groups who meet and eat together (at extraordinarily late in the evening) comprising three generations. Kids playing safely in local parks.

And then, of course, are the Valencian breakfasts like this one.

View attachment 153911

Or my Mocha from yesterday.
View attachment 153912
Mine is only a fleeting visit, of course, but this seems like a very civilised way to live and is attractive to me.

I am sure that Spain is not perfect and it will have its own set of social problems but I can now see a relationship between how a city is designed (or grows organically) and how this fosters or diminishes social interaction. I don't know which part drives the other. Was it a lack of social wealth that meant that few people could afford cars and so their traffic needs were not part of the design. Certainly, higher density living makes public transport much more affordable.

Anyway, this forum probably isn't the place to explore city planning and some groups have politicised city planning of late, unfortunately.

So, I will try to give a glimpse of life in Valencia to encourage future pilgrims to come start their pilgrimage down this way.

Love Valencia, stayed a week post Camino in 2015. Best of times.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Hi. Looks like you are having a great time. Spent over two months living there last summer and love the place. I tried to respond to your thread re ‘what to do’ but for some reason my reply kept ‘corrupting’ and it didn’t publish! . Most of it was bar, music and sports related anyway!!!!Sure you have see the bus app with the very cheap tickets! Cheers !

Yes, I purchased a 72 hour tourist transit card with an elder discount and I have unlimited travel for 72 hours and free entry to some tourist activities and discounted access to others.

 

[henrythedog]

Yes, I purchased a 72 hour tourist transit card with an elder discount and I have unlimited travel for 72 hours and free entry to some tourist activities and discounted access to others.

Great place Valencia - best enjoyed midweek IMHO as it gets very busy at the weekend even ‘out of season’

 

[TravellingMan22]

Great place Valencia - best enjoyed midweek IMHO as it gets very busy at the weekend even ‘out of season’

Yes huge influx of UK folks here and most Spanish cities at weekends!

 

[joeboybollo]

I am sure that my youngest daughter would love exploring this central city street with it's boutiques and sweet (candy if you are that way inclined) shops.
View attachment 153913 View attachment 153914 View attachment 153915

My favourite Mocha shop, hidden away.

View attachment 153916

My kind of town,and,mmmmm,the tomatoes on crackers,had me as well.

 

[IngridF]

if you are still there and have time, go take a tour of the rice fields!!!!

 

[Bradypus]

if you are still there and have time, go take a tour of the rice fields!!!!

Rice paddies in August? Had enough of that and the mozzies in Italy. Not my idea of fun!

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Valencian breakfast? Dublin lunch... your journey is admirable. Hats off. And yes, I am jealous of your choices!

I see your Dublin lunch and raise it one Valencian lunch.

This little chappie satisfied my urges for Valencian barbecued rabbit, @VNwalking avert your eyes, others click on the blurred image to see it.


Followed by a piece of Lemon cheesecake:



Amazing what you can find in a working class neighbourhood.

 

[IngridF]

Rice paddies in August? Had enough of that and the mozzies in Italy. Not my idea of fun!

No, this is different. Rice fields near Valencia grow the rice you use for paella. Also great paella restaurants that will make for 1 person..it was a wonderful excursion.

 

[TravellingMan22]

No, this is different. Rice fields near Valencia grow the rice you use for paella. Also great paella restaurants that will make for 1 person..it was a wonderful excursion.

El Palmar (on the bus ) is a great place to go for Paella! Past the place to go for great sunsets whose name I forget!

 

[Leaderene]

I visited Valencia with my husband in April this year and we loved the city. Such an elegant city and such wonderful food and wine. We walked miles exploring the city, climbed towers and enjoyed wonderful people and fabulous food.

 

[TravellingMan22]

I visited Valencia with my husband in April this year and we loved the city. Such an elegant city and such wonderful food and wine. We walked miles exploring the city, climbed towers and enjoyed wonderful people and fabulous food.

Lots of USA folks moved there on non lucrative visas.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I went to the beach today for a looksee. Spanish beaches are different from Kiwi beaches:

1. More people on Spanish beaches
2. Very few people in the water. I estimate that less than 5% were either in the water or likely to go in. On most Kiwi beaches at least a third to a half of people would be there to swim.
3. No boards here. Admittedly the surf wasn't big enough for surf boards but on Kiwi beaches with similar surf there would be body boards, stand up paddle boards and windsurfers as there was a reasonable wind and a few kayaks thrown in.
4. Most of the people in the water were children.

Lots of people a long way away.

Here are some of them a bit closer up

Woohoo, the Cruise Liner is in port.

What does one need at the beach? More water, of course.

A row of shopping stalls so that we can all go shopping!

And a row of restaurants and bars.

 

[C clearly]

Here is an interesting article that gives some information about How Valencia Turned a Crisis (and a River) into a Transformative Park that runs 9 km through the city. That linear path is an alternative route for part of the first stage of the Camino Requena, which joins the Lana in Monteagudo de las Salinas. Yes, it was busy on a sunny Saturday, but mainly with Valencians enjoying recreational activities.

 

[J Willhaus]

Enjoy! We found similar trends an neighborhoods of Madrid and smaller cities and communities across Spain. You just need to take time to look and enjoy! Soak it up. Hope your volunteer time was enjoyable, too.

 

[Chizuru]

Valencia sounds lovely. King Charles III would approve. He created the town of Poundsbury with exactly that premise in mind.
I am drooling at the memory of those delicious fresh orange juice.

 

[VNwalking]

Followed by a piece of Lemon cheesecake:

Yum. (Yeah. No thanks on the rabbit...)
Enjoy, @DoughnutANZ !

 

[OzAnnie]

I went to the beach today for a looksee. Spanish beaches are different from Kiwi beaches:

Looks good. Great to see you making the most of your time away.
Yay to Valencia fresh orange juice.

Btw - did you dip your toes in the water there ?

 

[dick bird]

A lot of Spanish cities seem to have cracked the problem of how to make urban areas human. They are helped, of course, by having glorious Baroque town squares and a culture that values open air interactions, but all credit to the ayuntamientos and alcaldes that have taken advantage. My only quibble with Valencia was the incredibly high cost of accommodation. If we hadn´t had a friend living there, we wouldn´t have been able to stay, but it is simultaneously a modern and a traditional gracious and lovely city.

 

[TravellingMan22]

A lot of Spanish cities seem to have cracked the problem of how to make urban areas human. They are helped, of course, by having glorious Baroque town squares and a culture that values open air interactions, but all credit to the ayuntamientos and alcaldes that have taken advantage. My only quibble with Valencia was the incredibly high cost of accommodation. If we hadn´t had a friend living there, we wouldn´t have been able to stay, but it is simultaneously a modern and a traditional gracious and lovely I city.

I can’t say I found the costs of accommodation too bad. Apprecaite it’s cheaper for a longer term stay but I paid about €600 per month (for 2 Months) for a fab location about one min from cathedral.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Btw - did you dip your toes in the water there ?

That was my intention, followed by a swim but in the end I didn't. Yes, there are beaches back home that get crowded but I avoid them.

These are my kind of beaches:

 

[DoughnutANZ]

My only quibble with Valencia was the incredibly high cost of accommodation

I am staying in an AirBnb with a young professional couple, the woman manages the accommodation and speaks four languages including fluent English. It is a small bedroom with a double bed, very clean. I share use of the kitchen and bathroom with them, also spotlessly clean. I pay €24 a night with about €4 per night of that going to AirBnB.

I am less than 2 minutes walk from the subway and the local square with many restaurants and cafes. Five minutes walk away is a large supermarket and other bigger shops.

It is five stops on the Metro from the central city.

I guess that cost is proportional to your expectations of available facilities.

Where I am suits me perfectly. I have a 72 hour tourist transit card that gives me unlimited trips on the Metro, busses and trams.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Here is an interesting article that gives some information about How Valencia Turned a Crisis (and a River) into a Transformative Park that runs 9 km through the city. That linear path is an alternative route for part of the first stage of the Camino Requena, which joins the Lana in Monteagudo de las Salinas. Yes, it was busy on a sunny Saturday, but mainly with Valencians enjoying recreational activities.

Here are some of my photos from this park:

 

[SarahTheKiwi]

@DoughnutANZ sounds like you are living the good life! Have been wondering how your trip is going. The breakfast food looks delicious! I'm not brave enough to look at the rabbit.

On the subject of breakfast, can you get hot chocolate in Spain the same way as we have it here? What would I ask for? I hear the Spanish have their own version of hot chocolate, and of course I want to try that too!

 

[Bradypus]

On the subject of breakfast, can you get hot chocolate in Spain the same way as we have it here? What would I ask for? I hear the Spanish have their own version of hot chocolate, and of course I want to try that too!

At least two different versions of hot chocolate in Spain. For the thinner drinkable stuff you can ask for Cola-Cao in almost any bar. A chocolate powder mixed into hot milk. The other version is the chocolate served for dunking churros. Usually very rich and thick - more like a chocolate sauce than a drink.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

@DoughnutANZ sounds like you are living the good life! Have been wondering how your trip is going. The breakfast food looks delicious! I'm not brave enough to look at the rabbit.

On the subject of breakfast, can you get hot chocolate in Spain the same way as we have it here? What would I ask for? I hear the Spanish have their own version of hot chocolate, and of course I want to try that too!

I have not tried the Cola-cao that Bradypus mentioned, so far. The thicker hot chocolate will almost support a spoon standing up in it and seems to include some sort of gelling agent, not sure what that is.

I have the thicker chocolate every now and then but it is too rich to have regularly.

Edit: I spoke to a local today and asked them about the chocolate and they said that it doesn't have any gelling agent in it. It is the same hot chocolate that is available in powdered form but it is heated in a pot with milk and they keep adding chocolate until it is really thick and then they leave the chocolate to cool. As it cools down it thickens even more.

 

[chinacat]

That was my intention, followed by a swim but in the end I didn't. Yes, there are beaches back home that get crowded but I avoid them.

These are my kind of beaches:
View attachment 153954 View attachment 153955
View attachment 153956 View attachment 153957 View attachment 153958 View attachment 153959

That first shot looks so much like several West Wales beaches

The 4th, 5th and 6th look familiar too .. even those dunes .. but the 2nd one has far too much sand and sun to hold a candle to our (usually glowering) rocky coastline

Lucky you, with the chocolate-thickened hot chocolate - the tins available here, imported from Spain, use cornflour to thicken it …

Enjoy!!

 

[SarahTheKiwi]

I have not tried the Cola-cao that Bradypus mentioned, so far. The thicker hot chocolate will almost support a spoon standing up in it and seems to include some sort of gelling agent, not sure what that is.

I have the thicker chocolate every now and then but it is too rich to have regularly.

Edit: I spoke to a local today and asked them about the chocolate and they said that it doesn't have any gelling agent in it. It is the same hot chocolate that is available in powdered form but it is heated in a pot with milk and they keep adding chocolate until it is really thick and then they leave the chocolate to cool. As it cools down it thickens even more.

Sounds like my kind of drink! One of those in the morning would shock the blood sugar levels a bit!

 

[SarahTheKiwi]

At least two different versions of hot chocolate in Spain. For the thinner drinkable stuff you can ask for Cola-Cao in almost any bar. A chocolate powder mixed into hot milk. The other version is the chocolate served for dunking churros. Usually very rich and thick - more like a chocolate sauce than a drink.

Thanks Bradypus. I'll have to be careful not to mix up "Cola cao" and "Coca Cola" when my Spanish decides to evade me! Both chocolate drinks sound delicioso!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Chocolate caliente recipes I've seen use corn starch as a thickener.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I have just finished six days volunteering with Pueblo Ingles based out of Valencia, speaking English to Spanish teachers.

I had a lot of fun and I am totally blown away at the professionalism of the teachers and their dedication and love of their job despite some very real issues.

If I return to walk another Camino then I am planning to allow time to volunteer again. This will also give me more time to teach them Kiwi.

My (belated) thanks to teachers all around the world!

I should have been a bit nicer to my own teachers.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I now have one and a half days exploring some more of Valencia, five days in Madrid with some side visits planned before flying back to London for two nights and lunch with a friend then the long, long haul back to Kiwiland.