Good morning to an early start in Valencia! We had a good night’s rest and ready for another day of walking today! First we need some coffee!
We went back to the central market across the block to try a cute coffee stand called Retrogusto. They actually serve black coffee freshly brewed here so Vince got an americano.
I got the cappuccino. It was milky and foamy and just perfect.
We did a bunch of walking towards the Oceanographic Museum along the Jardines del Turia (turia garden) that used to be a riverbed but got rerouted to another area. Now they turned it into a really cute bike way and park walk way all around Valencian borders. The walk was around 40min one way and was very nice with surrounding grass, trees and a lot of nature. Right before the Oceanographic was also the Opera House, Hemisphere and Sciences Museum, which had a lot of very cool exterior architecture and design.
After a fun and long day at the Oceanographic (and food was just mostly American fast food in the aquarium), we trudged our way back to the city to get some Valencian tapas to not waste our stomach space on food we can eat at home. Casa Mundo is a small cafe restaurant in a touristy street with a lot of shops and people walking. It is always packed so we decided to try this place. It seems that Casa Mundo is a more affordable mediocre tapas restaurant, which is okay! Definitely a lot more affordable and cheaper.
Vince wanted meatballs. I don’t know why but he wanted meatballs. It turns out that the meatballs are exactly like the ones we first had at the cafeteria in Madrid. However, these do taste better and not only does it have green peas but also some onions. The beef is tasty!
Their sangria was very tasty! Lightly carbonated, sweet and fruity. The mushrooms are so delicious! Soaked in light olive oil and even lightly sautéed for flavor and texture. The stew croquette were amazing! It was stuffed with a creamy stew sauce that I loved!
Vince and I are digging the anchovies in oil on fresh tomotamo bread. We loved the concept of smushed tomatoes on bread and lightly salted from the anchovies. The olive oil is always good on bread too. We liked that they were served separately so you can spread the tomato and olive oil yourself; hence, preventing soggy bread.
We also decided to try snails just to try snails because it was one of those things to try while in Valencia. We were served toothpicks to help pull out the snails. It’s cooked in a red tomato sauce. I think I still prefer Vietnamese escargot compared to Spain
We found a cute Spanish chocolatier and pastry shop called Sukar.
The Pistachio Panellets is a pistachio version of a regular Panellets that are the traditional dessert in the land of Valencia and Ibiza. It is full of chestnuts and sweet potatoes. These Panellets are rich in pistachio smell and flavor! It was very nutty so very good. We got a couple of boxes as souvenirs for our moms.
For dinner we went to the Canela Restaurant, which is highly recommended by locals and TripAdvisor for Valencian paella specifically. Valencian paella is a traditional paella of Valencia region that consists of round grain rice, bajoqueta and tavella (green bean varieties), peas, rabbit, and chicken cooked in chicken broth and olive oil.
We were told near the end of lunch time at 1600 (restaurant closes at 1700) to come back at 2030 for paella. We went back at 2015 and there was already a line. However, we were denied a table because we didn’t have any reservations. Luckily, the restaurant next door to us called Canela by 1906 was willing to give us a table but it had to be indoors. Outdoors was all full. Finally! It also happened to be the restaurant across the block from where we had lunch yesterday.
Their sangria is SO GOOD. It is even more fruity, sweet, mildly carbonated and lighter than the one at lunch today. It also tasted more refined. I loved it. It tasted so hydrating and refreshing. I can drink it like it is orange soda. So delicious.
Tellina is a tiny mollusc clam. These are so tiny!!!! We must have had a plate of 50-60. They were deliciously tasty in a light butter, lemon and olive oil. There is also black pepper and some kind of minced green seasoning.
YESSSS! We finally get to try the Valencian paella! We were starting to get worried if this was gonna be the one that got away. It was served freshly hot. You eat it directly from the pan with big spoons. It is soo savory and flavorful. The rice was perfectly cooked. I loved the texture of the beans. The rabbit was tender and juicy. The smell of rosemary in the middle was beautiful!
After dinner we walked to a nearby wine tasting room/shop called Bodega Olivi to buy another bottle of wine to chill for the night. It rained during dinner and is forecasted to rain into the night. We’re also dead tired from so much walking today!
The wine Vince chose was called Habla La Tierra from 2020. It is a Spanish wine that is an equal blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet and Syrah grapes. I think it is pretty easy to drink. He says it tastes like sweet fruits and herbs. He thinks it is an outstanding bottle for less than 10 euros.
Today was such a good day! Tomorrow we take the train back to Madrid to finish our last few days in Spain there.
