Old Friends, New City: Hosting Our First Visitors in Valencia

One of the best parts of starting a new chapter in a new country is getting to share it with the people who know you best. This past week, we had our first visitors: our dear friends David and Sarah, flying in from Lisbon. They were our closest friends during our years in Portugal, and it was a real treat to have them here, to show them the place that’s becoming home, and to enjoy the kinds of long, easy conversations that only happen with old friends.

The flight from Lisbon is short and easy. It’s only about 90 minutes in the air, although we’ve learned from experience to always tack on an extra half hour since TAP (Portugal’s national airline) has a notoriously loose relationship with punctuality.

They arrived late Monday afternoon with plenty of time to drop their bags, say hello to Lexie, and get a tour of the apartment. We even had time for a relaxing glass of wine before heading out to dinner.

We strolled through the Plaza del Ayuntamiento on the way, admiring the stunning architecture as the sun dipped behind the buildings. Our obligatory first meal was paella, naturally. We went to Puerta del Mar and shared a round of delicious scallops and grilled asparagus to start, followed by two paella pans for the four of us; one traditional paella Valenciana (with chicken, rabbit, and snails), and one fideuà negra. The fideuà was a black squid-ink version of the dish with shrimp and cuttlefish, but made with short noodles instead of rice. (I’ll probably do a whole post on fideuà at some point, because it deserves its own spotlight.)

Both pans were scraped nearly clean, which is always the sign of a successful dinner.

We kicked off Tuesday, the first full day, at the Mercat Central. We took them round to  some of our favorite stalls and gathered provisions for the next night’s dinner. David and Sarah immediately got into the spirit, sampling vermouth, admiring the cases full of olives, meat, and cheese, and asking all the right questions.

We wandered the old city until midafternoon before heading back to the apartment for a siesta. Sarah was particularly interested in visiting a yarn store she had found online to check out their selection of high-quality Spanish wool. She didn’t wind up buying much, but she did get one skein with which she promptly started knitting a pair of socks.

That evening, we introduced them to one of our favorite little local rituals: Toothpick Tuesday at Orio, a San Sebastian-style pintxos bar. You grab whatever you like from the trays lining the counter or the warm plates from the kitchen being carried around by the staff. Each bite-sized item is skewered with a toothpick, and you pay based on how many sticks are left at the end of the meal.

On the way home, we stopped at Bassk and picked up some Basque cheesecake for dessert (that’s all they sell). Pro move.

We started Wednesday with a visit to the Museu Faller, home of the ninots, the enormous papier-mâché figures from Valencia’s famous Fallas festival. Every year, the winner of the competition for best display gets moved to the museum, while all the others are burned in an enormous bonfire in the Plaza Ayuntamiento. The museum is an under-the-radar gem, and definitely worth a visit.

From there, we walked through the City of Arts and Sciences and followed the Turia Gardens to El Corte Inglés. That evening, we had an early dinner at home – a spread of charcuterie and cheeses from the market  – before taking a cab to Cabanyal for something special: flamenco at Tablao Palosanto.

The show was fantastic. A highly-skilled guitarist, two powerful singers, and two young female dancers who brought intensity and grace to the performance. It felt deeply authentic, full of soul and strength. The only hiccup came afterward: the Uber app said 17 minutes wait for a car, so we hoofed it to the nearest taxi stand (a 7-minute walk) and caught a ride instantly. Taxi for the win.

David was thrilled to finally have churros and chocolate for breakfast on Thursday. Properly fueled, he was ready for another day in the old city. We hit some of the essentials like the Cathedral, the Chapel of the Holy Grail (yes, that Holy Grail), and the Silk Exchange.

In the afternoon, David and Sarah checked into their hotel for their final two nights in Valencia. Not because we made them leave, I swear! They’d only planned to stay three nights with us, not wanting to overstay their welcome. (For the record, they absolutely didn’t.)

Dinner was at Latte & Farina, where we had an excellent Italian meal and got to recap the week so far over homemade pasta and good wine.

Friday’s highlight was the Museu del Corpus, the home of the massive “rocks” (plaster parade figures on huge wooden wagons) used in the Corpus Christi festivities. Some of the rocks date back to the 1500s, and the scale and artistry are incredible. These things are amazing. Kristie and I love the tradition involved in the festival, and we’re very much looking forward to seeing it happen live next June. David and Sarah were completely taken with it.

After that, we visited the Ceramics Museum, housed in the ornate Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas. The collection is interesting, but the real draw is the building itself,  especially the preserved rooms on the second floor.

In the afternoon, Kristie and Sarah headed out for some much-needed girl time (and cosmetic shopping), while David and I dashed back to the market to pick up a few things they wanted to bring home.

That night, our final dinner together was at Casa Vani, which is honestly the best tapas we’ve had in Valencia so far. Truly excellent. We’ll be back, probably soon.

David and Sarah headed home Saturday morning, and the apartment felt a little too quiet after such a joyful week.

It was so good to see them. It was familiar faces, familiar rhythms, the shorthand of old friendship. And it felt wonderful to share this place with people who understand what we love about it. We’re already looking forward to our next get-together, wherever it may happen to be. Bilbao, anyone?

Until then: regular messages, video calls, and all the shared memories of a really good week.