If there’s one food that feels truly of Valencia – grown here, cooked here, and argued about here – it’s rice. Not just any rice. Paella. Or arroz al horno. Or arroz a banda. Or arroz negro. Or … well, you get the idea. Rice in Valencia isn’t a side dish. It’s a whole wayContinue reading “In This House, We Respect the Rice: A Love Letter to Valencia’s Favorite Grain”
Tag Archives: spain
Pizza vs. Coca vs. Pinsa: A Mediterranean Flatbread Throwdown
Let’s talk about flatbread. Specifically, let’s talk about how every Mediterranean culture seems to think they invented it, and everyone else just copied it with too much cheese, not enough olives, or some other culinary crime. In fact, after living here a while, I’ve started thinking about flatbreads the way I think about Mediterranean empires:Continue reading “Pizza vs. Coca vs. Pinsa: A Mediterranean Flatbread Throwdown”
Southern Soul: Why Italian Food Feels So at Home in Valencia
In my last post, I shared some of our early food discoveries in Valencia. Where to go for paella, tapas, tacos, and even a sushi place with go-go dancers. (Yes, really. If you missed that, it’s worth a scroll back just for the video.) But there was one category where I intentionally held back: ItalianContinue reading “Southern Soul: Why Italian Food Feels So at Home in Valencia”
Tapas, Tacos, and Toothpicks: Our First Food Finds in Valencia
When you move to a new city, your first impressions often come on a plate. It’s still early days, but we’ve already begun building a shortlist of favorite restaurants here in Valencia. And like any good list, it starts with the local hero. In this case, it’s paella. We’re in the land of paella. ValenciaContinue reading “Tapas, Tacos, and Toothpicks: Our First Food Finds in Valencia”
Early Days in Valencia: Finding Our Way
We’ve arrived. Not just physically, although yes, we did literally arrive in Valencia with all the requisite suitcases, boxes, and a surprisingly non-judgmental cat. We’ve also arrived mentally and emotionally. Having visited Valencia before, we had pretty high hopes that we’d feel comfortable here. And I’m happy to report we were right. It’s like slippingContinue reading “Early Days in Valencia: Finding Our Way”
Bureaucratic Adventures (But Made Surprisingly Efficient)
Now that the moving portion of the adventure is more or less complete, it’s time to start examining life in Valencia! If you’ve ever moved countries, you probably carry a certain emotional scar tissue, inflicted not by the packing, not by the flights, but by the paperwork. Forms you didn’t know existed. Appointments that needContinue reading “Bureaucratic Adventures (But Made Surprisingly Efficient)”
Unburying, Unboxing, and Unpacking the Madness
There’s something oddly archaeological about unpacking after an international move. It’s like excavating the ruins of a long-lost civilization. In this case, though, the ruins are your own belongings, mummified in bubble wrap and cardboard, and labeled with cryptic runes like “Ornaments” or “Decorations.” Armed with box cutters and a cautious sense of optimism, KristieContinue reading “Unburying, Unboxing, and Unpacking the Madness”
Delivery Day: Stair Drama, Missing Boxes, and a Cat on Patrol
We skipped our last glorious breakfast at the Only You August 4th because the movers were scheduled for 8:00 AM. This was a mistake. At 10:00, two guys finally rolled up… and immediately went for a half-hour coffee break. Not exactly the high-energy start I’d imagined. Only two movers? For 222 total items, including furniture?Continue reading “Delivery Day: Stair Drama, Missing Boxes, and a Cat on Patrol”
Ten Days of Limbo: Living Between Two Homes
Arriving in Valencia felt like the hard part was over. We’d made the drive, survived a day in the car with Lexie and the birds, and had the keys to our new apartment in hand. All that was left was to wait for our things to arrive. In my boyish optimism, I thought a weekContinue reading “Ten Days of Limbo: Living Between Two Homes”
Road Trip Wednesday: Lisbon to Valencia in One Day
We rolled out of Lisbon for the last time at 6:45 in the morning, the city still quiet, the summer light just starting to stretch across the rooftops. We’d come over from the hotel around 6:00 to get the car loaded: small bags, one guitar, the cat carrier, the bird cage, and a few miscellaneousContinue reading “Road Trip Wednesday: Lisbon to Valencia in One Day”
A Modern Odyssey - Expatriates in Iberia 