One of the first things we started buying regularly at the Central Market was charcuterie. Not because we were planning elaborate tapas spreads (though we’ve had a few), but because in Spain, charcuterie isn’t a luxury, it’s just food. You slice off a few pieces, put them on a plate, and suddenly your meal isContinue reading “The Cure for Everything: A Deep Dive into Spanish Charcuterie”
Tag Archives: valencia
Thursdays at the Market: Getting to Know Valencia, One Stall at a Time
It’s one thing to live in a city, but it’s another to have your habits in that city. One of the ways we’ve started to feel at home in Valencia has nothing to do with paperwork, language classes, or learning how to buzz delivery people into the building. It’s this: we go to the marketContinue reading “Thursdays at the Market: Getting to Know Valencia, One Stall at a Time”
In This House, We Respect the Rice: A Love Letter to Valencia’s Favorite Grain
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”
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”
A Modern Odyssey - Expatriates in Iberia 