Author: Julia B. Wilde
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Valencia by the Sea
When you are surrounded by history in the Ciutat Vella (old city), it’s easy to forget that Valencia is a city on the sea. Valencia has a spectacular marina and 19 km of beaches that are reachable by public transportation. The urban beaches of Las Arenas, El Cabanyal and Malvarossa are only about five kilometers…
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Mariscos A La Plancha, Catalan-style
Mariscos a la plancha translates to grilled seafood. When our Catalan friends Miki and Mariangels S’Agaro announced that they were going to prepare fresh mariscos a la plancha for us in their home on the Costa Brava, I went into my yummy dance. Our day started with a trip to the market in Sant Feliu…
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Mercado Colon: When a market is not a market
You might not think of going to the market when you want to relax, hang out with friends, or have a nice meal, but the Mercado Colon is not your typical market. The Mercado Colon (Market of Columbus) in the Ensanche district of Valencia Spain is more of a Gastro Market. There are cafes and…
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A Shopping Day in Valencia
Note: this post was originally published in October 2016 and has been updated for accuracy on 2017/11/29 It shouldn’t have been a surprise that Valencia has incredible shopping. After all it is the third largest city in Spain, and Spanish women love their fashion. There are shops here for every need and every budget, from…
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Spanish Conservas. Yes, you can get great seafood in a can
Our interest was piqued at Jib’s Gastrobar, a little bar in Valencia across from the Jardin del Parterre (Garden of the Parterre). We ordered the Mejillones (mussels) under the list of Conservas on the menu, and were surprised when they arrived to the table in a can. The plump mussels inside were basking in a…
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Tasting Jamón Ibérico in Valencia
Few things are more important to Spanish cuisine and culture than jamón ibérico, the celebrated ham made from Black Iberian pigs. Spanish ham is considered to be the best in the world. Massive legs of jamón hang from ceilings in restaurants and markets all over the country. I can’t recall seeing a restaurant menu in…
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The Mercado Central
Life in many Spanish cities revolves around the Central Market. It is the best place to find the ingredients that make up the local gastronomy. The Mercat Central of Valencia is one of the largest, most beautiful markets in Europe.
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Parrots in the Park
You never know what you are going to see during a walk in the park. On an afternoon walk through the Jardines de Real, a favorite city park of Valencia, we followed the chatter of birds to a cluster of trees draped with parrot nests. Monk parakeets, also known as Quaker parrots, were originally…
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We’re Moving to Spain
We’re moving to Spain! I’ve been waiting for a long time to be able to put that in writing. As you can probably tell from the recent focus of this blog, Spain has captured our hearts. Time that we spent there in the spring confirmed for us that we want to explore this country and…
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Layover in Madrid
Call us crazy, but we actually enjoy having an overnight layover in Madrid. Not only do we avoid the stress of having to make a connection with our sleepy heads, but we get the chance to spend a day exploring the city before moving on to our next destination. We also get really excited about…
Julia Eats 