Tag: travel
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When in Rome…Eat, Drink (in the right places) and be Merry
It’s not easy to find good places to eat and drink in a touristy city like Rome. As mentioned in my recent post “How was Rome?” we had a hard time getting away from the endless tourist traps lining the streets and plazas of the historic city center. But it wasn’t all bad and I did…
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How was Rome?
“How was Rome?” everyone asks. “It was great!” is what I want to say, but I stumble over my response. Of course our visit to Rome was great—the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon are all amazing—but it was also a bit of a chore. Like many travelers, we have a bucket list of places…
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Fun Becoming a Paella Specialist in Valencia
Friends sometimes ask if we have a good paella recipe to share on the website. Nope! No way are we going to step into the slippery discourse of what makes a good paella. Valencianos already have it figured out and they defend their iconic dish with passion. Just look at what happened when British chef…
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Ruta de Tapeo in Utiel: Getting to Know a Place with a Tapas Crawl
People in Utiel know how to throw a party. In this small wine village about 80 km west of Valencia, mid October is time to celebrate with the Feria Utiel Gastronómica. The Feria showcases local wines and gastronomy in the large public park called Paseo de la Alameda, but there are also events taking place…
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A Glimpse of Barcelona
Barcelona is an undeniably beautiful city, full of bright colorful eye candy. The city reaches right down to the Mediterranean sea and stretches out to the surrounding hills. You can walk to the beach and port within minutes of the historic Old Town. Or get an overhead view of the immensity of the city from…
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Tapas in Barcelona’s Old Town: Finding Interesting Food Among a Sea of Tourists
Barcelona is known for it’s abundance of tapas bars. It’s hard to walk a block without passing a few restaurants or bars filled with people standing at a bar, especially in the touristy areas. During our trips to Barcelona, we have discovered that it has a very different tapas culture compared to our home city of…
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It’s Harvest Time in Valencia. Now kick off your shoes and jump in that bucket!
Clipping grape clusters from the vines in the morning. Lunching with friends around a big table under the trees in the afternoon. Sipping wine on a terrace with views out over the vineyards. I admit it. My vision of living in Spain included scenes like this, bumping more pragmatic thoughts out of the way. I…
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Beautiful Wines on a Beautiful Day in Castellón: An Excursion to Bodega Flors
With the arrival of autumn comes the desire to flee the city for the fresh air of the countryside. For us, that means heading to wine country. We went north out of Valencia to visit Bodega Flors, a small family winery that is a beautiful place to experience the wine region of Castellón. One rarely…
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Karak is Back with a Great New Tasting Menu
By the time the bowl of creamy, crunchy, gooey chocolate textures was cleared from the table, we had surrendered to a state of pure contentment. At the end of a twelve course tasting menu, we’d had plenty of food but we didn’t want to budge. Would we like coffee? Yes, please. Anything to stay a…
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Finding Fusion: The Search for Modern Cuisine in a City Steeped in Tradition
One of the things we enjoy most here in Valencia is the diversity of restaurants available, despite it being a very traditional Spanish city. Fusion restaurants are among some of the most interesting and innovative. I use the term “fusion” loosely, as it’s becoming more commonplace for chefs to explore the cuisines of other cultures…
Julia Eats 