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Published: February 6th 2008
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El Sagunto
This is an amazing castle that we climbed around for three hours! Like Alhambra without the roped off areas! Scene: Jon and Jessie finish typing their blog with a final click and walk out of the brightly lit computer cafe onto a dusky Granadan street...
making our way back to the Pension we´re staying at, weaving through dim narrow streets crowded by old churches. It was still early, and the streets were quiet; but as we made our way back we took a different side street than normal and passed a charming little wine bar. Above the door was an open window that a mellow jazz wafted out of. We passed it, then turned back to see the menu. A middle aged, dark haired Spanish women in a white apron offered to open the door, but we refused with a smile at first. It just looked too classy, too quiet, and too local. But we turned around and second time and went in; i was in the mood for a good glass of local wine before our nap figured this place fit the bill.
We got a couple of seats, Jessie got a draft beer (she poured out some of the beer from the glass and replaced it with foam in true Spanish style), and I got a glass of
Valancia
A mosque turned church. vino tinto con mucho fruta. Our first tapa was Ibérico Lardo with Tomato coulis toast. Heavenly. Creo que esto cerdo estaba mucho contento. The owner laughed.
With our second glass came our next tapa: Pork liver pate (Ibérico again) with a strawberry slice, aged balsamic, and local olive oil on toast. YUM With each course came a story about the food or the music or the place, that i roughly translated. Our third course was (again, much expanation and hand gesturing) Pork loin baked in salt with a dried tomato on toast with more olive oil.
It was around then that a VERY drunk man started acting Very drunk, and the owner (the same woman who met us at the door and was feeding us her mother´s recipes) tried to evict him! By the way, this place was small, really small (6 bar stools and not much room for standing). Being the only guy other than the drunkard, I took a position behind the owner, while she did her best (and her all) to Push the man Out the Door. After a few tense minutes, she got him out. We all had another round (with Confit of peppers in olive
Valancia
A building with a pretty girl in front of it! oil, i got the recipe for that one) and a laugh.
By then it was closing time. We said our goodbyes to the owner (who was worried i might be a travel writer. when we explained that we just love food and came in on a whim, she liked us even more) and followed some new friends to a smoky discoteque before calling it a night.
The next day, on some sound advice, we walked up the hill opposite the Alhambra. At the top of the hill (which was really a small mountain) was an ancient church with caves underneath it. It happened to be the Patron Saint´s day (whomever he/she was) and the community was celibrating with Flamenco and food. We watched some music and made our way back down: we had an appointment at an Arabian Bath (it was Jon´s birthday, after all).
The baths were pools of warm, warmer, and ice cold water that you rotated through at your leisure in a cavernlike space that smelled like cinnamon and herbs. Middle eastern music played in the background and we each got a massage. Talking was frowned upon and it was all very relaxing. The hour and a
Mediteranean
is that how you spell it? The view from the castle was amazing. This was our first glimpse of the famous sea. half session ended too quickly. Now i know how those romans felt on bath day!
We took a long nap and watched the superbowel live in a smoky Irish pub that was overrun by American highschoolers out on spring break about halfway through the game (they proudly screamed "WOO" and "I´m AMERICAN" and "YOU GIANTS F*ING SUCK"). They mostly annoyed everyone... but GO GIANTS! It was great watching our team win in a tight game. The Spaniards around us were mostly rooting for the Patriots. i recalled my Brit friends rolling their eyes when i said i root for Arenal in soccer (it´s always easy to support the #1 team in the league).
After a goodnight´s sleep (3hours) we woke up and took the train to Valencia. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL CITY. This is what i always thought Europe would be like: beautiful plazas lined with buildings and lanes of traffic with tiny cars belching deisel. We rested and on our first full day immediately left town and headed to Segunto (remember that Tribe called Quest song? anyone, anyone...)
There was a Kilometer long castle complex that we hopped around for free. It was beautifully unrestored, undervisited, and unspoiled. We ate
Lunch
Lunch atop the mountain, overlooking spain. I´m proudly displaying a dry cured sausage. lunch with a view of the Mediteranean Sea and surrounding countryside (little white towns seperated by flowing orange groves).
That night we went out to the New Orleans Cafe (what´s in a name???). This was a great little spanish bar that served up american/spansih bar food. We ordered hot wings (and extra sauce) a sangria and a pint. Fun and delicious. The owner gave us a shot of the local dessert wine before we left!
Today we went to the market and stared at whole monkfish, pigs heads, cheeses, spices (like in the photo, that´s paprika in the sacks!), and the greatest produce i´ve ever seen. After this blog we´re having a hostel dinner of Fresh swordfish, peas (that need to be shelled), and ramps with Cava. Strawberries and dessert wine for afterwards! After a walk around town, we ate paella at a stall outside. Valencia is the home of paella and they´re very proud of it. Paella Valencia is rice, rabbit, chicken, and veggies; the seafood was added at the beach.
ok, that´s it for now. caio
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Nicole
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Now Everyone can see
I can't wait to see and hear about Barcelona. Hopefully you guys will have that up soon. I hope you two dont terribly mind but I'm using some of your pics to show clients, just the pics. I'm very happy that you guys got this oppurtunity but I have to say I cant wait to you get back:) Thanks so much for sharing!!!