València, Spain 1
Codfish meatballs were light and fluffy.
"Sardine in Boot" was salted sardines with fried eggs, green pepper and sautéed onion. J thought that the combination of the ingredients weren't harmonized. In my opinion the salted sardines were too salty!
Iberian Pork Secreto with potatoes and black salt, served with Valencian beer "Tyris Marzen" sauce, was tasty, I thought. The pork was pretty fatty but it was supposed to be. Iberian Pork Secreto is an intensely marbled and tender cut from the shoulder-belly area of Spanish premium acorn-fed Iberico pigs. The sauce was kinda mild. It would have been better with a little drizzle of soy sauce and freshly squeezed lemon juice for my taste.
After the lunch, we just wandered around the city as we usually do on the first day of a trip. We must have walked through La Plaza del Mercado, a square surrounded with some historic buildings, every day during our stay in Valencia. La Real Parroquia de los Santos Juanes, a 13th century Catholic church with a Baroque facade was one of them.
Next to the church was the Central Market. It was about 15 minutes before closing. We briefly checked the market out and got Matcha Latte from a small coffee stand there. The barista was nice and meticulously prepared our Matcha Latte.
We stopped by Cafe Malbec Mercat, a little cafe serving both sweet and savory treats. I had an Alfajor coated with white chocolate. It tasted petty good. Probably it was the biggest Alfajor I have ever had. Alfajor is one of sweets I don't see in Germany. J had a chicken (I think) empanada. I guess he liked it.
Oranges! I love fnding the oranges on the streets in Spain in February.
At some point we found ourselves in Barrio del Carmen or the district of El Carmen, located at the northwest end of the historic center. The facade of La Parroquia de la Santísima Cruz (the Church of the Holy Cross), blending Gothic elements with transitional Renaissance to Baroque styles, looked like a giant framed art. The building reflects centuries of development, spanning from its origins as a 14th-century Carmelite convent to subsequent neoclassical renovations.
We found Torres de Serranos at the edge of the historic center. The 14th century Gothic-style towers was built as part of the old city walls.
Jardín de la Generalitat was a small garden next to the square. Although the gate was closed and I couldn't enter, I was able to easily see the orange and lemon trees through the fence. The background of the lovely garden was the Palace of the Generalitat Valenciana, a 15th-century palace and now a building of Valencia government.
After just a couple of hours of walking, Valencia made a great first impression on us.
