Valencia, I’m Baaaack!
Somehow it was inevitable that I would be back in this amazing city, though buying a return ticket to Valencia in October was a bit of a giveaway. I can’t believe it’s been already eleven month and I have decided to spend the hottest one in a room in Sagrario’s apartment with no air conditioning. I guess I had to learn about the local August sooner or later.
Speaking of Sagrario, we came back together on the same flight from A Coruña, and this time I moved into the last room I haven’t stayed in before, i.e. hers. My view changed to facing the apartment building on Carrer dels Juristes, where, interestingly enough, another friend, Anita, just happens to live, right in front of my window. How fun is that? We could now chat without even leaving the comfort of our balconies. The other rooms were occupied by other guests, both (but separately) from the Netherlands, so I once again had temporary housemates.
It being Sunday, and to celebrate our return home, Sagrario and I went to a little bar near the CCCC (Centre del Carme Cultura Contemporània), named very aptly, Cafe Museu, for a very traditional paella. This was not a typical Mediterranean restaurant where various types of rice dishes are offered, oh no; this place only serves their very authentic paella valenciana at 2pm on Sunday and if you don’t reserve it, you don’t get any. The odd thing is, while you must reserve the paella, you cannot reserve a table, so they get you to come early, have some tapas, drink a few beers or vermouths (very delicious), and wait for the real food to arrive. And when it arrives, it’s quite the spectacle!
Since we were a little late, we only managed to get a small table inside the tiny establishment. In true Spanish fashion, this place heavily relies on their outside tables to accommodate their clientele. Being inside, however, gave us a unique vantage from which to watch the portion distribution process after two large men brought in the massive paella pan from a kitchen elsewhere (where, I do not know), to the amazement of all newbie patrons and the passers-by. To my amazement, the paella ended up right next to us, allowing me to truly appreciate its size. Without any ceremony, one of the men filled plate after plate after plate, which, in turn, ended up on the plates of those lucky people who had pre-ordered, starting with us, of course. Being first in line (or right there, next to the pan) definitely was an advantage. Our plates arrived with a healthy serving of the veggie-filled rice (broad beans and some other kind of white bean), as well as carefully selected pieces of chicken and rabbit. Not surprisingly, Sagrario proceeded to collect all the veggies and transfer them to my plate, something I have now become quite used to. Final verdict: delicious! I have eaten quite a few paellas now but this one was, hands down, the best one, or, more aptly, the most authentic one.
The locale itself deserves a few words, as its decor is very unique, with glass bottles embedded in the stucco the bar is made out of. The bottles themselves contain a myriad of interesting objects such as a child’s plastic trumpet, playing cards, and an egg, all on a bed of brightly-coloured sand: just another example of this city’s residents’ creativity showing up in the most mundane places.
I think my return to Valencia received just the correct treatment; now I just have to figure out how to deal with this heat!
