Episode 47: Stepping Up

Valencia wants more than just a place in the Spanish sun. The ancient provincial capital is shouldering its way into the front row, right up there with Madrid, Sevilla, and Barcelona.

At least it's trying, very hard, starting with its futuristic Ciudad de Artes y Ciencias (City of Arts and Sciences). At the left is L'Hemisferic, one of five structures standing in a row along the dry river bed that winds through the heart of the city. Designed by native son and acclaimed international architect, Santiago Calatrava, included are a planetarium, science museum, arts center (below at left), botanical garden, and aquarium.
For the moment, the architecture is of greater interest than the collections and exhibits inside, which are still being gathered and organized. An exception is the aquarium, dubbed
L' Oceanografic. (If the spelling of these names seems odd, that's because the Valencia region has a dialect related to catala, the language of northeastern Catalonia, which in turn was influenced by its proximity to France.) When we were there in May, the crowds were manageable but the sticker shock was substantial. The price of admission was over $60 for the two of us, so much we forgot to ask for the senior discount.

We grumbled over the expense, but it is a carefully thought-out complex, divided into several structures explicating Mediterranean sea-life, wetlands flora and fauna, an aviary, a penguin enclosure, a beluga and dolphin arena. Worth all that money? Not quite. But on reflection, not entirely outrageous, either.

One of the highlights of Valencia's Ciudad Vieja - Old Town - is a visit to the Mercado Central - the main food market. I found it intriguing that the soaring steel and glass building (at left), completed in 1928, bears a striking resemblance to many of Calatrava's designs here in Spain and around the world.








A tour through the market might be illuminating for those enthusiastic American locavores who yearn for a closer connection to the creatures who provide them nourishment. Spaniards are less squeamish about the sources comprising their food, confirmed after witnessing a butcher whacking a boar's head with a cleaver and lifting out the requested amount of brains. Funny thing - pig's brains taste exactly as you thought they might. Whether that's a good thing is another issue.

At the heart of Old Town is the Catedral. An Arab mosque once stood on the site, leveled by Spanish Christians as they slowly re-conquered their country from the Moors. Built primarily in the 14th and 15th Centuries, the cathedral was extended and embellished over several more, so it constitutes something of a rolling lesson in sequential architectural styles, with elements of the Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, and neo-Classical modes all in evidence. It contains the alleged remains of the Holy Grail, the chalice from which Christ drank at the Last Supper, if you are of a mind to believe the claim.


















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When we were in the process of checking-in at our hotel, the Ad Hoc Monumental, we witnessed a little drama. A young couple, guests, were clearly in distress. They had lost a credit card the night before, apparently the only one they carried. But after a while the desk manager took a phone call and informed them that the card was found at the restaurant where they dined - and the owner was bringing it to them. He arrived shortly, to their relief and gratitude. We wanted to eat at a place like that, and made a reservation on the spot.

We were early, so we ducked into the Cafe de las Horas, near the Plaza de la Virgen. Dark, it is, and funkily operatic, with chandeliers, candlesticks, a huge bowl of fake flowers, and a sturdy gay vibe. (Spain now recognizes same-sex marriage, so there's no need for gays to be furtive.) It was a good place to try the popular local drink Agua de Valencia, a punch of orange juice and cava (a Spanish sparkling wine) served in a pitcher, like sangria.

At 9pm, we walked across the street and were greeted at the door of Seu-Xerea by the owner, Stephen Anderson, a British expat of Burmese origin. The rooms weren't anything like what we expected - antiques and traditional decor with upscale touches, perhaps. Instead, the rooms are clean, crisp, minimalist. The food, it quickly became clear, was modern and multi-national, with reference to both Mediterranean and Asian influences, but with nothing carved in stone. It comes in attractive, not precious, presentations, and in quantities sufficient to assuage hunger, not simply titillate.

There is a six-course tasting menu for 42 euros, but that was too much food for us. An amuse bouche of cauliflower froth arrived in a demi-tasse dusted with caviar and a swirl of pesto. We ordered zingy little spring rolls and vegetable sushi wrapped in lightly fried nori. Those were followed with mussels and bits of monkfish in green curry sauce for me and two fat chunks of suckling pig for Jo. This last made us despair of having pork this good ever again. Dessert was cardamon ice cream with a spoonful of honey jelly.

There may be other restaurants as good as Seu-Xerea-in Valencia, but I doubt there are any better, despite what Michelin seems to think.

However, it is practically illegal to visit Valencia, the rice bowl of Spain, without having paella, so the next day we sought out a place to satisfy that particular itch. Given that bargain prices were not among Seu-Xerea's virtues, that was a criterion now, and we got that at Cafe Plaza, a no-frills joint as anonymous as its name. Large portions were scooped out of the pan we chose - there are many versions of paella - and a pitcher of sangria was plunked down between us. There was a reason every table was occupied - the paella was satisfactory, if not memorable, and our check totaled slightly more than a single main dish at Seu-Xerea.

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Eating, Sleeping, Seeing
Seu-Xerea Restaurante, Conde de Almodovar 4, is described above. Figure about 120-150 euros for two, all inclusive. The six-course tasting menu is 42 euros per person, plus wine, taxes and tips. Cafe de las Horas, Conde de Almodovar 1, is described above. At Cafe Plaza, Almudin 12, paella and sangria for two was 28 euros, including tax.

Ad Hoc Monumental Hotel, Boix 4, T: 96-391-9140, www.adhochoteles.com, is a three-star facility, as determined by Spanish tourism authorities. Located in the old town near the Plaza de la Virgen, the cathedral, and my recommended restaurants, it is comfortable without being lavish. Its 28 rooms vary significantly in dimension and configuration, so you might want to check out the one assigned before signing in. Built in the late 19th Century, there are many exposed beams and antique decorative touches. The restaurant serves all meals. Doubles run from 130 to 200 euros, but vary substantially from season to season. By the way, the name is pronounced "Ahd-Oohk".

If you've never visited Valencia, Valencia Bus Turistic offers get-acquainted double-decker bus tours along a fixed route. There are five stops where riders can get off and re-board subsequent buses from 10:30am to 10:25pm. Narration is provided in five languages via audio devices with earphones.

We decided to take the train from Valencia to Barcelona. Flights take only about an hour, while the train trip is about three-and-a-half. But add in getting to the airport two hours in advance, squeezing through security, runway delays, and finding a taxi, it's a wash. Do get Preferente Class, which allows access to a special lounge and two and one seating on the train itself. Fares vary, depending upon departure time and number of stops, but each of our tickets cost 48.40 euros.

Note: At the time of our visit, $1.55 bought one euro. Also, I haven't figured out how to provide proper accents for Spanish words mentioned in this blog.

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Easy Paella
Serves 4-6
Traditionally, paella is prepared in an almost ceremonial manner, staged in hours over a charcoal brazier, then presented at table in the round, flat-bottomed pan in which it was cooked. Diners then spoon their food directly from the pan. Components are far from obligatory. While Americans tend to associate paella with seafood, the earliest versions were probably land-based, incorporating rabbit and game. There are at least fifty different versions, a few of them not even employing rice.

The following recipe, despite the slightly daunting list of ingredients, is relatively easy to put together and should take less than an hour-and-a-half from start to table. A bonus is its low calorie count.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 cup celery, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
One-half cup Spanish (not Mexican) chorizo sausage, outer casing removed, then diced
5 cups homemade fish broth or bottled clam juice
2 cups diced tomatoes
One-and-a-half cups Spanish bomba or Italian arborio rice (not Uncle Ben's)
1 cup lump crab meat, picked over for shell pieces
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch cayenne pepper
One-half pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
One dozen littleneck clams, the smaller the better, scrubbed

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Warm the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and chorizo and fry, stirring, until onion is soft. Add fish broth or clam juice and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Stir in all the remaining ingredients, except the clams.
Cover and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. After 30 minutes, place the clams in a pot with a inch or two of water. Bring to a boil and cover. After five minutes, the clams should start to open. Remove them to a bowl as they do, so as not to overcook them
When the time is up for the paella, remove it from the oven. Add the clams. Fluff the rice. Serve.

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