Food in Spain Part Two

Spain Food Part two

June 12, 2019 Valencia

In the old city center, I had this shops treats to choose from.

Beautiful and tasty looking, right?  

I neglected to take a picture of what I got.  

The sweet treat I picked at the shop was like a large pie crust 

but thinner with honey attaching almonds to the crust's top.

Like an open faced sandwich or a pizza.  All the honey and almonds on top.

I figured it would give me some protein and still be delicious. It was!

We left Valencia and continued our drive up the Costa del Sol to Barcelona, 

the capital of Catalonia. We had a nice healthy dinner in our hotel.  

Here is my feast for the eyes dinner salad.

That evening before bed, I walked to the train station to try out the walk 

I would do a day and a half later.  I found this popular European grocery 

we have here in America. What is it called?

Yes!  Aldi!

June 14, 2019 Barcelona

Take a look at this breakfast bar.  Best of the trip in terms of variety!

Next to the jar, the sign in English says fruit in syrup. 

I usually ate the fresh fruit.

Below is some special healthy drinks and more toppings.

(Read the black chalk board signs.)

Some sweets!

Read the labels on all the different kinds of milk, including oat milk.

More really healthy toppings.

Nuts and dried fruits, etc. toppings.

Cereal.  

This one is fuzzy but I did have the apple one on one of the days.  

Small jars of jam- I tried the bitter orange one that comes from Valencia.

Very popular with the British.  Not bad, actually!

And yes, it appears to be chocolate covered rice cakes! 

This is what I had that last day in Barcelona before heading to the train.  

The hard boiled eggs are not refrigerated. 

 In fact, in the stores in Europe, no one seems to refrigerate them-cooked or uncooked.

June 15, 2019 Madrid

My final meal in Spain was at a garden cafe attached to the Modern Art Museum.  

Yes, that is just a lightly cooked egg yolk on top of my pasta.

Actually it was quite nice!

And my final picture is from the airport.  

This is just a reminder that the American products 

in Spain may be just a little bit different for local flavor!

Food in Spain part one

June 3, 2019 First chance for food was Toledo.  I was delayed in getting there by a late plane and no available trains until after the vegetarian restaurant was closed. Toledo is a very touristy town and the town almost folds up after they go home.  So I went out to a nearby market for locals and found food.
Good prices and simple.  But what was sweet were the "sweets" on my pillow at my hotel. Marzipan made here in Toledo. Delicate so I bought them home to share.

June 4, 2019 Next day I went to look for Marzipan to take with me.  Almonds grow in Spain and they are the main ingredient. Like cookie with different fillings. And yes, traditionally made by the nuns and you would buy from them.  Some still make them but shops sell them. Still Delicious.
(Look straight across to the mirror and see me.)

June 4, 2019 Left Toledo and arrived at Madrid and walked to my hotel to join the tour.  These last two days would be the hottest ones on the tour.  Most days I would have to wear jacket or a sweater in the mornings until the chill wore off.  Glad I had my scarves to wear as well.

June 5, 2019 Next day we had the option to go outside of Madrid and see El Escorial and the Valley of the Fallen.  

In El Escorial we had a chance for a quick lunch in the nearby town.  Here is the bakery.

So many choices, I decided for a simpler bread with what I thought was going to be cheese inside.  Like a fancy hot pocket.  Oh, well, it filled me up but no extra time to go back and get a treat.

That night at our hotel dinner, there was this tray at the dessert area. What do you think this is?

Yes.  Carrot cake.  I ate it.  It was okay but I think our 

American version is tastier with all the frosting!

June 6, 2019 Leaving Toledo we drove to Cordoba.  

We stopped along the way at this fancy truck stop.

I had sent a photo before and Robb wanted to see prices.  

So this place had they prominently displayed.

After our time in Cordoba sight seeing we arrived late afternoon in Seville.  

June 7, 2019 After a day visiting the sights in old Seville-especially the cathedral- we returned to our hotel rooms for a quick break before heading out to the Flamenco dinner show.  This snack I had came from the small market across the street from out hotel.  

Unfortunately, I never saw these raspberries from Portugal again.  

They had been on sale so I guess it was the end of their season's crop.

Best raspberries I have ever tasted.  And, yes, I was hungry when I ate them.

Now we fast forward a few days.  I became fascinated with the breakfast spreads at some of the hotels.

June 11, 2019 at our hotel in Cartagena.

Look at the gelatin squares and a kind of mousse or pudding.  

(I stuck with the fresh fruit.)

June 11, 2019 we left Cartagena after seeing the Roman amphitheater

-and the missionaries desired new location to rent. 

We headed on the Costa del Sol to Valencia.

That evening was cool and cloudy but we went to the beach and ate at La Marcelina restaurant and had excellent paella.  I had tasted a bit earlier in the week at a hotel buffet.  Unimpressed.  But this was done the traditional way in giant pans of rice and other ingredients.

I just captured in photos the people and the place. But you can see we are happy!

Marcie, Karen and Paul.

Chandeliers and surrealist paintings on the walls, similar to Salvador Dali.

You can see the rice on Mr. Wolfmueller's plate.  And yes, we had wine at every dinner.

June 12, 2019 We awoke to a beautiful day for seeing more of Valencia 

and headed to the old city where we had a special cold drink in this cafe.  Delicious.  

Horchata in Spain is not the same as the kind from Mexico.  

All I know is it I was able to drink it since it is made of tiger nuts or chufa.

I was also amazed by Europe's largest market.  So many vendors in a permanent location selling their goods.  Fantastic!  I guess I would have to do comparison shopping on prices locally, but certainly they had the best selection of anything you could want!

From the baked goods...

And more baked goods...

To Fruits 

And veggies!  (Weird shaped tomatoes.)

To all kinds of nuts!

A little wine in a cup while you shop?

But I did not end up buying anything there. 

 I remembered this other shop near the Horchata cafe.

Yes.  The same recipe since the 1500's!

Part Two Spain Selfies

Spain Selfies!

Back on the motor coach on our way to Valencia. That evening, we had a fabulous paella dinner 

at a family restaurant, La Marcelina, along the beach. 

The clouds had rolled in and the wind was up but still nice. 

Wednesday- June 12, 2019 Valencia was another fun place to tour the old city center.

Pastor and I were the only ones of our group to climb to the top 

of the Catholic church's bell tower for a great view of the city.

Below is me trying to get down the stair way before the hour bell struck.  Too late.

As I was descending the bell tower the bell started tolling the hour.  Very LOUD!

We said good bye to Valencia and drove along the coast again-

this time to our final stop together-Barcelona.

Thursday-June 13, 2019 Barcelona is a great place for selfies if you love the water like I do.

With the morning free, I set up a sail boat ride.  

For two hours on the Mediterranean Sea, it was a lovely day for a sail.  

The above two were taken by the skipper as I sat up front.  

Then I decided I needed to lay down on the boat as well 

because isn't that what you do when you are sailing?

Back into the city for the afternoon of sight seeing including the still unfinished, 

Sagrada Familia Basilica, Gaudi's masterpiece. 

He really wanted to engage people on the outside of the church to come inside.

Inside is quite unique for a worship space.

Gaudi had a school built for children, too. Again, unique.  

I am outside the school with the fabulous, fragrant flowers.

We finished up the afternoon near La Ramblas and I went 

into the biggest department store in Spain, El Corte Ingles.

It reminds me of Harrod's of London where you can also buy 

cooked food and yes, chocolates!

After eating a couple of chocolates, I had a chance to walk the famous La Ramblas

stroll which eventually takes you to the ocean/harbor where I had started the day.

Friday-June14, 2019 

Time for the group to go our separate ways and leave Barcelona.

All are flying out but me, as I am taking the high speed train again.

This time from Barcelona to Zaragoza, the capital of Aragon.

I walked to the train station and inside checked out the FB store for the Barcelona team. 

The morning I went sailing one couple toured the soccer stadium.  They are a very popular team!

Arrived in Zaragoza inside their modern almost geodesic train station.  

I got there in plenty of time to check into my hotel and to see the two places I had planned.

(Remember the sun does not go down until 9:45!)

My hotel was within walking distance from the train station.  

Fragrant flowers again outside my hotel. In another post I will show the hotel.

The Aljaferia Palace was within walking distance from the hotel a different direction. 

Again, Moorish architecture then transformed later by a Catholic ruler. 

The keyhole arch.  

 Inside through the arch.  Coat of arms above the door.

The Courts of Aragon.

Here is the courtyard for keeping cool.  

Look at the tracery!  Beautiful!

After I walked back and had a quick snack, 

I took a bus downtown along the river to the Basilica. 

Beautiful inside and out!  There was worship (mass) going on inside 

and a medieval festival in the town square. Busy Friday night for families.

Saturday-June 15, 2019 Zaragoza

Time to take one last high speed train-back to where 

I flew in almost 2 weeks before-Madrid

My flight was late enough in the day, I planned to visit 

one museum across the street from the train station.  

All went well, as I arrived and found an empty locker to store my luggage 

while I went to the Modern Art Museum-Reina Sophia.

There is a connector between the old building and the new and on the upper level where I am here you are also open to the city below.  

After touring the museum, I went to the attached outdoor cafe for 

one last meal in Spain.  Beautiful day to be outside in a garden cafe.

Spain Selfies done for now!