Paella in the Albufera

 

Hoisting the Paella Pans

Lake Albufera, where they grow Bomba Rice

Rice Liquor

Paella Inspection

Paella Passed the Inspection!

Perfect Patatas Bravas

Why can't we take Parsifal out with us?

White Asparagus

Beautiful Modernist Style Market

Unusually Shaped Tomatoes, wonder what they taste like

The Water Tribunal 

When we awakened, we asked ourselves, why are we staying in this hotel? The room was nice, we had a private patio, but we thought the service sucked, and the bed was hard. We had to decide if we wanted to switch to a better hotel. The obvious answer was Hell Yes!

We quickly secured a reservation at the Westin Valencia, a luxury hotel in every way. We packed up and took our luggage to our much nicer new digs. Since it was only 11:30am we checked in but couldn’t go to our rooms, which hadn’t been cleaned yet. 

We then taxied to The Water Court (Tribunal de Las Aguas). The Tribunal meets outside the Door of the main Cathedral, every Thursday at noon, keeping alive a one thousand year old tradition. The proceedings are in the Valencian language and all decisions are final, not subject to appeal. The tribunal is made up of eight farmers who still wear the typical black blouse of the Huerta (the irrigated fields around València). The members are democratically elected every two years by the farmers who use the irrigation system in the Huerta. They sit in a circle on wood and leather 17th century chairs, and make their rulings. If the drought continues in California, we might have to start our own water tribunals.

 

After watching the ages old ceremony, we visited the amazing Central Market. It is just like the Grand Central Market in downtown LA, if the LA market was 4 times as big, had no food stalls but stall after stall of amazing, vegetables, meats, fish, and cheese. It is the biggest Market in Europe, and it is a food lovers wonder!

 

After parading past the various stalls in the market, we headed to a local square to sit and have a drink. At the next table sat a woman, who was sitting with the friendliest cat adjacent to her on the next chair. The cat was on a leash and just watched the world (and dogs) go by. He wasn’t the slightest bit skittish. We wish we could take Parsifal out with us but he won’t tolerate a leash. 

 

We taxied back to our new hotel and our room still wasn’t available, so we had another drink in their beautiful garden. We then headed out to a nearby town of El Palmar In the Albufara, to have the ultimate Paella. Paella of course is made from rice. 

 

I had never given it much thought but when I think of growing rice, I think of hot, humid Asian countries we where we have seen lots of rice fields: India, Japan, Thailand, Laos, etc. I assumed all rice came from that region. I didn’t realize rice was also grown in Spain specifically in the Albufera, south of Valencia. It is one of the largest rice-producing areas in Spain. The rice is cultivated on the wet, flood-sensitive farmlands around the Albufera lake.

 

The restaurant Bon Aire looks out over the rice fields. It was a 30 minute drive. Our friend Richard Whish had recommended it, so taking his wise advice out we went. Because Paella is a heavy dish, it is usually eaten in the afternoon, not at night. We had 3:30 reservations. They have multiple varieties of Paella (remember it is all about the Rice and Crispy Socarrat at the bottom of the Paella pan. The topping is almost incidental. We chose a Lobster Paella. The rice was intensely flavored with lobster broth and chunks of squid, and was crispy at the bottom, it was perfect. We finally found the ultimate Potatas Bravas. They served the Potatoes with a great Tomato Sauce and Aioli. The search for the best Potatas Bravas was over! At the end of the dinner they comped up with a Rice Liquor. I expected something like Saki, but it actually tasted like a milkshake that was spiked with Booze. Rice Liquor is available, here is a link to one: Licor de Arroz. On reflection it tastes like Mexican Rompope. We then witnessed the bizarre scene of them hoisting the Paella Pans up to the 2^nd floor for some reason. I guess they are too valuable to leave around. Funny to see the pans flying through the air. We then taxied back, to our hotel and finally were in our wonderful room.