Camels and Tacos: Valencia, Spain

The Camels and Tacos team covered new ground this trip. Valencia, where there are orange trees on each block. Some friendly advice. If you have been or if you will go, you will note trees with oranges and others with hardly any or none at all. There is a reason for this. If you think you're going to score a sweet and juicy orange off the street for free think again. At best you will get a numb mouth. This theory has been tested in Casablanca, Rome, and most recently Valencia.

We camped out a few minutes outside the center in Ruzafa/Russafa, a local area with great places to eat, bread shops, and Flexi Discos-a punk record store. Next to our airbnb was Chilangos, a Mexican Restaurant with some of the best we had in Europe. Mercat de Russafa was right around the corner where we scored our daily meats, fruits, veggies, and vino tinto from the region to wash it all down.

Valencia has been called the Southern California of Spain and I'm not totally convinced. The architecture is beautiful and the culture is saturated with history. Unlike Madrid or Barcelona the streets are tranquilo, not the hustle and bustle you get from larger cities.

On the outskirts of our hood.

Ice skating at Ayuntamiento plaza.

Someone's evidence of a New Year's hangover.

Fountain at Catedral de Valencia

Former coworker Mr. Ropke learns how to eat Paella Valenciana (chick and rabbit).

Ceiling fresco in Basilica de la Virgen.

Meeting up with another old friend from Ethiopia.

City of Arts and Sciences were designed by Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela.
L'Hemisfèric on the left and El Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe on the left.