Valencia, Spain - Making amends

 I planned to go into Valencia on my last Tuesday, to go to the modern art museum and look at the Fallas. 

 

Normally this sign at the bus stop would indicate how long before the next bus arrives. It usually lists just a few minutes. But when I got there at about 9:35 for an anticipated 9:45 bus, this indicated the next bus would be at 3:15. 

I had seen on facebook, that morning, someone asking about the transportation and comments indicated that it was very limited. I hadn't realized that for the whole week, the buses were running on the festival schedule (one in the early morning, one in the afternoon and one at night)

I decided to walk to Port de Segunto to either catch a bus from there or go and pay for the drinks I had inadvertently "skipped out on" on Saturday.

 

Washroom and water stop when I got there.

When I went to pay for it with a 5Euro bill I was directed to put it into the machine and it gave me my change. I guess this saves time for the server.

Another Fallas on the way.

I couldn't understand the signs

but it seemed to be dedicated to

painters.

The parts of Sagunto that the bus goes through are rows of ugly apartment buildings but I was able to find some more attractive residential streets.

Some with tiled

walls.

In front of the city hall, in a square that I have only seen crowded with people and stalls on market days,

a firework display was being prepared.

The market building has some permanent stalls

but a sign on the door said it would be closed on March 19 for the festival.

Mail delivery.

I have learned that the streets with banners and flags flying usually end at

a Fallas.

I reached the church and

figured out which of the 3 restaurants, on the street, served the table I had been sitting at.

Now I had to find a server to explain it to. The one I approached spoke no English but gestured to another and between his unsteady English, my unsteady Spanish and a lot of hand gesturing I was able to make him understand that I had forgotten to pay for what I ordered on Saturday and wanted to pay now. When he understood he seemed amazed and very grateful. He called people out of the kitchen to explain it to them and there was a lot of gracias, gracias. I wonder how often it happens that people just walk away without paying, it is so easy to do here. 

My conscience now clear I headed back into Sagunto's narrow streets

 

This one celebrating

theatre

and cancellations occur

if you don't support it.

Some of them I couldn't

even guess at the theme.

At one, a couple of women were preparing girls hair into the traditional style.

This involved a lot of bobby pins and a lot of wincing on the part of the "victim".

I needed to refuel and ordered my wine while trying to decide what to eat. When the olive mix and pincho came with the wine I decided that was lunch.

This young lady and her parents sat next to me and I asked if I could take a photo

of her hair.

Flowers

on the walk home

An "empty the frig" stir fry for supper.

Valencia, Spain - last Sunday market.

This week is one "last" after another. After all my walking on Saturday, the only thing on my agenda was to go to the Canet Sunday market and get an artichoke. They have piles of them here in the markets and I have never known what to do with them  I have eaten asiago and artichoke dip (one of my favorites) and eaten pickled artichoke hearts in a jar, from Costco. But I have never dealt with one myself, Fi outlined her Mum's recipe and I did some looking at internet recipes and decided it was time.

Super windy day. I love it when the wind blows the spray off the top of the waves.

 

After taking a number and standing waiting for shoppers to finish (very entertaining) I asked for 1 artichoke. Nope, had to buy a kilo, they were only 1 Euro after all. Ok, 1 kilo of  alcachofa and 1 kilo kiwi amarillo, because I just can't resist them.

Then cuarto aceitunas con limon and cuarto aceitunas cocktail. 250 ml olives with lemon and 250 ml olive cocktail (olives, onions, carrots, gerkins). Can I eat that much in the 4 days I have left? I am going to try.

Finally an apple slice. I didn't even try in Spanish, just pointed and paid.

A rather small Fallas, with an emphasis on taking care of the sea

I think really, just for the kids. Canet doesn't have a real organized neighbourhood feel so I was surprised to see even this.

But they still had the party tent with the food and the drinks!

This is a kilo of yellow kiwi and I did finish them.

This was a kilo of artichokes, and I didn't finish them.

I just took one, took off the lower leaves and peeled the stem. Its the one on the bottom.

Trimmed the top and the top of the leaves. I then steamed it until

the stem was tender and the petals pulled off easily. About an hour. It went a sort of dull purple colour.

I served it with a dip made of mayonnaise and balsamic vinaigrette.

I ate it by pulling off each petal, dipping it and then using my teeth to squeeze the "meat" out. It was pretty minimal. Hardly seemed worth the bother.

I cut the remaining bit in half, took out the fuzzy bit which is inedible, and ate the "choke" and the stem. They were quite tasty but still a lot of messyness to get to them.

The next morning my stomach was upset, so I decided artichokes weren't for me and threw the rest of them out.