tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65864708313871129982024-02-07T15:11:26.464-08:00Cherrie's Adventure in SpainThe story of a Hong Kong food and travel blogger chasing her dreams in Spain Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.comBlogger239125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-4593633179942449442021-05-03T08:45:00.005-07:002021-05-03T11:50:53.892-07:00Hola mayo! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Can't believe is May already, and that it has already been a year since we came out from lockdown! Vaccination in Spain is still utterly slow but hey here we are, <i>sano y salvo</i> (healthy and safe)! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">How's everyone doing? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrhqeobT0qQQTT1aYm24sOP75c0fGugjJVUoFFfnH2RujEl3elMwGXQ0gbEprCVGmQ6s0PM0SPkwz0RgE-eraPha7sYrXrs0t2xUpbDIfczABzMSaXos9ng_QOJVu1Gg5pfw8Stnpc_Yfm/s1799/48550A65-1314-4702-B20B-F21779A4CADF.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1799" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrhqeobT0qQQTT1aYm24sOP75c0fGugjJVUoFFfnH2RujEl3elMwGXQ0gbEprCVGmQ6s0PM0SPkwz0RgE-eraPha7sYrXrs0t2xUpbDIfczABzMSaXos9ng_QOJVu1Gg5pfw8Stnpc_Yfm/w512-h640/48550A65-1314-4702-B20B-F21779A4CADF.jpg" width="512" /></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Me? I am doing great as always, overcoming challenges bit by bit but things seems to be a lot more stable than a year ago. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I am still doing my distance part-time marketing master at Imperial, writing a few <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/business-school/authors/chui">blogs</a> and marketing articules for the business school. I have also started a new job recently!!<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwF-ihKDIZU03r74iu0_zhmlJDAbp27sFuMiTGAhXpfWFcvNXgxC3ocC2ndwS31DQv8zX7QwA6ChPl1p71q19_WGdcqcTQK8pvH9zmrpEDMQTw805RPr0d8BILaTWQJUnOrVrli9osVxd/s3780/AE5C32B3-66DF-43D3-A929-9AE6D9D56523.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwF-ihKDIZU03r74iu0_zhmlJDAbp27sFuMiTGAhXpfWFcvNXgxC3ocC2ndwS31DQv8zX7QwA6ChPl1p71q19_WGdcqcTQK8pvH9zmrpEDMQTw805RPr0d8BILaTWQJUnOrVrli9osVxd/w512-h640/AE5C32B3-66DF-43D3-A929-9AE6D9D56523.jpg" width="512" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I am really glad to have this opportunity because it is related to media advertising which is very relevant to what I am studying in my master, but involves client-facing and some analysis. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPJN_1Xq8dRKsNVSa7p1ZzPPhgWX_8ZV3VhszR_AKl_74Jujz930LYc7D68GaOxVMfsxIhhvDKBEulswK4Gh8pDMqft5FqVqTmzbYf9sNjJoIiJo58ETcpU98czMRaqUu_UqvKlif-smq/s3950/IMG_4206.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2962" data-original-width="3950" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPJN_1Xq8dRKsNVSa7p1ZzPPhgWX_8ZV3VhszR_AKl_74Jujz930LYc7D68GaOxVMfsxIhhvDKBEulswK4Gh8pDMqft5FqVqTmzbYf9sNjJoIiJo58ETcpU98czMRaqUu_UqvKlif-smq/w640-h480/IMG_4206.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Here is my work desk. For the first week I had to rob Adri's work computer's screen but now I have my own one 😝</div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOBiCg7TiHL7Gdr8xP9p6xdBYjyo24D4FVx3AER3W_zqWaP2folyPpOAfdqFjHGPDOJY4bhstQLbK3xc32BaHgZzfBacd_xXZFRzxXxYgsOB2NDCTQup4EEtrUTQOLThb3syg3SNT3hg-/s4032/IMG_4242.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOBiCg7TiHL7Gdr8xP9p6xdBYjyo24D4FVx3AER3W_zqWaP2folyPpOAfdqFjHGPDOJY4bhstQLbK3xc32BaHgZzfBacd_xXZFRzxXxYgsOB2NDCTQup4EEtrUTQOLThb3syg3SNT3hg-/w300-h400/IMG_4242.HEIC" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUuf2c_99OebXQ6ny07O5ATIA6GK0QRKdsjgRhNCOWK5zMuILCZdkmnKLyN_YSxQElS03tZOd5fwJ5I2anVOZxkPntEqQ1dQTNmyk8LBHQcqLUPs3MXDfpNJjqg-sHTeND6WJw2PVXJw0/s2320/IMG_4028.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="1742" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUuf2c_99OebXQ6ny07O5ATIA6GK0QRKdsjgRhNCOWK5zMuILCZdkmnKLyN_YSxQElS03tZOd5fwJ5I2anVOZxkPntEqQ1dQTNmyk8LBHQcqLUPs3MXDfpNJjqg-sHTeND6WJw2PVXJw0/w300-h400/IMG_4028.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And the best thing is I am working from home (aka Spain) for this company based in London. So Adri and I work from home. Apart from being the best boyfriend, he is also my lunch mate / workmate / study group / language exchange buddy / flatmate etc etc ... </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqi5wq9T5otQdA8llSyAggv-UczhPXcNTV_9A-5X15lHphGJiUikvnNyeNmen4ltABAagTZ_JKdfnDVcsnfzhrUpGjCRk032MdyH1_jd4DiW0OpWjHjlllUxhQR7bBXMAJqIKUkDkqJvo-/s4000/photo_20210402115454_6554451_0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqi5wq9T5otQdA8llSyAggv-UczhPXcNTV_9A-5X15lHphGJiUikvnNyeNmen4ltABAagTZ_JKdfnDVcsnfzhrUpGjCRk032MdyH1_jd4DiW0OpWjHjlllUxhQR7bBXMAJqIKUkDkqJvo-/w640-h480/photo_20210402115454_6554451_0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Here they say <i>abril, agua mil </i>which is so true. It basically has been rainy every week for the whole April. Thankfully we could also manage to have some weekend escape to Adri's parents' beach apartment at Xeraco which is around 50 minutes drive from Valencia. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2C2kvdjIHf2YvQoAY8tlAialQMoz9afyXBfNabqeCbCUiL6qwUD8Z6rusUnuJfHKz_jUEVPrJnI0BJwX4YdataX9Zrux0usKznZVYFhPbz8jg0QEF8k-kkjqZRx_rXHfEq_6R52mgbZP/s4000/photo_20210402115106_6554449_0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2C2kvdjIHf2YvQoAY8tlAialQMoz9afyXBfNabqeCbCUiL6qwUD8Z6rusUnuJfHKz_jUEVPrJnI0BJwX4YdataX9Zrux0usKznZVYFhPbz8jg0QEF8k-kkjqZRx_rXHfEq_6R52mgbZP/w640-h480/photo_20210402115106_6554449_0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7LeJBjjhGPaM3ofgp1jOCQi9P4hegeRdavB3efGeq2eW4WWP3pbS2qfMjw5uc8Wys0O5ZGFjwQ2gjbOsir9F6bBmgEDnyQXBF_66oHg81552OqJSf-ENX1ofsCefqokaxz0TaTyHC0si/s4032/IMG_4015.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFHKN9Aiw3ixJlVR2-zNr4LusZErUtwrtlvYTjHmIIYwTqU3JGPJxSqqrtaJ9XvX8HI0liIoMKHliHp2qA9Al-GyoPkcDfCiEYeVr4h5OkOmPPj22eXJPUlGhjjwq7gM99Ypg9rK8B1RGJ/w150-h200/IMG_3715.HEIC" width="150" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-TbPSgCdtS_5OI4WC5CJGL7lJfAQW6shsZEmD2sQEFNgR3tM_Dhetl6qW7sIs7v-YCKgiAWaWOHUN-iE0jpgI8ut3Nmmr43Zqvp9UpZzLUg6l3KFVWgHIm-eKCn1R1cd0Oz9IboTLTWQ/s4032/IMG_3717.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-TbPSgCdtS_5OI4WC5CJGL7lJfAQW6shsZEmD2sQEFNgR3tM_Dhetl6qW7sIs7v-YCKgiAWaWOHUN-iE0jpgI8ut3Nmmr43Zqvp9UpZzLUg6l3KFVWgHIm-eKCn1R1cd0Oz9IboTLTWQ/w150-h200/IMG_3717.HEIC" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGRoZRRl33_Pb3APQNez3NwhoZNa8znTE-DyfN2oQYlybAaXcKqQETuOF4a8YeGEkwGoPfbuMRh4c7iyYgDgprI3XFxOiaXLKj77oPmMrVaM61lRUyX8NEoYbz71PryYj1T7uOXKYCRRe/s3570/144ED306-C3AB-4397-8D5D-A684D2E7FBDC.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3570" data-original-width="2856" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGRoZRRl33_Pb3APQNez3NwhoZNa8znTE-DyfN2oQYlybAaXcKqQETuOF4a8YeGEkwGoPfbuMRh4c7iyYgDgprI3XFxOiaXLKj77oPmMrVaM61lRUyX8NEoYbz71PryYj1T7uOXKYCRRe/w160-h200/144ED306-C3AB-4397-8D5D-A684D2E7FBDC.jpg" width="160" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj82R0aLrfzLZDcktIeQA7ENYrJgIxRdH9_pj4C2Wo5ITvxZJhby3212Yge8f92MKoVu12GydoqU5Bi67VEjkx7eYOYWi7sIYmlWp6iNUwh1AZHrC86Mq2MNjUFBCdLdGWrsJuC0lVB2tqO/s760/IMG_4058.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="544" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj82R0aLrfzLZDcktIeQA7ENYrJgIxRdH9_pj4C2Wo5ITvxZJhby3212Yge8f92MKoVu12GydoqU5Bi67VEjkx7eYOYWi7sIYmlWp6iNUwh1AZHrC86Mq2MNjUFBCdLdGWrsJuC0lVB2tqO/w143-h200/IMG_4058.JPG" width="143" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Adri made <i>Arroz al Horno </i>which is absolutely one of my favourite Valencian dish which is rice with pork ribs, blood sausage, garlic and chickpeas baked in the oven. Our friends Dani and Doina also shared with us some lovely wine from Moldova 🍷</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_myfk6b0CP_4woWkFSFK8czq-n-T08tUwzPuLM52TGNE0tjevjogOxNu_C5xkmtE1p0vqYNdm7i_uqIOmdOz7Mx7cHzSYX2TRZUDEGX4OMToXjPUwTKLu2SmuSl6fDyhA4rFH9hfYlpOg/s4000/photo_20210403152114_6554535_0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_myfk6b0CP_4woWkFSFK8czq-n-T08tUwzPuLM52TGNE0tjevjogOxNu_C5xkmtE1p0vqYNdm7i_uqIOmdOz7Mx7cHzSYX2TRZUDEGX4OMToXjPUwTKLu2SmuSl6fDyhA4rFH9hfYlpOg/w640-h480/photo_20210403152114_6554535_0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We have also had some new addition at home! We got a new sofa set and a barbecue for our terrace plus lots of food and charcoal stand by so we can make barbie when it stops raining 😅</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_KBdiy6WQkRpFJixxjEmyIMwtr1ULt8Rvknk3337bt2a317jYOA6xBLvEpZzYCzhUWpKzoADcEVwHgDRfLvgtRlZ9DTa2JdvSgNtyHYxuhyphenhyphenYs4GibN6WQN4O4o46f0vUFGDd9hnbUN5l/s4032/IMG_4239.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_KBdiy6WQkRpFJixxjEmyIMwtr1ULt8Rvknk3337bt2a317jYOA6xBLvEpZzYCzhUWpKzoADcEVwHgDRfLvgtRlZ9DTa2JdvSgNtyHYxuhyphenhyphenYs4GibN6WQN4O4o46f0vUFGDd9hnbUN5l/w640-h480/IMG_4239.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKS55rsY7nbLfcBXALfxr0PKn-Q4jdVOk45CB-cnj8ubo_MIOz4hlcciwr64QrFejz3PbqjqVOuPykNO6KyuLNh_KLBxrDmoWf37bMjipAuNYWYm5apMQiNFEuZh8Q8B1GeOz7H5kR6hx/s4032/IMG_4183.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKS55rsY7nbLfcBXALfxr0PKn-Q4jdVOk45CB-cnj8ubo_MIOz4hlcciwr64QrFejz3PbqjqVOuPykNO6KyuLNh_KLBxrDmoWf37bMjipAuNYWYm5apMQiNFEuZh8Q8B1GeOz7H5kR6hx/w300-h400/IMG_4183.HEIC" width="300" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; display: inline;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLP8rQbivGuvXwJg90s6JuSXyixtt7VC0kKMxOPPnHgBhIhlq6_dbb88Zj_CRHgda6J5QjVkYqFwGPuRWtdzPsIBNpkwDf2-GiEhobgZd5Id29OuBUrzjKHnpRe9pUtfTEiChkwKY_5h4S/w300-h400/IMG_4196.HEIC" width="300" /></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Oh did I mention I passed C1 Spanish? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This year I will probably try to focus on doing my job well and in my master studies. I wish to learn some French this year and probably will take C2 Spanish next year. Let's see where life takes me next year!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2xIVD9CotbMCQ0TaBkXq5NxbVslHwLsR0l2_XFsykyNvkPNsRo4zs8if-STvSLFmxHghPFpaVr_raNAUX2Ur3gZIEDAPUUFC-FcmuDiPogdxHS4Agju81ZfVPntcUNSUVFu1HPk0YJzx/s2320/IMG_4246.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1740" data-original-width="2320" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2xIVD9CotbMCQ0TaBkXq5NxbVslHwLsR0l2_XFsykyNvkPNsRo4zs8if-STvSLFmxHghPFpaVr_raNAUX2Ur3gZIEDAPUUFC-FcmuDiPogdxHS4Agju81ZfVPntcUNSUVFu1HPk0YJzx/w640-h480/IMG_4246.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And yes I am still doing my food vlogging on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2Ir30YpeO5OObEdsYxKD2Q">my channel</a>. Lately I have been quite busy with work and study but I am going to be releasing new videos everyone and then. So stay tune on my instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tomatecherrie/">@tomatecherrie</a> or my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tomatecherrie">Facebook page</a> 😙</div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3jQPTAT4VVor4Gmo-XIZNQVjx47GimdTremtF1YG_5WdffsEfnmGHuBWUB2CEZ5WyDl1cLN64dQuWwyLVnlU0WAvYgicWdz-Bf5YVPj9Ekt9FM5B2jvDBW275592kREp47Er1_OgDnCH/s4032/IMG_4233.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3jQPTAT4VVor4Gmo-XIZNQVjx47GimdTremtF1YG_5WdffsEfnmGHuBWUB2CEZ5WyDl1cLN64dQuWwyLVnlU0WAvYgicWdz-Bf5YVPj9Ekt9FM5B2jvDBW275592kREp47Er1_OgDnCH/w150-h200/IMG_4233.HEIC" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyp-VBsudmgPTETeOzyAWwPvXS5XVwi8DPXCaUdWlYG_1xHsms_xQ0WHhnE8vLDgMwM8o5q08Gwt-vpwPUnsI6qYK1D5iPRCBkhWoEqSJwQxZFbaaKEN1ND5XVJdIQJ7AIghQcIPimgCt/s4032/IMG_4223.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyp-VBsudmgPTETeOzyAWwPvXS5XVwi8DPXCaUdWlYG_1xHsms_xQ0WHhnE8vLDgMwM8o5q08Gwt-vpwPUnsI6qYK1D5iPRCBkhWoEqSJwQxZFbaaKEN1ND5XVJdIQJ7AIghQcIPimgCt/w150-h200/IMG_4223.HEIC" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqlEg3GeQVI6oi7-GfI8kFX9Gqm2tsVsGQQoDayeTXm51a8BgpSbfMNVGtk8imguHlKZjqFJ9kQoqmOjNI0LXTebaAA4jwGQPlpBCZbWMqENmVUckVZ6XkumlkaDLRFtyLtRw5h6MOMB0/s4032/IMG_4079.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqlEg3GeQVI6oi7-GfI8kFX9Gqm2tsVsGQQoDayeTXm51a8BgpSbfMNVGtk8imguHlKZjqFJ9kQoqmOjNI0LXTebaAA4jwGQPlpBCZbWMqENmVUckVZ6XkumlkaDLRFtyLtRw5h6MOMB0/w150-h200/IMG_4079.HEIC" width="150" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVL-FVt0iLypki1kkoxUsN9s8oD5zUf6c2Q_lMJkpRbUM7z7Mpqo-K2CR5w19shmy-JsG5gHArXRnaqJmofO9NonJxzbNW7JZxrL_s1c0VZWiO_QYB6fC1-FWELo7FRURpd4kwimwArv5/s2174/742EC57F-78F9-4CF3-9AAA-AD0DD4E19F23.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2174" data-original-width="1740" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVL-FVt0iLypki1kkoxUsN9s8oD5zUf6c2Q_lMJkpRbUM7z7Mpqo-K2CR5w19shmy-JsG5gHArXRnaqJmofO9NonJxzbNW7JZxrL_s1c0VZWiO_QYB6fC1-FWELo7FRURpd4kwimwArv5/w160-h200/742EC57F-78F9-4CF3-9AAA-AD0DD4E19F23.jpg" width="160" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohcdrefyWtS-AqIKWQIS3AB-LjEecOwFCXdPg3_6Sp-C0KH8kT-IR7WCFtjU7IlwmeW2ciWGgEpgKFynMV4r5Aksso-O9T6xUs-QU7xHmm6FJSihGHsKmjXJnvwNb2Vis0iFc6wf1bEob/s3506/FB8C5440-6A8C-4605-83D8-0F0C573D7931.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3506" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohcdrefyWtS-AqIKWQIS3AB-LjEecOwFCXdPg3_6Sp-C0KH8kT-IR7WCFtjU7IlwmeW2ciWGgEpgKFynMV4r5Aksso-O9T6xUs-QU7xHmm6FJSihGHsKmjXJnvwNb2Vis0iFc6wf1bEob/w173-h200/FB8C5440-6A8C-4605-83D8-0F0C573D7931.jpg" width="173" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTl5kSsWnzbTdQPQHdghRGPG7oWAEXcLpggxufvKK1azpQV6ZwIKSap2HDBjoDRZVwwqMgio06ZMf-UWy3tJGY2ND7as6oWcfgBbycd6T8BW6ypE4sQAkBK2A7PhsJuFDcMdqZ98-_Qom/s4032/IMG_4159.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTl5kSsWnzbTdQPQHdghRGPG7oWAEXcLpggxufvKK1azpQV6ZwIKSap2HDBjoDRZVwwqMgio06ZMf-UWy3tJGY2ND7as6oWcfgBbycd6T8BW6ypE4sQAkBK2A7PhsJuFDcMdqZ98-_Qom/w150-h200/IMG_4159.HEIC" width="150" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So this is more or less my updates from Spain. </div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOVYK09k-EleoMG7qFDQeTEt_6TxoA6oq9HsrTX7aHaV4brTGrlzdT-EpZnN7ccGn0dyHs_rHUp-16xVx_iX-VFhNLISqmVeJ_W4clzEVOp30vWdGxmQ_7fZ5AlWmEnrDkCOgTnnPMjXO/s4032/IMG_4078.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div></div>Hope everyone is doing well. Thanks for reading and see you next time 🐶<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmQirOOmQNpkoAfpZYZ83O8vSkt7truseFYTi8Qd8u0fLUY4Nfes5Yl6dsNiybddjynnO0_7gBTP2aW05qQoRHzY5r_RwyjsXIT1UMiX4ikq7z_7UE7vYS9G44GXliPSX8De4ldHru8e4/s4032/IMG_3929.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmQirOOmQNpkoAfpZYZ83O8vSkt7truseFYTi8Qd8u0fLUY4Nfes5Yl6dsNiybddjynnO0_7gBTP2aW05qQoRHzY5r_RwyjsXIT1UMiX4ikq7z_7UE7vYS9G44GXliPSX8De4ldHru8e4/w480-h640/IMG_3929.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Love from,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Cherrie</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-69404128334012848002021-02-07T04:42:00.007-08:002021-02-07T06:53:55.369-08:00New year, new home<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Feliz Año! I hope you are all doing well and 2021 will be a better year for everyone.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">From late December, I have 2 new flatmates - Adri and Ximo 💖</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7iRczahrX_b__dPN8QeQ4IuMXeuXstJH0-t8lpsEyWwQ3v_2ImQyKDTl1WUhI7wZY2rk_9h095dcOfdLbB2oesjZHcJkU5lakCsUJmbCKwp2wCZSLZE_7AYeX3oK-wsuR0qTMH6fBcKT/s3024/A285F39E-4F7B-432A-94B8-50A35B986654.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7iRczahrX_b__dPN8QeQ4IuMXeuXstJH0-t8lpsEyWwQ3v_2ImQyKDTl1WUhI7wZY2rk_9h095dcOfdLbB2oesjZHcJkU5lakCsUJmbCKwp2wCZSLZE_7AYeX3oK-wsuR0qTMH6fBcKT/w640-h640/A285F39E-4F7B-432A-94B8-50A35B986654.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vuAzJpijO-3B_Sz4zhPohgZsah7UtBQGMnos7mxRebLkLODvNtqNN5GQyqO27SGGu1WQKD6jU25t_wyhaGZ0xgDUj44nv_Q2IJGfdZ3Tr249_YUnR_5ayAw6LHITRvVOFKz2944FLd5Y/s3088/IMG_3138.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vuAzJpijO-3B_Sz4zhPohgZsah7UtBQGMnos7mxRebLkLODvNtqNN5GQyqO27SGGu1WQKD6jU25t_wyhaGZ0xgDUj44nv_Q2IJGfdZ3Tr249_YUnR_5ayAw6LHITRvVOFKz2944FLd5Y/w640-h480/IMG_3138.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It is actually the first time for both of us to live in a couple but thankfully everything is going well so far haha! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We spent Christmas together with Adri's parents and I tried the typical <i>Puchero Valenciano </i>which is a stew made with different type of meat, vegetables and chickpeas. We ate the soup with rice and <i>pilotes </i>which were gigantic pork meatballs with chicken liver. It is a typical Christmas dish here, which in fact is very similar to the <i>Cocido Madrileño </i>which is the stew people from Madrid make but without the meatballs (not cool). </div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2DlGOwNXM1Zx4svTCHp9H3rcoRAtJjjQ8yBsd9EnwdPeSsraPC5vTIIctQGgEEmN-pCZ-gSm2ukd8IxGgV3AiRiDlTIRvH2LYuyHQKh1xnHUYbQffElOfA-F5jhsxGSdqy2G6Wl3QOaH/s1600/f2b0da57-d157-4d0e-8893-07eeeaa50352.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2DlGOwNXM1Zx4svTCHp9H3rcoRAtJjjQ8yBsd9EnwdPeSsraPC5vTIIctQGgEEmN-pCZ-gSm2ukd8IxGgV3AiRiDlTIRvH2LYuyHQKh1xnHUYbQffElOfA-F5jhsxGSdqy2G6Wl3QOaH/w640-h480/f2b0da57-d157-4d0e-8893-07eeeaa50352.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKm72r7RcmImiV4mtlBZA6jNjoUjHXU1lh0Epls_EIgchoOe8_EVDlghER5PvKC9M6FaC9vw82-G3tSKY9JH-xvDhOkpwvySmqGfkkSLx34lit78vCLy1Dy2FBkVGMfvk764XGU2nQtXHN/s4032/IMG_3120.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKm72r7RcmImiV4mtlBZA6jNjoUjHXU1lh0Epls_EIgchoOe8_EVDlghER5PvKC9M6FaC9vw82-G3tSKY9JH-xvDhOkpwvySmqGfkkSLx34lit78vCLy1Dy2FBkVGMfvk764XGU2nQtXHN/w300-h400/IMG_3120.HEIC" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGvTplweU0_KA0mjqJ2m0_bwsyXbafHycuCz_F2OJa2PcI3OclrstAIPXds9D4NAtWjJroOsnOEM80B4YqiGZ9km4pXLfCqmooSk2TaqndhaaMYh8rFSaTn4Nq7KkEhnGEoHmpfuJc6Ly/s4032/IMG_3124.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGvTplweU0_KA0mjqJ2m0_bwsyXbafHycuCz_F2OJa2PcI3OclrstAIPXds9D4NAtWjJroOsnOEM80B4YqiGZ9km4pXLfCqmooSk2TaqndhaaMYh8rFSaTn4Nq7KkEhnGEoHmpfuJc6Ly/w300-h400/IMG_3124.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvNKxSvxNe18L8jof9cpfE8dzxn9j039spdT8TyUyeE5__0tSSkPkAiTHTpXDVpYDKQIyHafCOtZbc9snYNYIkd9cd9slNHTvMqyzTOPH_jrE3mx1MeNbswMLtwHjLNn32ZnsKLxItlilK/s4032/IMG_3127.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvNKxSvxNe18L8jof9cpfE8dzxn9j039spdT8TyUyeE5__0tSSkPkAiTHTpXDVpYDKQIyHafCOtZbc9snYNYIkd9cd9slNHTvMqyzTOPH_jrE3mx1MeNbswMLtwHjLNn32ZnsKLxItlilK/w640-h480/IMG_3127.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Christmas is like Chinese New Year for them here in Spain where they reunite with family members and eat all day. This Christmas was a bit different given the pandemic situation. We were not able to spend it with all his relatives like they usually do. But we had fun spending some quality time with his parents.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPMzRbJxsLoqS4QFI2JgZJvrGxZ1jPlSkZty88Rf3RVO9Cd-PbZ3GNb-Ldbllm6SA-UMsFXagvcKZEYL_RrhVH1WPRiH83GCro11zb6IMab21cwi37FP632R63xVhl8oi-mMf5NsQCRRjm/s4032/IMG_3320.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPMzRbJxsLoqS4QFI2JgZJvrGxZ1jPlSkZty88Rf3RVO9Cd-PbZ3GNb-Ldbllm6SA-UMsFXagvcKZEYL_RrhVH1WPRiH83GCro11zb6IMab21cwi37FP632R63xVhl8oi-mMf5NsQCRRjm/w300-h400/IMG_3320.HEIC" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEV4lZJel8kuXlYNdrnyWt-4rjEn76vIy2LuXqew7tNIQ6ZlOTXZVWT_qrO-8a5h96C4kHnaZtyIFsxEgH8xxH1inJJRJihe2kJSGBLkvbNqGrFjHjjae0FRr5OovyKb6PBFaoQvfvb8MS/s4032/IMG_3321.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEV4lZJel8kuXlYNdrnyWt-4rjEn76vIy2LuXqew7tNIQ6ZlOTXZVWT_qrO-8a5h96C4kHnaZtyIFsxEgH8xxH1inJJRJihe2kJSGBLkvbNqGrFjHjjae0FRr5OovyKb6PBFaoQvfvb8MS/w300-h400/IMG_3321.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We also celebrated Ximo's 6th birthday! Although he acts more like a cat than a dog most of the time, Ximo is such a sweetheart. 💗 This is especially true when you have chicken for him. He will literally do whatever you want him to for that haha!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ImUVewcxEnsnjq0GAIvD9ib9TMCRESzbuTxZzVSgRc_90vIP7Yd2bDfQ-YFuDH-jsfB2EWrVkeCoCzRwi72y2TtkK61Bl7urzmxUtq1GZQ3lgEt93mHi93Qr8QWu246lnpjEmZdcUXEO/s4032/IMG_3111.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ImUVewcxEnsnjq0GAIvD9ib9TMCRESzbuTxZzVSgRc_90vIP7Yd2bDfQ-YFuDH-jsfB2EWrVkeCoCzRwi72y2TtkK61Bl7urzmxUtq1GZQ3lgEt93mHi93Qr8QWu246lnpjEmZdcUXEO/w480-h640/IMG_3111.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">From Jan, I have also started a new project which is a new YouTube channel <b>Tomate Cherrie </b>featuring Spanish gastronomy. I have only published one video for now about Mercat Central (sneak peek below) but my idea is upload a video every now and then to share my passion about Spanish food. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="372" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3Th26j3-Bd0" width="645" youtube-src-id="3Th26j3-Bd0"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">With the master, Spanish classes plus the part-time job that I am doing, I have to manage my time really well in order to be able to accomplish all my goals. However I also love the feeling of waking up every morning with a purpose. Adri is also doing the same with his master in video game design, Chinese classes and his full time job. The fact that we have very similar values and we are both trying our hardest to achieve what we want in life allows us to inspire one another. 💪</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3e7009tjhg141fpYvoxcui7jRQ0BSetM405zys_OMUhcC3XKhAV5vKXpBfIInRYXC8mh3cJ8De4-uET6Tp9AC4sv2azG2MCepSeHDkIBr6MlfaDS0VdVDMwpPPqAu98PxTNRsYDR6oP6i/s4032/IMG_3091.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3e7009tjhg141fpYvoxcui7jRQ0BSetM405zys_OMUhcC3XKhAV5vKXpBfIInRYXC8mh3cJ8De4-uET6Tp9AC4sv2azG2MCepSeHDkIBr6MlfaDS0VdVDMwpPPqAu98PxTNRsYDR6oP6i/w480-h640/IMG_3091.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Speaking of that, this big boy has just started a new job and is really enjoying it. So proud of you! 💓</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyVz_i6kHdCGC184zjcUWOl4-zgtduQ5yl3QL538C5OpIJF8TOJX5ePmFaQ8YEOZ10sSJyMZZOiKAJR3M7ft6vOcEkQRy2yVkvoOEsetcY78InxOVfGuADsSGZWb1QihHAyGkBrkDYUV-/s3088/IMG_3393.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyVz_i6kHdCGC184zjcUWOl4-zgtduQ5yl3QL538C5OpIJF8TOJX5ePmFaQ8YEOZ10sSJyMZZOiKAJR3M7ft6vOcEkQRy2yVkvoOEsetcY78InxOVfGuADsSGZWb1QihHAyGkBrkDYUV-/w480-h640/IMG_3393.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Let's hope that 2021 will treat us well. If you guys have anything in particular about Spanish gastronomy that you are interested about, please feel free to comment below. See you all next time!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Lots of love,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Cherrie</i></div><br /></div><br /><p></p>Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-78874908140673347722020-12-07T05:18:00.007-08:002020-12-07T05:42:12.411-08:00 Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Brownie (sugar, butter and gluten free!)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Today I want to share with you one of my recent favourite sweet treat!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal Brownies do no have any additional sugar or butter. They are completely gluten free, packed with proteins and fibre and they are absolutely gorgeous!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUm9_LNahn5ZUIqDGO8s2g6aSi7yZAT4xi24J38_2ecWwgFgYiONgPtZ0vEt1XLPcZTUBAf2LNHC7KrrF9JdcuuApZw4LGybacnWaXfwP9ApmKnyMxrjy-tRv7kFANH0BUpV2GJ3VmXkun/s3889/IMG_2669.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2916" data-original-width="3889" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUm9_LNahn5ZUIqDGO8s2g6aSi7yZAT4xi24J38_2ecWwgFgYiONgPtZ0vEt1XLPcZTUBAf2LNHC7KrrF9JdcuuApZw4LGybacnWaXfwP9ApmKnyMxrjy-tRv7kFANH0BUpV2GJ3VmXkun/w640-h480/IMG_2669.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /> All you will need are the following ingredients:<p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>1 ripped banana (medium)</li><li>2/3 cup of rolled oats</li><li>2 flat tbsp of natural peanut butter (or one big tbsp)</li><li>Dark chocolate chunks / chips, mixed nuts, raisins (whatever you have at home)</li></ul><div>And you will need a 5-6 inches baking tin / mold. </div><div><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWINaryyY6ByeAMNMZBYs5QOHCMMtBRnD7oNFgbZ0vdjEG6Qcki3Rxt0F3gji4WmGPHEDmJkPNaxI3gvonkPHn4RN1XPa7_rAfj-0YDTVkcKYV12pphFiRMICSpoCQSmE49JgInyHNb2qc/s4032/IMG_2794.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWINaryyY6ByeAMNMZBYs5QOHCMMtBRnD7oNFgbZ0vdjEG6Qcki3Rxt0F3gji4WmGPHEDmJkPNaxI3gvonkPHn4RN1XPa7_rAfj-0YDTVkcKYV12pphFiRMICSpoCQSmE49JgInyHNb2qc/w480-h640/IMG_2794.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Basically you just need to preheat your oven to 175 Celsius, mix all the ingredients together and put the mixture in the baking tin. I like to top some chopped nuts on top but it is optional.</div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3ny7YwEUc3wMBNC76MwnTVxnak2fXmTxRyUyjSVeo_-S3zPySF49xw78Y93AdooWhVXkU_8x8f2LTuiFFrsQJ9YKRl2Zk7UKzka_lZeOQJMJPliWNIcARWIKhlLq6NB-67BH6vaLnXIX/s4032/IMG_2795.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3ny7YwEUc3wMBNC76MwnTVxnak2fXmTxRyUyjSVeo_-S3zPySF49xw78Y93AdooWhVXkU_8x8f2LTuiFFrsQJ9YKRl2Zk7UKzka_lZeOQJMJPliWNIcARWIKhlLq6NB-67BH6vaLnXIX/w480-h640/IMG_2795.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pop the mixture into the oven for around 18-20 minutes. Put a cocktail stick into the brownie and if there is no batter sticking, the brownie is done! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Let it cool for around 10 minutes and then you can cut it. I think it is easier to cut it while it is still warm because you can still cut through the chocolate chunks. Enjoy it warm or keep it for up to 4 days in a cool, dry place!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OlYwWTN-L6t-j5iJkLuem2th00mY3dBR-f50Fb5eYjRyG-Lv3ZMJFNJwMoF0w1o2AH7m-SZptDVfdWH-FbVbyFDFv34PZjtMP6ZJPEaP3LVaKpUv8vPU0bzmpdozo46dipvSjWimL7ZT/s4032/IMG_2658.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OlYwWTN-L6t-j5iJkLuem2th00mY3dBR-f50Fb5eYjRyG-Lv3ZMJFNJwMoF0w1o2AH7m-SZptDVfdWH-FbVbyFDFv34PZjtMP6ZJPEaP3LVaKpUv8vPU0bzmpdozo46dipvSjWimL7ZT/w480-h640/IMG_2658.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's a perfect snack for anytime of the day. I hope you enjoy it! ❤</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Lots of love,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Cherrie</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-26240793592610973132020-12-07T04:22:00.001-08:002020-12-07T04:24:11.069-08:00Review on Cervercería Finisterra: Incredible Galician food in Valencia!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">One of our favourite place to go especially for a nice beer is </span><i style="text-align: left;"><b>Cervercería Finisterra</b></i><span style="text-align: left;">. Like Restaurante Camaléon (see my review), this place is also a Estrella Galicia cellar, serving freshly made beer on tap right from Estrella Galicia factory. </span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuO2_vttuNnCd3asqTcVBKnG6LQckCDS9NOPj_Hc5J4UlW4_gSrVyuqn5l4YXgwHIYeXEQfzweFdm87OgmPxz-u0pyZeFQU-CTAq1f63SlkrtlVmUtT1NOWZf0Ba1x3MmTxPSDUZFbE8t/s4032/IMG_1986.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuO2_vttuNnCd3asqTcVBKnG6LQckCDS9NOPj_Hc5J4UlW4_gSrVyuqn5l4YXgwHIYeXEQfzweFdm87OgmPxz-u0pyZeFQU-CTAq1f63SlkrtlVmUtT1NOWZf0Ba1x3MmTxPSDUZFbE8t/w300-h400/IMG_1986.HEIC" width="300" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv68I0hGWE8TjUmkpmmMd1PgYXHQ9gqeVC5iS3vSGdJzabDoNWhM1pHDWKliF3lUfJwANTX0un4t46UCzoc566yK95tiIFnbvrOYJt5SL9OfPIp_tZrvwLFNNOAoqi0ckPO6eSNCuHZZMu/w300-h400/IMG_1990.HEIC" style="text-align: left;" width="300" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sometimes they would give us olives to go with our beer, other times they would give us their fresh homemade potato crisps with just salt and oregano they are soooo good. </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Not only do they serve nice Galician beer, they also are specialised in Galician food! One of our must order is their Galician cheese with fresh made bread</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yRmLfQUWGvGz-qpwDNret7bC7Qou-Tpu6oWtASmGChyphenhyphen-CRnhpANZbvC3HBVu8jZKR72gqBGOJLck2y9uv_Sw40Yjov2_CqCf61wJGGUNifaPvynfcDsT-C71UjV_OKD9iOT31rVgpbkz/s4032/IMG_1992.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yRmLfQUWGvGz-qpwDNret7bC7Qou-Tpu6oWtASmGChyphenhyphen-CRnhpANZbvC3HBVu8jZKR72gqBGOJLck2y9uv_Sw40Yjov2_CqCf61wJGGUNifaPvynfcDsT-C71UjV_OKD9iOT31rVgpbkz/w480-h640/IMG_1992.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This cheese is very mild in flavour, creamy and soft and it is really nice to be eaten on its own or with some bread. Plus this half-portion cheese which was only 4 euros! The bread they serve here is also really fresh and moist. I am happy just eating this with my beer 😸</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtpehAgyqjTV1-YzRyBuCBAuufv_MBHyeRwXq6xLQmzWjuxCMNXGGeqdmyV1drQ2hOa5u3NtGffZTPHfdq5Tka7nVQHhjOjbpl1XWHIDBWYD4_zEgWocH9SngemWGzKtn0EeUPKJkezDE9/s4032/IMG_1997.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtpehAgyqjTV1-YzRyBuCBAuufv_MBHyeRwXq6xLQmzWjuxCMNXGGeqdmyV1drQ2hOa5u3NtGffZTPHfdq5Tka7nVQHhjOjbpl1XWHIDBWYD4_zEgWocH9SngemWGzKtn0EeUPKJkezDE9/w480-h640/IMG_1997.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We also ordered this <i>Empanada de Zamburiñas </i>which Adri said is a typical pastry they make in Galicia filled with scallops, sweet caramelised onion and red pepper. It is my first time eating a scallop pastry to be honest and it was really nice indeed! The pastry was also very light so the whole pie was really soft and moreish.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifvzHvb5nS3zVRmBkMQ2cELjxV7gb22GDctwN35iHbMY2fjOge47QaIDYV0jZ_rHSD0-TtPeKzFPCom0ag8V4iwsIiUsbcix_L8voZZZdwkLRg-MSpaFdwUyqHO5DcToKKidXrEQWWRn3D/s4032/IMG_2001.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifvzHvb5nS3zVRmBkMQ2cELjxV7gb22GDctwN35iHbMY2fjOge47QaIDYV0jZ_rHSD0-TtPeKzFPCom0ag8V4iwsIiUsbcix_L8voZZZdwkLRg-MSpaFdwUyqHO5DcToKKidXrEQWWRn3D/w640-h480/IMG_2001.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is another typical Galician dish called Raxo which is also my Galician's friend Michael's favourite. It look a simple dish with just some pork loin served with fries and gravy, which actually I have read that the traditional way to make the meat so tender and flavourful is to soak it in white wine over night. The meat was so tender and full of flavour, with a slight tanginess from the wine, while the potato was perfect to soak up all the beautiful juice from the meat. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-itCp8I3MsMpjUGlC-ZEYjhmZZVim2zPaN37jA9Y29PvW64ba7dvc_ILovyVQ19hDkobH9uoDZtPvupFQ03lRp2BX0HNMzvuM_OQRTyxjEvfpY6PmlzRzdfm4nk5MxjtVtKs6xn-FyjH2/s4032/IMG_2002.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-itCp8I3MsMpjUGlC-ZEYjhmZZVim2zPaN37jA9Y29PvW64ba7dvc_ILovyVQ19hDkobH9uoDZtPvupFQ03lRp2BX0HNMzvuM_OQRTyxjEvfpY6PmlzRzdfm4nk5MxjtVtKs6xn-FyjH2/w480-h640/IMG_2002.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We also ordered the octopus croquettes as well. It was really creamy, but the ones from La Omma Gastrobar with pieces of octopus inside were better 😝</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The environment of the bar is very much like a cellar so it is fairly chill place to have a beer with friends and have some small bites. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7PX_AqBB05Xewq5r_EMkC1WZIIKeXXBkKKPicbNExQaI-KrHUNbLk1AjFk9F-BGFrC6XfkdCF6lyf9MlcnrfE50wlEG8KEFKJDJGEk_wrHnw-NMbQgGuokoADIWpxgFebsFfUxPv_zk7/s4032/IMG_2786.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7PX_AqBB05Xewq5r_EMkC1WZIIKeXXBkKKPicbNExQaI-KrHUNbLk1AjFk9F-BGFrC6XfkdCF6lyf9MlcnrfE50wlEG8KEFKJDJGEk_wrHnw-NMbQgGuokoADIWpxgFebsFfUxPv_zk7/w640-h480/IMG_2786.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXKdxMGs0Yho0WaxdOdBJNxgrLX98MZXt7-HdyLB7sj8cVPtNt_e35zU8kbWWkMzmDgRumn5Onn0AavSP9u35hQklOpYSobVUb0U1Uhc4-JpJTIsfuZgytcrcqZ2TwEm6SbNyefWYx1KE/s4032/IMG_2790.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXKdxMGs0Yho0WaxdOdBJNxgrLX98MZXt7-HdyLB7sj8cVPtNt_e35zU8kbWWkMzmDgRumn5Onn0AavSP9u35hQklOpYSobVUb0U1Uhc4-JpJTIsfuZgytcrcqZ2TwEm6SbNyefWYx1KE/w640-h480/IMG_2790.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Apart from the dishes mentioned above, they also make the classic Pulpo a la Gallega (Galician octopus) which I am dying to try! Will definitely add the review here once I try it :) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I hope you have enjoyed my sharing. See you next time!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Lots of love,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Cherrie</i></div>Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-48898100451719920662020-12-06T10:35:00.007-08:002020-12-06T10:36:49.495-08:00Review on Bar Restaurante Rojas Clemente - lovely food outside a local food market!<p> <span style="text-align: center;">Café in Spain is not just a place where you have a coffee in most cases (unless you found yourself in Starbucks). Basically a cafeteria is a bistro or a bar where they do all day dining. Some would just stop for a coffee, some may order a few tapas and a wine, while order a 50cm long sandwich for</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><i style="text-align: center;">almuerzo (</i><span style="text-align: center;">brunch) or sit down for a</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><i style="text-align: center;">menu del día </i><span style="text-align: center;">(menu of the day). </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bar+Restaurante+Rojas+Clemente/@39.4726824,-0.3854171,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x6544ae85ebb9a791?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj4lbrP_rntAhWL3OAKHdkXCN8Q_BIwE3oECBkQBQ">Bar Restaurante Rojas Clemente</a></b> is one of my favourite cafetería / bar that is really close to the Spanish academy I went to. While it is outside of a market like a "Dai Pan Dong 大排檔" in HK, they have one of the best food in town served at really good value too. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The other day my friend Jon and I came here for <i>menu del día</i> (lunch menu). For 12 euros, we got a starter, a main, a dessert and a coffee. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAl3KLhXE55Y4VfFd7n_P-ItkLnJOj-bPoQz8YvEoYv434wEaHN9k1-qm_P4tw6dP1KFwEE1PVT0DmVN1s2OB0VobS-qk2pNPxYPY6KD6ILv-Yt1dIqGlXmoRbJi_3EOdrXkmEFedBQbIy/s4032/IMG_2051.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAl3KLhXE55Y4VfFd7n_P-ItkLnJOj-bPoQz8YvEoYv434wEaHN9k1-qm_P4tw6dP1KFwEE1PVT0DmVN1s2OB0VobS-qk2pNPxYPY6KD6ILv-Yt1dIqGlXmoRbJi_3EOdrXkmEFedBQbIy/w480-h640/IMG_2051.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We both got the <i><b>Pastel del Día</b> </i>(Tart of the day) for the starter. This is absolutely a must-order and we get it every time when we come for almuerzo (like breakfast / brunch). The tart is different everyday but it is usually a homemade thin, flaky pastry filled with vegetables and goat cheese. This one is made with stewed tomato and aubergines which is our favourite It never fails to impress! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTy2osKO60X4GPd9iL0XQuQW9rAVvWgVrPRA3kKEobREGAHEDLz2-4D-w8cLUw61X1iyWTR4EVgn8o7wTuBkujeF38MakCEXELvI53hHhuY_ilJ2ObwD7InqSES5l8TyOd2wKBOWowrgr/s4032/IMG_2063.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTy2osKO60X4GPd9iL0XQuQW9rAVvWgVrPRA3kKEobREGAHEDLz2-4D-w8cLUw61X1iyWTR4EVgn8o7wTuBkujeF38MakCEXELvI53hHhuY_ilJ2ObwD7InqSES5l8TyOd2wKBOWowrgr/w480-h640/IMG_2063.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">For main, Jon got the seared Salmon and I ordered this <b>octopus stew served with crispy potato and grilled red pepper and some paprika</b>. To be honest I usually prefer having octopus grill but this dish was pretty good too. It was flavourful yet the octopus was cooked just right.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUFP1h-b6K6KQGbGOAFF-JBKhOge8rSDPl43uvfukiwTwbYVFt9-6sOxSeJmVpUhxenEL1WbYfdUhDRwRsD5wUsPUgRu1RXgOH6gM3JGG2j5naQVo8p8z2KLbIxu4pnbO383T1JQMIggDZ/s4032/IMG_2065.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUFP1h-b6K6KQGbGOAFF-JBKhOge8rSDPl43uvfukiwTwbYVFt9-6sOxSeJmVpUhxenEL1WbYfdUhDRwRsD5wUsPUgRu1RXgOH6gM3JGG2j5naQVo8p8z2KLbIxu4pnbO383T1JQMIggDZ/w480-h640/IMG_2065.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">For dessert there are so many choices. I love their cakes because they are so homey and they are brilliantly delicious! Jon loves their chocolate cake which is rich and with bits of nuts inside. Meanwhile I love this <b>almond cake</b> <b>served with the classic <i>l</i></b><i><b>eche merengada</b>,</i> a a frozen smoothie of milk, egg white, cinnamon, sugar and lemon, and top with more cinnamon. The cake was so spongy with a lovely scent of almond. Don't miss it if you have a sweet tooth!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We finish the meal with a nice cup of coffee.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In case you wonder, you can also order all the above dishes separately and dishes are available while stock lasts 😆 For instance, you can also order the tart of the day for Almuerzo:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6bP3sXBgOyooYKK0td2n3YuEZ6p26ytl-LIe_CKhetyN9cBeICfS-tXnd0CFAx9CK0TdGnWF11YuyZJ6nEA1Km8K9CuOi_78wizqSEvZ-FWQh8TZ_k8ueBCjzv2X3Ww3sX59tpc2l_iD/s2048/F0069BC6-48F6-4E25-BC52-0238F02C61FA_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6bP3sXBgOyooYKK0td2n3YuEZ6p26ytl-LIe_CKhetyN9cBeICfS-tXnd0CFAx9CK0TdGnWF11YuyZJ6nEA1Km8K9CuOi_78wizqSEvZ-FWQh8TZ_k8ueBCjzv2X3Ww3sX59tpc2l_iD/w480-h640/F0069BC6-48F6-4E25-BC52-0238F02C61FA_1_201_a.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is the goat cheese, spinach and tomato tart which is also super good! In the background there is Adri with this huge sandwich and coke for almuerzo (brunch) XD</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If you order the tart and a drink, it will cost you around 6 euros. Meanwhile, this whole menu with drink and coffee is only 12 euros which is such a good deal!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU4VA2lwuZrm-lY4xWiKTTUkwDZl64iBjqWdDfcUw3wPZl2b-W3lmWrWg6rqCY41_BdTeTwkH2iMydovsKhKO3hE2_jpwNVAuBhOH0WEZxOTUs1BU1l9L1YQH4O256AGH-8_EZu0tIhafK/s4032/IMG_2047.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU4VA2lwuZrm-lY4xWiKTTUkwDZl64iBjqWdDfcUw3wPZl2b-W3lmWrWg6rqCY41_BdTeTwkH2iMydovsKhKO3hE2_jpwNVAuBhOH0WEZxOTUs1BU1l9L1YQH4O256AGH-8_EZu0tIhafK/w640-h480/IMG_2047.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Having a drink or a meal on the terrace is huge thing in Spain and I love this culture because you can enjoy the sun and the fresh air while not having to be cramped inside the restaurant. One thing to keep in mind when dining in Spain is never judge a place by its look. This place is a local bar that probably not offer the most fancy experience, but they are definitely one of the bar in town offering a really good value. And don't worry if you don't under the menu because the staff is really nice there and they would explain it to you in fluent English! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Check out for more menu del día or almuerzo reviews.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I hope you enjoy my sharing. See you next time!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Lots of love,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Cherrie</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-56641797486597174402020-12-06T08:31:00.018-08:002020-12-07T05:48:15.960-08:00Review on Restaurante Camaleón - Amazing 3-course birthday lunch!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We went to <b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Restaurante+Camaleón/@39.464421,-0.3834065,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x9b55e1e4f96ba0c2!8m2!3d39.464421!4d-0.3834065?hl=es">Restaurante Camaleón</a></b> for lunch for Adri's birthday and I have to say it has become one of my favourite restaurant in Valencia ever since and I can't stop talking about it! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Adri said this place normally serve fusion and cool tapas like<i> </i><a href="https://cherriehui.blogspot.com/2020/09/la-omma-gastrobar-exceptional-tapas.html">La Omma Gastrobar (see review)</a> but due to the covid situation, they serve <i>menu del día</i> (menu of the day) instead during lunch time and we could only book 1:30pm or 3pm. Now I know having a fixed 90 minutes time to eat is nothing so uncommon in Hong Kong but in Spain people eat and chat for hours at the table! Though given the tough business situation, we all try to work around the rules of the restaurant so that they can make enough to survive while we all get to enjoy eating out even with the capacity control.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The <i>Menu del día</i> is a 3-course lunch including starter, main-course, a dessert or a coffee for around 14 euros. It is slightly higher price than normal <i>menu</i> given it does not include drink but it is of really good value given the quality of the food and the overall experience especially in Valencia city centre!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">To start off, we ordered the chicken & potato salad and the cured beef valencia tomato salad. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZR9b_1aJl9WQJ2Hzr43-VaThi4MnHiFSYPJfNh_1s_2LEMyQzwy225lu02yE7UcfEJCCBQ01D5GG9uE0iRKNk2hX9QopYM3rWIhQK6viIT-ULYu0TDfxmqczuvS4YXdMvDO4CAXmO0E-/s4032/IMG_2523.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZR9b_1aJl9WQJ2Hzr43-VaThi4MnHiFSYPJfNh_1s_2LEMyQzwy225lu02yE7UcfEJCCBQ01D5GG9uE0iRKNk2hX9QopYM3rWIhQK6viIT-ULYu0TDfxmqczuvS4YXdMvDO4CAXmO0E-/w480-h640/IMG_2523.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The <b>chicken and potato salad</b> was served a sweet green chilli cream and red pepper paste, with chunks of roast chicken chunks and some fresh, crunchy radish slices. Usually I am a bit skeptical with this kind of fancy looking dish but actually the taste was pretty good too. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRkMqGC1oilVNPoK04aWATKbR15nHp51WnayQenRmxUBTBCgAaawSfm9i54IkKu5S-5vISh55AgJ9MnQZ9dR1ezndOh8QIWb246gyI9etLfpKc8MhjUNtD1YwcDghQ9IwvaEJV7rlJpujr/s4032/IMG_2531.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRkMqGC1oilVNPoK04aWATKbR15nHp51WnayQenRmxUBTBCgAaawSfm9i54IkKu5S-5vISh55AgJ9MnQZ9dR1ezndOh8QIWb246gyI9etLfpKc8MhjUNtD1YwcDghQ9IwvaEJV7rlJpujr/w640-h480/IMG_2531.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In comparison, this <b>cured beef and Valencian tomato salad</b> was a little bit more surprising. <i>Cecina's </i>meat flavour is a lot stronger than normal <i>Jamón Serrano </i>(serrano ham) given it is cured beef and that it has less fat. It was perfectly paired with the sweet and crunchy Valencian tomato while the masala sauce and the fresh basil gave it a final spicy touch. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibsT_rOHqrstDKKijSNBxb9EQUvKH-IufeKsUSz22J08eoXZf5xhOy7d8x4Zx98UxbJP8BM0Y_GDGGU0bDRUgtaovCXv8rnKqdwAepBP4tMmkE7dNnMN7fTkdAWkypHiHn7SarjwSciqoq/s4032/IMG_2527.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibsT_rOHqrstDKKijSNBxb9EQUvKH-IufeKsUSz22J08eoXZf5xhOy7d8x4Zx98UxbJP8BM0Y_GDGGU0bDRUgtaovCXv8rnKqdwAepBP4tMmkE7dNnMN7fTkdAWkypHiHn7SarjwSciqoq/w300-h400/IMG_2527.HEIC" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWJ-HO77mpLU_mLt8dAw1tt1CwFnNfBow3psAnXHFUfncSvGChcVEpqp7Jdgm72xE6dqlbdqXVZDgCJ48wOBP1g1K6NGTWWef3NpjLr2lQFEtR2lTyMTMEhVs-qbw79sl5ZKGZRHQbwSd/s4032/IMG_2529.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWJ-HO77mpLU_mLt8dAw1tt1CwFnNfBow3psAnXHFUfncSvGChcVEpqp7Jdgm72xE6dqlbdqXVZDgCJ48wOBP1g1K6NGTWWef3NpjLr2lQFEtR2lTyMTMEhVs-qbw79sl5ZKGZRHQbwSd/w300-h400/IMG_2529.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">They also gave us an extra dish on the house like an <i>amuse bouche </i>which was a <b>pumpkin soup served with crunchy toasted croutons, cream cheese and chives</b>. The soup was perfectly silky and the cheese made it even creamier and added a slight twist to the sweet pumpkin.</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrl3rFRXzsQT7jsMvp4DN1xLYS9kpU8-1vw65R2NEEku7z0keZko6N-kExik9LY8aTdOe2W_shcsxOfPF_jOKy6I-ndoDHu2avTT_fY_2FvcgR8LDrGLBMNU9KBy2hwdZBlo46kLOa19gk/s4032/IMG_2530.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrl3rFRXzsQT7jsMvp4DN1xLYS9kpU8-1vw65R2NEEku7z0keZko6N-kExik9LY8aTdOe2W_shcsxOfPF_jOKy6I-ndoDHu2avTT_fY_2FvcgR8LDrGLBMNU9KBy2hwdZBlo46kLOa19gk/w300-h400/IMG_2530.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Now, the<b> bread made with olive oil</b> is not free and it was not cheap neither as compared to the menu (the bread costed like 3 euros) but it was so worth ordering because it was so moist and fluffy while it was impeccably crunchy on the exterior. It was served with the classic homemade ali-oli and tomato puree. The truth is tomatoes here in Spain are so good that with only tomato on bread with olive oil is already the best authentic Spanish starter you can get. Meanwhile I know a lot of people think the Ali-oli is a garlic flavour mayonnaise, but in fact it is only olive oil and garlic grind together with a pinch of salt. It is so good that it's hard to believe it is so healthy as well!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpry11-fz3solsGL7-pL90P6adE1IHDwETN9XdyFFbrdYTXSJ-dzsU1ZOpKdq-o9hb1HgixWlYjHh0SQ5R5afZyMVADSXNvrVWG2zcxe6XJ6PSVpUrgcOWuOgmNKA1wNWsrkffe4oux0w/s4032/IMG_2534.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpry11-fz3solsGL7-pL90P6adE1IHDwETN9XdyFFbrdYTXSJ-dzsU1ZOpKdq-o9hb1HgixWlYjHh0SQ5R5afZyMVADSXNvrVWG2zcxe6XJ6PSVpUrgcOWuOgmNKA1wNWsrkffe4oux0w/w300-h400/IMG_2534.HEIC" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtHtOL44-eIF5g1s3kDYDkhCHqH9ZYEkVDPkqsVfSGGyA7UyjsaSqaR4_C0wk2BorWhyphenhyphenZCMb6lUBWhAIIH-jrkO8FuRGW85FGCOYjDUzuSyfcQ74ABe33jBeYfVdL8xiOfXk2DemC_fhq4/s4032/IMG_2537.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtHtOL44-eIF5g1s3kDYDkhCHqH9ZYEkVDPkqsVfSGGyA7UyjsaSqaR4_C0wk2BorWhyphenhyphenZCMb6lUBWhAIIH-jrkO8FuRGW85FGCOYjDUzuSyfcQ74ABe33jBeYfVdL8xiOfXk2DemC_fhq4/w300-h400/IMG_2537.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><br />For main, we ordered the <i><b>Arroz Meloso</b></i> which is a typical juicy rice with different type of fresh seafood such as shrimps, squid, clams, baby crab etc. in a fish broth. It was packed with amazing flavour, so rich and luscious while the rice was nice done without being too soft and soggy. The portion was also huge and there was so much seafood! We had to pack away half of the rice and we had it for lunch the next day. It was still finger-licking good. It was so good. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qqumLycykBl51JNOYIGg_LVCgYBZP1huIBui69k9GCtS775OhYjdw1s8YPBP7ropIqXnjYn-Bf0gEgv9fgvpM86fVNw9syzHXZYvf7VAumZiUaZL7KX_Fe6nINZQqAjWzeuTK3RH6R5M/s4032/IMG_2543.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qqumLycykBl51JNOYIGg_LVCgYBZP1huIBui69k9GCtS775OhYjdw1s8YPBP7ropIqXnjYn-Bf0gEgv9fgvpM86fVNw9syzHXZYvf7VAumZiUaZL7KX_Fe6nINZQqAjWzeuTK3RH6R5M/w400-h300/IMG_2543.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>And obvious we picked the dessert over the coffee even though we really couldn't eat more (there is always space for dessert). When our <b>chocolate cake </b>and <b>cheesecake</b> I was thrilled. The thing is I get fascinated by these homemade-looking dessert. Both of them were gorgeously smooth and flavourful without giving you a sugar overdose. The chocolate cake was my favourite if I had to choose one because it was so silky and mellow, and the chocolate flavour was intense with a slight salty note to it. </div><div><br /></div><div>I always prefer these than the French ones where they make it so fancy with the layer of ganache and jelly or whatever it is that almost like you are eating a piece of art. Not that I don't appreciate this kind really delicately-looking tiny piece of cake from the French patisserie that I could probably finish in one-bite (though people insist to use knife and fork and I always suspect that they need to feel better given they are paying so much for what it really is), but I often think if a cake is good, it doesn't need all that fancy decoration. If you have a nice, delicious cake, the rest is just flaff really. ❤</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtltYMaV40oevqDZAecaIdPrabXwg6qQvzUYvTCprem4yKA_eYdeEzOfEGXBtC7kuY9tskhOYVwMdF-oMdX5w2yzGIgaw6G6TTWPSb-PK7lqoIR0jJ4ulM9_8puBaZERpAmekvNAObYsu6/s4032/IMG_2526.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtltYMaV40oevqDZAecaIdPrabXwg6qQvzUYvTCprem4yKA_eYdeEzOfEGXBtC7kuY9tskhOYVwMdF-oMdX5w2yzGIgaw6G6TTWPSb-PK7lqoIR0jJ4ulM9_8puBaZERpAmekvNAObYsu6/w480-h640/IMG_2526.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One thing to add on it that Restaurante Camaléon is a Estrella Galicia cellar which means they serve fresh Estrella Galicia beer as well as their reserved brand 1906 on tap transported straight from the factory. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So glad to spend birthday with this one 💘 with overflowing of food! It is also really fun to have both of our birthdays next to each other because then we can have a whole "cheat-week" feeling like birthday. 😙<a href="https://cherriehui.blogspot.com/2020/09/la-omma-gastrobar-exceptional-tapas.html">See how we spent our birthdays 1st time together</a>.</div><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;">I hope you like my sharing! See you next time. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Lots of love,</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Cherrie</i> </p></div>Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-71264340090001579172020-12-02T11:24:00.010-08:002020-12-07T05:47:23.823-08:00Review on Bar Mistela - First almuerzo after COVID-19<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Few weeks ago, after I had my Spanish C1 exam, Adri came to pick me up and we went for lunch. We were eating an ultra-salty anchovy sandwich when Adri told me that he could not taste or smell anything. Turned out that he was tested positive for COVID-19 and since we had (a lot of) contact before, I also stayed in isolation, which was already my 3rd isolation after lockdown. 😭 </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Luckily he only lost his smell and taste for around 10 days without other symptoms. But we both suffered from a lot of pressure given we did not know if we would have passed it to someone else before he got tested positive. Given the economy in Spain is drastic at the moment, people can lose their jobs just because they had contact with someone tested positive and can't go to work! 😭 Meanwhile since some people don't show any symptoms, they could have passed it the higher risk group that suffer from more symptoms... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Anyway thank god we are both totally fine now and Adri has also recovered his smell and taste. After the official confinement period indicated by the doctor, we went to this really popular place called <b><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bar+Mistela/@39.495668,-0.3840628,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0xd60456b0b2690a9:0x88e39d51d227c5dc!8m2!3d39.495668!4d-0.3818688?hl=es">Bar Mistela</a> </b>for Almuerzo. We needed to get out of the house so bad! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK65COQadRfoYIEeEln_0B5XYNq9YHeoP_Toil1upMAGiNOR_zpZgaYfT7bS1uoPTqQIb5I9KrBIUkztsRv_6ZhJFhuLybTYmKREqFqXhJPMHR66fW6JslN5vN1YHgzbPHF5YXmJnu0d2O/s4032/IMG_2646.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK65COQadRfoYIEeEln_0B5XYNq9YHeoP_Toil1upMAGiNOR_zpZgaYfT7bS1uoPTqQIb5I9KrBIUkztsRv_6ZhJFhuLybTYmKREqFqXhJPMHR66fW6JslN5vN1YHgzbPHF5YXmJnu0d2O/w240-h320/IMG_2646.HEIC" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKr4nc5DBlSZsCq9Iz-ulQPCR0kUvs7YxwFOwjSKBh_Z62yBPvwyE5u96pQe_fUUxI7HcLKoksr9EC68XvHMlrmQmerFhJ_YHc-GTtiedPZpe4DiUi489KZbKeLetoi8eKpaHxsPPYvmJS/s1024/WhatsApp+Image+2020-12-02+at+16.07.10+%25281%2529.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKr4nc5DBlSZsCq9Iz-ulQPCR0kUvs7YxwFOwjSKBh_Z62yBPvwyE5u96pQe_fUUxI7HcLKoksr9EC68XvHMlrmQmerFhJ_YHc-GTtiedPZpe4DiUi489KZbKeLetoi8eKpaHxsPPYvmJS/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2020-12-02+at+16.07.10+%25281%2529.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">To start off, we ordered their famous Torrezno which is deep fried salted belly pork. It was super crunchy outside and chewy inside with the perfect layer of pork fat. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">They serve several Almuerzo menu, all at pretty good deal to be honest.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0ubN02qYvq9a_dU3ckgccCjAAeofnHzSxKpzhTB8KppHCa2uxKwG3t7bgxRo8scbLFmQwDj9-4LYu-wHPYQWdl-Ni_mpRCsJODNdjlETqLtvNTabn1swzVZuoRA5KCEJ3QmQYbC2jSSN/s1014/Screenshot+2020-12-02+at+19.42.25.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="1014" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0ubN02qYvq9a_dU3ckgccCjAAeofnHzSxKpzhTB8KppHCa2uxKwG3t7bgxRo8scbLFmQwDj9-4LYu-wHPYQWdl-Ni_mpRCsJODNdjlETqLtvNTabn1swzVZuoRA5KCEJ3QmQYbC2jSSN/w400-h325/Screenshot+2020-12-02+at+19.42.25.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You can order a half sandwich (15cm / <span style="text-align: left;">€5), a normal (25cm / </span><span style="text-align: left;">€6) or a <i>Masclet</i> (50cm / </span>€10) with pickled olives, toasted peanut, a drink (water, soft drink or beer) and a coffee included. We ordered 2 sandwiches to share.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-Y2r1UqqNuJOP3KkqhAVtw3pgeaN5sISMzgtQA_rJt8lGldWPkPMX0WkPdU3khK08ZbpfxFjIk1EfhkUv7Ak4Pf2TvCJs1Zk2m41M-i0uZX6_KKb0pXfH_IdDTOPwRtTJQArmHSw5lFd/s1024/WhatsApp+Image+2020-12-02+at+16.07.10.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-Y2r1UqqNuJOP3KkqhAVtw3pgeaN5sISMzgtQA_rJt8lGldWPkPMX0WkPdU3khK08ZbpfxFjIk1EfhkUv7Ak4Pf2TvCJs1Zk2m41M-i0uZX6_KKb0pXfH_IdDTOPwRtTJQArmHSw5lFd/w480-h640/WhatsApp+Image+2020-12-02+at+16.07.10.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The first one was the sandwich of the week served with pork loin roasted in low temperature, cured cheese, picked union, rocket and mustard mayonnaise. The meat was so tender that it combined perfectly with the melted rich cheese, while the rocket gave it a fresh touch and the mustard mayo balanced out the greasiness. The bread of also undoubtedly fresh, crunchy on the outside but super spongy and spongy on the inside.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNrQxRbIbFVOHODB9brAk-BmZK6qmJc32waY-SFsbCQPe6o6iwrL-QAs66A9byIC7aILTjo5gYucP_oLvzh0kRVGKn3zvECxxoO6BXbXZGILQgbbcFw5gyl7k5Kpv4tOsUP7Xt3CXgF23/s4032/IMG_2645.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNrQxRbIbFVOHODB9brAk-BmZK6qmJc32waY-SFsbCQPe6o6iwrL-QAs66A9byIC7aILTjo5gYucP_oLvzh0kRVGKn3zvECxxoO6BXbXZGILQgbbcFw5gyl7k5Kpv4tOsUP7Xt3CXgF23/w480-h640/IMG_2645.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We also ordered one of the classics - <i>Calamares a la Andaluza</i> which is basically a squid ring sandwich with mayonnaise. The squid rings were flavourful and moist with a light batter. You can't go wrong with that really.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZ1F8jisxIcPRHyXia2qQ8uT3z8E4j158MRZpO4qNniMfD0IkLNSS0OGwwMbcH2hBgrd4UR_bb5vtSHHkPNulypnN74cWNxSwMXp8RlNjOxyir3WXT87rxz-M4ZKaoU9lvRqPTYX2tSX3/s4032/IMG_2644.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZ1F8jisxIcPRHyXia2qQ8uT3z8E4j158MRZpO4qNniMfD0IkLNSS0OGwwMbcH2hBgrd4UR_bb5vtSHHkPNulypnN74cWNxSwMXp8RlNjOxyir3WXT87rxz-M4ZKaoU9lvRqPTYX2tSX3/w300-h400/IMG_2644.HEIC" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMaeJIz5UeXb1zRiJSYsVHT8_lO8ABREFFLfeDPPUEwibxuPOR4PFef6oSL2TwKhaVJHpdx7-GRll1YCjzdDLog2bh9MYMacvXG0-y2V1w42Ngg25PkTS27KqEmKQG8YoPuYStT9f4vQD/s4032/IMG_2642.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMaeJIz5UeXb1zRiJSYsVHT8_lO8ABREFFLfeDPPUEwibxuPOR4PFef6oSL2TwKhaVJHpdx7-GRll1YCjzdDLog2bh9MYMacvXG0-y2V1w42Ngg25PkTS27KqEmKQG8YoPuYStT9f4vQD/w300-h400/IMG_2642.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Despite it was a rainy day (which is really rare in Valencia and everyone here goes panic when it rains here), there was a long queue outside the bar and we were just dying to go out, especially to have an almuerzo which we both love! It is actually a really nice bar but since we did not want to queue in the queue, we prefer to sit outside with out jacket on under the awning. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">To finish I had a Americano and Adri ordered a <i>Cremaet</i> (<a href="https://cherriehui.blogspot.com/2020/09/what-should-we-desayunar-have-for.html">see blog about Spanish breakfast & coffees</a>) and a <i>Mistela</i>. Yes <i>Mistela</i> is actually a Valencian sweet dessert liquor and this bar serves their own Mistela (given being called <i><b>Bar Mistela</b></i>... duh). It's worth having a try if you haven't tasted it before!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Every week they have different dish and sandwich of the week and you can find out in their Instagram. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/barmistela/">@barmistela</a>. I really look forward to come back to try more of their other dishes in the future.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It felt so good to be able to go out again after isolation even though it is just to have a nice sandwich in a bar. It is not only for the symptoms but also the mental health that one can suffer. I really hope it is not far for us to go back to normality and be able to travel again.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope you enjoy my sharing. See you next time!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Lots of love,</i></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Cherrie</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p></div>Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-30153789218334648682020-12-02T03:31:00.014-08:002021-04-07T11:23:30.769-07:00First semester as part-time student in Imperial College!<p style="text-align: center;">So excited to be selected as a student content creator for the Imperial College Business School marketing team for 2020/21! The below blog will also be available on the <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/business-school/blogs/student-blog/my-first-few-months-part-time-student-imperial-college-business-school/">School's student blog</a>. :) </p><p style="text-align: center;">I started my MSc Strategic Marketing online programme with Imperial College Business School in Sep and I can’t believe how fast time has flew! I am already finishing my 1st semester while it felt like yesterday when I went to London to collect my student card! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVt577ErqbTT7zMVvyT8l71pF_GwdW99dwTyPoIKthX1MKD8lfLp7ikYzx90JZV1EOZLfSuyUPpDyTDJuab9kwEAx6A451WC-ulc1sDrvLZ8mslmNB-wZYhiHH7NBQuvwg1a8npevk2v5/s2048/IMG_2239.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVt577ErqbTT7zMVvyT8l71pF_GwdW99dwTyPoIKthX1MKD8lfLp7ikYzx90JZV1EOZLfSuyUPpDyTDJuab9kwEAx6A451WC-ulc1sDrvLZ8mslmNB-wZYhiHH7NBQuvwg1a8npevk2v5/w480-h640/IMG_2239.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">The MSc Strategic Marketing programme has actually been available for 10 years and I was really excited to join this programme given it is one of the best marketing master programme in the world. I was thrilled to find out that starting from this year this programme can also be done online in part-time mode so I can continue with my personal engagements as well as pursue the master at the same time. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmiYp5ix1YdVUR-DYcnZinO5ztYEz-Mui48qpoaYy7XZDjTrS7bwW0V7f4NA3jX1-kFMjljn-Vnje1NZH6lvaD90cyAqym0LzBc0xkbkqbar7qiG_cjiCxZWuxCCEpCb_4J6jJwMwRx6D5/s1462/Screenshot+2020-12-02+at+12.58.02.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1026" data-original-width="1462" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmiYp5ix1YdVUR-DYcnZinO5ztYEz-Mui48qpoaYy7XZDjTrS7bwW0V7f4NA3jX1-kFMjljn-Vnje1NZH6lvaD90cyAqym0LzBc0xkbkqbar7qiG_cjiCxZWuxCCEpCb_4J6jJwMwRx6D5/w400-h281/Screenshot+2020-12-02+at+12.58.02.png" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">In this first semester, we studied Strategic Marketing Management, Consumer Behaviour and Digital Marketing. Most of the study materials are posted on The Hub. There is a huge variety of materials such as videos, research journals, as well as activities where we can learn from each other within the peer group.This is how The Hub looks like: </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJX9PsHn0NDjgUhTs56qrN-sGSljS_nhyGR6j8jV8956t1391GzCQVI5fouanGSGK7Q8aHIMGuYAusdu6GlLJVV3qc3u5XEM7ilBrxs9k9RNdoZxuu-l80Oza9ncBV9WlSKCNlpR6blU6/s1493/Screenshot+2020-12-01+at+19.27.48.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1493" data-original-width="1399" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJX9PsHn0NDjgUhTs56qrN-sGSljS_nhyGR6j8jV8956t1391GzCQVI5fouanGSGK7Q8aHIMGuYAusdu6GlLJVV3qc3u5XEM7ilBrxs9k9RNdoZxuu-l80Oza9ncBV9WlSKCNlpR6blU6/w600-h640/Screenshot+2020-12-01+at+19.27.48.png" width="600" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p> </p><p>We also have life classes once every week, one in morning session and another in the afternoon session so students from different time zones can join whichever one that fits their schedule. All of the learning materials are very up-to-date and practical. For instance, some concepts were taught and applied in the current market situation impacted by Covid-19.</p><p><br /></p><p>This is what a live class looks like.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmAihoSRjSGzvPNL2nod0phW2WI8Biyr7lTKIHGdbFWGzVi4lrW5GTMt05W3GN37Lh6Dg8UaCdB1dIQl2RVnijrrY3y_NZlF6EOhYOKq2ofpapJ2YMME0kRo-tNI1fYcfSdGY3VARTpFMv/s2048/Screenshot+2020-10-20+at+20.42.09.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmAihoSRjSGzvPNL2nod0phW2WI8Biyr7lTKIHGdbFWGzVi4lrW5GTMt05W3GN37Lh6Dg8UaCdB1dIQl2RVnijrrY3y_NZlF6EOhYOKq2ofpapJ2YMME0kRo-tNI1fYcfSdGY3VARTpFMv/w640-h400/Screenshot+2020-10-20+at+20.42.09.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>My favourite subject is Consumer Behaviour because classes are very interactive even though it is an online programme. We always get timely feedback and we can learn a lot in exercises such as Image Tile where each student upload a real-life business example of concept taught by the professor. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCbnKNL8WdJXY_SJPsCLlX1Rd1SyGKVbKTm4kbGDeRizj1wvWR4N21GKGm4-7iizJ9tsw2NT3Ax6hjh0Cz__qGnXX_z6czEpPeHhCl5vLXdesCxhM6rjOJJ6kihvbswOKCDEgFe-2p-KKc/s1292/Screenshot+2020-12-01+at+19.44.45.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1292" data-original-width="1016" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCbnKNL8WdJXY_SJPsCLlX1Rd1SyGKVbKTm4kbGDeRizj1wvWR4N21GKGm4-7iizJ9tsw2NT3Ax6hjh0Cz__qGnXX_z6czEpPeHhCl5vLXdesCxhM6rjOJJ6kihvbswOKCDEgFe-2p-KKc/w504-h640/Screenshot+2020-12-01+at+19.44.45.png" width="504" /></a></div><br /><p>Meanwhile we were also assigned to different syndicated group for group work. In my group we have 6 people coming from different nationality, namely American, British, Belgian, Chinese, German and Singaporean. The group work that we had to do were really interesting as well! For Strategic Marketing Management, we worked together on a marketing plan video to launch a new product, while for digital marketing, we were to analyse the digital marketing strategy of an actual business. Not only could I apply what I learnt in real business situations, it was also a great opportunity to learn how to work in a virtual team effectively especially when all of us are from very different background.</p><p><br /></p><p>While studying for the master, I also work as a student ambassador in the Imperial Enterprise Lab. The E-Lab provides plenty of support, ranging from idea surgery to mentoring services, to students and alumni who are interested in starting their own business. They also organize different regular events such as the How To … Talk series as well as annual programmes like Venture Catalyst Challenge to provide workshops, expertise support and funding to students to make their business ideas come true.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATsVgMYAQYojkjSqDcf5J2YVGlsthv1QGlNNLURkaBs76WyjmCE8njj4IygoBua8ByBFdsEpx3dpHdF79qeUKM1rP9RPe4xd1jDYJotMKRYgwCphfLVBHhSd1iqCYoKYOwABxt5Y450RE/s2048/Screenshot+2020-12-01+at+18.36.13.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1272" data-original-width="2048" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATsVgMYAQYojkjSqDcf5J2YVGlsthv1QGlNNLURkaBs76WyjmCE8njj4IygoBua8ByBFdsEpx3dpHdF79qeUKM1rP9RPe4xd1jDYJotMKRYgwCphfLVBHhSd1iqCYoKYOwABxt5Y450RE/w640-h398/Screenshot+2020-12-01+at+18.36.13.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">As a student ambassador, I support preparation of social media content and other marketing materials such as the newsletter as well as news articles going up onto the website. This allows me to put into practice what I have learnt in my marketing courses and it is hands-on experience that would help me to find a marketing job in the future.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">On the side, I am also talking Spanish classes in Spain and I have just completed DELE C1 professional level. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7bq0sZEW13VWkFSfRH4rXb76LDhjBHlJEc_f7txy4h9IIkdOleLPtMZIsEP23mid1Soi0Y_qZpQQhZOZGnvPnUK5wVcfs0sz1bKwU_H5PVFH9-DVfBAsdFkUacFENr1r57HjlcuT9B8N/s2048/IMG_2029.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7bq0sZEW13VWkFSfRH4rXb76LDhjBHlJEc_f7txy4h9IIkdOleLPtMZIsEP23mid1Soi0Y_qZpQQhZOZGnvPnUK5wVcfs0sz1bKwU_H5PVFH9-DVfBAsdFkUacFENr1r57HjlcuT9B8N/w640-h480/IMG_2029.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">One of the things I like the most about this part-time online master programme is that I manage schoolwork quite well with my other engagement given the flexibility it provides. I really looking forward to what is coming next and working with other people from different nationalities in the next semester.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Lots of Love,</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Cherrie</i></p><p><br /></p>Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-19458272233470063672020-11-08T12:08:00.013-08:002020-12-07T05:44:22.522-08:00Birthday week!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Despite all the heavy school work and Covid, these 2 weeks we have done marathon style (legal) birthday celebrations for my birthday as well as Adri's birthday!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUrw47DZSlaygsP03j3T_9HTBz7m3z0F_hUFIASK2HCoOFRUClBO5jpOoNuYegsmHMiAhqxpGlgz-bnPpPXpw3Nm08hiva0gNVc1EyY64NKsDjFYv3sh0k8VAbljfeVXuOWSifLPssMFkD/s1600/1e70de7f-bb5a-4ca7-b176-cb5d476b48f2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUrw47DZSlaygsP03j3T_9HTBz7m3z0F_hUFIASK2HCoOFRUClBO5jpOoNuYegsmHMiAhqxpGlgz-bnPpPXpw3Nm08hiva0gNVc1EyY64NKsDjFYv3sh0k8VAbljfeVXuOWSifLPssMFkD/w300-h400/1e70de7f-bb5a-4ca7-b176-cb5d476b48f2.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDNQce_qAGJMG9X2YJl-27ktICgV4q1nSQal89-wG_BGs2AkKJlN5p-Vy05D1y906ps-8KBblXtC_4krzaTiwtA8WmAfUlhYr0fEPlUwD73epZNAy5TY91PMNd856YZ_zKCs_nXcbgeEI/s4032/IMG_2490.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDNQce_qAGJMG9X2YJl-27ktICgV4q1nSQal89-wG_BGs2AkKJlN5p-Vy05D1y906ps-8KBblXtC_4krzaTiwtA8WmAfUlhYr0fEPlUwD73epZNAy5TY91PMNd856YZ_zKCs_nXcbgeEI/w300-h400/IMG_2490.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><br /> I felt so pampered on my birthday, waking up to a surprise breakfast pack ordered by my Argentinian flatmates!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwQSLYybOzuRo58wK6Whcp8VCSndCGPUAz4UmfKwv9ANEiTJr-hIMUA7nd5ncn7-6KieGa3WEh-vbpdN2v8M84xCL1I7uhd_pn_jSswBuiMYIf4QzpvN7MSkqcmmYWzkqik6pZgpLbXwC/s4032/IMG_2456.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwQSLYybOzuRo58wK6Whcp8VCSndCGPUAz4UmfKwv9ANEiTJr-hIMUA7nd5ncn7-6KieGa3WEh-vbpdN2v8M84xCL1I7uhd_pn_jSswBuiMYIf4QzpvN7MSkqcmmYWzkqik6pZgpLbXwC/w300-h400/IMG_2456.HEIC" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNZIzishlHP4xNs7PpwBf8W-vCh0n9VAHcsCak7vNE2ebHl4uD3UBe8NjOHQzJeAnbATEmkxGIaQX-2EdPkueEtQbGCuymp7R66lVbGr3sW6vzpvG3OSCvaGyvddpdD_HjbQAWmOPD06f/s4032/IMG_2462.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNZIzishlHP4xNs7PpwBf8W-vCh0n9VAHcsCak7vNE2ebHl4uD3UBe8NjOHQzJeAnbATEmkxGIaQX-2EdPkueEtQbGCuymp7R66lVbGr3sW6vzpvG3OSCvaGyvddpdD_HjbQAWmOPD06f/w300-h400/IMG_2462.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There was sooo much to eat that I felt like the 2 of us could eat it for 2-3 days for breakfast. They also included the<i> Alfajor, </i>a classic Argentinian sweet which is a <i>Dulce de Leche</i> (burnt condense milk) biscuit sandwich covered with chocolate, <i>Torta de Membrillo</i> (which is like a jam tart), as well as scone with homemade jam!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT0tlsTPSGOQPuAfSn_-Wkt0TPgQO_Ygv6kwrXD-B6fjZ1tObfDGbr98czG2vbL97aUP0oDyjJMsI1XiKlD44fSp_M1LUtXN7jeYyoyUQx0fqWQ8Ug1z8USP2t6Xzl_S5N9Wj6FNr30-QH/s1600/14085e67-3f2f-4c68-b086-15b0aa3325f8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT0tlsTPSGOQPuAfSn_-Wkt0TPgQO_Ygv6kwrXD-B6fjZ1tObfDGbr98czG2vbL97aUP0oDyjJMsI1XiKlD44fSp_M1LUtXN7jeYyoyUQx0fqWQ8Ug1z8USP2t6Xzl_S5N9Wj6FNr30-QH/w300-h400/14085e67-3f2f-4c68-b086-15b0aa3325f8.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaqEb5BfABHUR2F5sJiJ__Mf_C5Yj9dESLTSLtZFzFrVi91Otdh9fkc-xlNjseZzfbLWyCWNOKNo710FxV5wHMxkpQqjqt0b30KPCMkZTdEcCqOneE8K6u8lnbWTW0jUoRoruRZy7vfc6/s1600/03ed5bc8-f84c-45f7-bfb9-e21441a9d536.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaqEb5BfABHUR2F5sJiJ__Mf_C5Yj9dESLTSLtZFzFrVi91Otdh9fkc-xlNjseZzfbLWyCWNOKNo710FxV5wHMxkpQqjqt0b30KPCMkZTdEcCqOneE8K6u8lnbWTW0jUoRoruRZy7vfc6/w300-h400/03ed5bc8-f84c-45f7-bfb9-e21441a9d536.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This was my just-woke-up and being-spoiled happy face.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxmcXxEFZaZMlJqk8KNLlyapM-LvZwJjBR2aqSSVaJWGEzW1Vp2tHpn7oH-iL1PnR7CifyJDZa1KhyphenhyphenD54Mn_kNBILykXYkJ9JiBwvjOslL8C6n1F6PWzKre1zj18nckjc8L826G40JhNi/s4032/IMG_2478.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxmcXxEFZaZMlJqk8KNLlyapM-LvZwJjBR2aqSSVaJWGEzW1Vp2tHpn7oH-iL1PnR7CifyJDZa1KhyphenhyphenD54Mn_kNBILykXYkJ9JiBwvjOslL8C6n1F6PWzKre1zj18nckjc8L826G40JhNi/w300-h400/IMG_2478.HEIC" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJxsZz6LDvUyrDX9mtMBCq-KnuKGR-ujerL1erRl90DdmxeICTfb1SPxMvgGmM55zaQy6Cp8CzFJFZO4rrrYHuSDuqI-Z-drANql7rxLorSTX5OKQLxYQBY7hWyG8N_L9kRerwHmqqWQEL/s4032/IMG_2487.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJxsZz6LDvUyrDX9mtMBCq-KnuKGR-ujerL1erRl90DdmxeICTfb1SPxMvgGmM55zaQy6Cp8CzFJFZO4rrrYHuSDuqI-Z-drANql7rxLorSTX5OKQLxYQBY7hWyG8N_L9kRerwHmqqWQEL/w300-h400/IMG_2487.HEIC" width="300" /></a><br /><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Later on I requested a super sandwich for my birthday lunch, with fresh bread, pesto, tomato, mozzarella and chicken. We also picked up pizza for dinner (it was promotion Tuesday - 5 euros on all pizza!!) but I was too full after eating my super birthday sandwich. 😂</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA0OH2dEmHhnfuYSOpaCU2Kd770u8e-Xob26i5Gc768fCRBezvcPpwOVaanwZHGKJaYoSY6JWnQ08BBwlGTxNFtRcM_7xQ8N9D6i8ZuQqVWX_T0E5hZrYZiNTSm7KkkgQONkIbHH9z0tJ7/s4032/IMG_2492.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA0OH2dEmHhnfuYSOpaCU2Kd770u8e-Xob26i5Gc768fCRBezvcPpwOVaanwZHGKJaYoSY6JWnQ08BBwlGTxNFtRcM_7xQ8N9D6i8ZuQqVWX_T0E5hZrYZiNTSm7KkkgQONkIbHH9z0tJ7/w300-h400/IMG_2492.HEIC" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzgCV1KUP9G1ortTa4DfbJ7tetEbXwL8tJ3tBtXPIEfuzfigtz5GUSmMCZI9iKajgJFdH4acZ1j2XGy5ijXkPWZgOIBIaJ-ssmmhyphenhyphenA1gCWlSfucCSWciu9thnKqOALI1WUXTxJFdRN2vxk/s1600/68b20b26-dd6a-4e84-80b4-1e0950f68212.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzgCV1KUP9G1ortTa4DfbJ7tetEbXwL8tJ3tBtXPIEfuzfigtz5GUSmMCZI9iKajgJFdH4acZ1j2XGy5ijXkPWZgOIBIaJ-ssmmhyphenhyphenA1gCWlSfucCSWciu9thnKqOALI1WUXTxJFdRN2vxk/w300-h400/68b20b26-dd6a-4e84-80b4-1e0950f68212.jpg" width="300" /></a><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My 2 lovely friends Steffi and Jon also prepared 2 surprise cakes for me. So much love indeed! 💖</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And then a week later ... it's Adri's birthday. (yes we are both scorpios 😆😏)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I prepared Japanese Char Siu (roast pork) rice for dinner before his birthday. It was super easy to make and it turned out to be so delish!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLOris76HGOyt_FUsDfBYVTf4hQHrDsgVUZ16aAeCUDR70OwJl8krhEnmZgHnHNkO3Jkn-4EpIsqNSIN_KZmyNHyuiAuQ9_BHeucrUl0gT7W5jIjwFDc9l_woyH7B_Xlm7Y14lD4NBmie/s4032/IMG_2512.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLOris76HGOyt_FUsDfBYVTf4hQHrDsgVUZ16aAeCUDR70OwJl8krhEnmZgHnHNkO3Jkn-4EpIsqNSIN_KZmyNHyuiAuQ9_BHeucrUl0gT7W5jIjwFDc9l_woyH7B_Xlm7Y14lD4NBmie/w480-h640/IMG_2512.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then in the morning I picked up some fresh croissants after class and made smoked salmon, egg and avocado croissant for birthday breakfast ^_^</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWszIihTWuCQwIAprcHE5j8eP5AVyM71ArXyGr547KjY1G7w078SczQLQFpYUgEh6VDxSifeoPPBZlxna9yl2wFa7oavsE0Cj2CGuNdg4L_8AVQzzzMHCk0LvmqXXG8uBO_T7ZhmFDnxLp/s1600/99d74e80-6db9-49ed-8c6b-8603ebfea038.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWszIihTWuCQwIAprcHE5j8eP5AVyM71ArXyGr547KjY1G7w078SczQLQFpYUgEh6VDxSifeoPPBZlxna9yl2wFa7oavsE0Cj2CGuNdg4L_8AVQzzzMHCk0LvmqXXG8uBO_T7ZhmFDnxLp/w480-h640/99d74e80-6db9-49ed-8c6b-8603ebfea038.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Basically we ate sooo much cake in my birthday week that we decided to go for something savoury instead of making a cake. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFSzNLufp6fWb2Eez_xoGBCFfqK9plsmr1ds9IeFQf6bm7v1JEGRmTMnCTh2Iz6CV_kV_RZp-Cg09YfzqZ_keXLuTBm_zRuZWdEamrSfSnWfiJrN9o6xqkuQwmyl_AmNZTvRxHty2KfP47/s4032/IMG_2539.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFSzNLufp6fWb2Eez_xoGBCFfqK9plsmr1ds9IeFQf6bm7v1JEGRmTMnCTh2Iz6CV_kV_RZp-Cg09YfzqZ_keXLuTBm_zRuZWdEamrSfSnWfiJrN9o6xqkuQwmyl_AmNZTvRxHty2KfP47/w300-h400/IMG_2539.HEIC" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoGYB3RMHKgI2aCBQe_AE9a_ErU4MA3nHWMpCPv7q1aSR5V1pcOvoAbTg3iiDhdShSWSWCkWhPMrnLmqT5R1aiCxN1vbb5zCChexxlhaAwuUhkLzepIcQNtfQgvyWTCxcT3SNV7JVferf3/s4032/IMG_2534.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoGYB3RMHKgI2aCBQe_AE9a_ErU4MA3nHWMpCPv7q1aSR5V1pcOvoAbTg3iiDhdShSWSWCkWhPMrnLmqT5R1aiCxN1vbb5zCChexxlhaAwuUhkLzepIcQNtfQgvyWTCxcT3SNV7JVferf3/w300-h400/IMG_2534.HEIC" width="300" /></a><br /><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After that we went to Restaurante Camaleón for a lovely 3-course lunch! It was definitely one of the best restaurant I have been and you can't miss it if you ever come of Spain. <a href="https://cherriehui.blogspot.com/2020/12/review-on-restaurante-camaleon-amazing.html">See review on Restaurante Camaleón</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You think we ate a lot? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wait for it.. we also went shopping to make hotpot at night. 😆</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1oL151696KnpURuU2uMZc_x7ZTBslfjVs35UsSlwHncEM3HM8-ZK5sqtca9Ficgt9T3wjeoj_sMnYBInsafCN3ivabMxBvKnKo-WwBFu2ngJqxFjlqFPIbL319ujmDWEgZlhFzMupozZ/s4032/IMG_2549.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1oL151696KnpURuU2uMZc_x7ZTBslfjVs35UsSlwHncEM3HM8-ZK5sqtca9Ficgt9T3wjeoj_sMnYBInsafCN3ivabMxBvKnKo-WwBFu2ngJqxFjlqFPIbL319ujmDWEgZlhFzMupozZ/w300-h400/IMG_2549.HEIC" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhAnb9UkSf5KqG3YjbsZzYElXatvtlXrXX0d5E6mSSqpgLxwtE0U8-meAXkDI4si-zN4vcD1Zcv5-lzjVPQyuXdugNEt8MsjXVa-knIe0NLCTs_xksye-V4sZJsOscvbkS53_N6Tvi86B1/s4032/IMG_2551.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhAnb9UkSf5KqG3YjbsZzYElXatvtlXrXX0d5E6mSSqpgLxwtE0U8-meAXkDI4si-zN4vcD1Zcv5-lzjVPQyuXdugNEt8MsjXVa-knIe0NLCTs_xksye-V4sZJsOscvbkS53_N6Tvi86B1/w300-h400/IMG_2551.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We both loveeee hotpot so much and thank god Adri also likes spicy food. I must say it was quite an interesting experience to have hot pot with a Spaniard at home in Spain haha!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVp3uGkAsI2liU-F2xCsgoprCWYaROVpSuk8M2EFSom-YseTfrS5YG-7dpxKbG7ZwJNFajSZSkiesXfxf0nC6E3Jpac8Ss8YQaoPmr233VqGVZRkVGf9skum-2I_QhnaGSwGTa0yXh75E_/s2048/7952F5AA-2EA0-48AA-A30B-BF0BA5E737F0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVp3uGkAsI2liU-F2xCsgoprCWYaROVpSuk8M2EFSom-YseTfrS5YG-7dpxKbG7ZwJNFajSZSkiesXfxf0nC6E3Jpac8Ss8YQaoPmr233VqGVZRkVGf9skum-2I_QhnaGSwGTa0yXh75E_/w300-h400/7952F5AA-2EA0-48AA-A30B-BF0BA5E737F0.jpeg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCa_ZtZozxymd9gLgSCiaeuzj5S9nGiJzj06VneHJjxCbv7Jf49vH_8cNH13APuaXChjv4P8avr7Rav5CmfpEyLZ4ZaiZc8AVCnPB_q3S9YfCe9Uj3hlr_xtFMo3yhMwqx1Y3dKQ1ek6z/s1600/CFE6B4AA-1299-422D-BDB9-B459180AFBA9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCa_ZtZozxymd9gLgSCiaeuzj5S9nGiJzj06VneHJjxCbv7Jf49vH_8cNH13APuaXChjv4P8avr7Rav5CmfpEyLZ4ZaiZc8AVCnPB_q3S9YfCe9Uj3hlr_xtFMo3yhMwqx1Y3dKQ1ek6z/w300-h400/CFE6B4AA-1299-422D-BDB9-B459180AFBA9.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On Sunday I also made Basque cheesecake (finally he has a proper birthday cake!) but the pumpkin cake Adri's mum made was also super spongy and homey! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxds1Ned2go9bw1NdXrR01DUBAsAnbAmA1EEe-MQ3QpOlP8_ZlEdN2a-Jfmt4zResI1TDqTh9dSCR51NjwZPHnGtdaNHhkH2CfcyTv4G5a1JZbjbKW4sGVXoV4LQ2A70_m97rj7a7L_tJ/s3088/IMG_2479.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxds1Ned2go9bw1NdXrR01DUBAsAnbAmA1EEe-MQ3QpOlP8_ZlEdN2a-Jfmt4zResI1TDqTh9dSCR51NjwZPHnGtdaNHhkH2CfcyTv4G5a1JZbjbKW4sGVXoV4LQ2A70_m97rj7a7L_tJ/w300-h400/IMG_2479.HEIC" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_2XWpTbE5Tya6N6xsBJ807BMiPDkUTVPWCi9uvCa5bnifsSonuqwCjmSY63TIQBbPY4txbxcgmAxCqx5MnYB-POac9qC3yL0uF3NrLEZX8JGTtTook7KdM_QcA3FdgHMZDHMhIej27Md/s3088/IMG_2516.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_2XWpTbE5Tya6N6xsBJ807BMiPDkUTVPWCi9uvCa5bnifsSonuqwCjmSY63TIQBbPY4txbxcgmAxCqx5MnYB-POac9qC3yL0uF3NrLEZX8JGTtTook7KdM_QcA3FdgHMZDHMhIej27Md/w300-h400/IMG_2516.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipG8l7-sFl2aj_AwPp3o_MEQSNiUlnW0nN1H3zFTiD0oKVrkHUGumFD3YoqiGqniaNlYpl5nCy_3mPs5tWRW-_ojC9FzU-5E8GxtoIPNLzNCQRUO_TVYw8ngyCfOtQ72rdoBJ0B-lspIEA/s3088/IMG_2514.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipG8l7-sFl2aj_AwPp3o_MEQSNiUlnW0nN1H3zFTiD0oKVrkHUGumFD3YoqiGqniaNlYpl5nCy_3mPs5tWRW-_ojC9FzU-5E8GxtoIPNLzNCQRUO_TVYw8ngyCfOtQ72rdoBJ0B-lspIEA/w300-h400/IMG_2514.HEIC" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LLw9FGyEo6tVQyuGUWAnJ1AmyzvFMM-w4erbxGWzlWgQJnuTu12RgOoKjzsIk14-Ort8fcMMnC7SuAnJoL6-xGM5vhu2ErB81mG9vutfTOxwvlCKnKP29pSztJYh_3-SeElHxGk19_3l/s4032/IMG_2519.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LLw9FGyEo6tVQyuGUWAnJ1AmyzvFMM-w4erbxGWzlWgQJnuTu12RgOoKjzsIk14-Ort8fcMMnC7SuAnJoL6-xGM5vhu2ErB81mG9vutfTOxwvlCKnKP29pSztJYh_3-SeElHxGk19_3l/w300-h400/IMG_2519.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It is so nice to do marathon birthday celebration together. Can't wait for more to come! 💖</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Lots of love,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Cherrie</i></div><br /><p><br /></p>Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-48281034875190750892020-09-29T04:30:00.003-07:002020-12-07T04:23:59.085-08:00Review on La Finestra - One of the best pizzas in Valencia<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If you ever ask me or my friend Simón what's our favourite restaurant in Valencia, I think we would say <b><i>La Finestra</i></b> without a single second of doubt.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0JB7vTnmljPlJX5Ru7TnDwBbEjv9JOMNw8lNlp0xKztkbrige_1JshCzSnYdieVbAuk7mO9YyX_37HO7p2kNqeDwHp2EERXjqGnzzjTgJ4i2YkU7OwA9QdyCYyAF-ZDkw7nkIX1xFCT6/s4032/IMG_8668.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0JB7vTnmljPlJX5Ru7TnDwBbEjv9JOMNw8lNlp0xKztkbrige_1JshCzSnYdieVbAuk7mO9YyX_37HO7p2kNqeDwHp2EERXjqGnzzjTgJ4i2YkU7OwA9QdyCYyAF-ZDkw7nkIX1xFCT6/s320/IMG_8668.HEIC" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2BhsjEfDYeuyG9Zf8rlGqYM45BrpoTGKnvsOjVcdFrpeTTVZjDJ_santmGb-YkZHwq4u5T-hRFGWox9uSoGuny6_BB6bdWozN-eDqsO1_2ZNiLZDhOuUv_pjYhM5PhwwvEosUYs-P5daZ/s2320/IMG_9474.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="1742" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2BhsjEfDYeuyG9Zf8rlGqYM45BrpoTGKnvsOjVcdFrpeTTVZjDJ_santmGb-YkZHwq4u5T-hRFGWox9uSoGuny6_BB6bdWozN-eDqsO1_2ZNiLZDhOuUv_pjYhM5PhwwvEosUYs-P5daZ/s320/IMG_9474.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It has always been <i>our place</i> and we came here at least once every month, including our celebration for Christmas and Chinese New Year </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In <i><b>La Finestra</b></i>, the menu is simple. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Pizza Choice</b> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Surprise Pizza</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Vegetarian Pizza</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Vegan Pizza</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>(2 euros each)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDk26leR52o9S8KjbQBGsUoj7zdYBdvcuOFNDwwWD0BY-gp60z6BbmxpmMcYWJZswJcQbOr0YZv56_3aBX8Y1bWhlqPTKUm_Hr7X3PS9iEulipeG4iQncdu9zBDLMf_3KEhyphenhyphenWaHrHd0n0/s4032/IMG_0929.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDk26leR52o9S8KjbQBGsUoj7zdYBdvcuOFNDwwWD0BY-gp60z6BbmxpmMcYWJZswJcQbOr0YZv56_3aBX8Y1bWhlqPTKUm_Hr7X3PS9iEulipeG4iQncdu9zBDLMf_3KEhyphenhyphenWaHrHd0n0/w300-h400/IMG_0929.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Basically you are not sure what exactly what you are going to get, but this is part of the fun!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If you are extremely picky than this place may not be for you, but the good news is that the pizzas here are relatively small so you can order quite a few to try different flavours. You will never end up with the same pizzas in one order. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgokcQWvvsH4TH0WGj0LtpWLPgGCCYICQmJkRLBNYi9mInUm3sv4reWw4FQ3na_7LmalTHOgvecg5YygcA2IiRGAsyznqVzig5TjBoqAlOY3765Ec_IjCbyYVgYmLYfDxtldrgEs6PEij0B/s4032/IMG_8667.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgokcQWvvsH4TH0WGj0LtpWLPgGCCYICQmJkRLBNYi9mInUm3sv4reWw4FQ3na_7LmalTHOgvecg5YygcA2IiRGAsyznqVzig5TjBoqAlOY3765Ec_IjCbyYVgYmLYfDxtldrgEs6PEij0B/w300-h400/IMG_8667.HEIC" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaxgct-DDcFRk9DVu6HFYfDUWQzhd0SYOfbSE2sY69EhxfcC6z3SRozVuro7ihNq-KeOhxlKM1m0km8eeJchQRAtd6Afs3-O9UE2rUayYjtKypxrYKUaXienuoxeljFqMKkF9Z3rhIvEk/s4032/IMG_9188.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaxgct-DDcFRk9DVu6HFYfDUWQzhd0SYOfbSE2sY69EhxfcC6z3SRozVuro7ihNq-KeOhxlKM1m0km8eeJchQRAtd6Afs3-O9UE2rUayYjtKypxrYKUaXienuoxeljFqMKkF9Z3rhIvEk/w300-h400/IMG_9188.HEIC" width="300" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The pizzas are served piping hot given the turnover is high. The crisp crust and the soft and chewy dough, together with the mellow cheese is absolutely divine. My favourite ones are zucchini & blue cheese, and chorizo & pepper. But again you don't get to choose, they never disappoint neither. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8aN7ECnjP6Hrr0CUqLcf1oADTNVDzuSutZlnKgSaT73QJJII62dyGxybEFSeYqoFZqCsiVt8CjC-nWw2t1SsCc7nd7VvWqWzWygImd89UHggvk5N_GSGHAiOR6tz3LH6Hu6P1aPc_KoJl/s4032/IMG_8671.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8aN7ECnjP6Hrr0CUqLcf1oADTNVDzuSutZlnKgSaT73QJJII62dyGxybEFSeYqoFZqCsiVt8CjC-nWw2t1SsCc7nd7VvWqWzWygImd89UHggvk5N_GSGHAiOR6tz3LH6Hu6P1aPc_KoJl/w300-h400/IMG_8671.HEIC" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdhLMaSi6lERpleYLf1CPM7b5bpA3xFrJjTR3ICUm5CoUquql1aGWjV-QDGR797iAOwWc0rxPkL-n7ieiyHYDLCyYnrl8H7b30OkLRjqo773ETkUC1n7PuRDHUuvzSSb0LiJBaSHSGM5T/s4032/IMG_9184.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdhLMaSi6lERpleYLf1CPM7b5bpA3xFrJjTR3ICUm5CoUquql1aGWjV-QDGR797iAOwWc0rxPkL-n7ieiyHYDLCyYnrl8H7b30OkLRjqo773ETkUC1n7PuRDHUuvzSSb0LiJBaSHSGM5T/w300-h400/IMG_9184.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Shared plate choice</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Burrata Cheese</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Baked Provolone Cheese</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ham and Cheese board</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>(4 euros each) </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This place is heaven on earth for any cheese lover. And the prices are just unbelievable cheap for what you get!!! The burrata is utterly creamy while the hot baked provolone is simply a lava of joy in the mouth!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintK_4EDDmO40AqpPwq4vLr9ZCWVlEVyDAxCHj44z5uoZuXXPqcEmjWsGBRB0wr8PX7S13V_pB2vSTH6c5CnmnCuwS63ppWvCnIFaWXt46VktIf4puHu3c-k9scOKOkCdDkFCFXf_DXie-/s4032/IMG_1726.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintK_4EDDmO40AqpPwq4vLr9ZCWVlEVyDAxCHj44z5uoZuXXPqcEmjWsGBRB0wr8PX7S13V_pB2vSTH6c5CnmnCuwS63ppWvCnIFaWXt46VktIf4puHu3c-k9scOKOkCdDkFCFXf_DXie-/w300-h400/IMG_1726.HEIC" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjwqWGUVOBaNYLQW2ieS_PNSfY9Z5CsKcvlTmqL0BZLlrVbreRsn1y3qJw-t4PCROo9fVTscAuInDF2J1EnvvPqYSYKLsQc1ElSvv2ADB1jr4XaxY3yCqX5w_Cs005M-kPMk08Pr_ZW83/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjwqWGUVOBaNYLQW2ieS_PNSfY9Z5CsKcvlTmqL0BZLlrVbreRsn1y3qJw-t4PCROo9fVTscAuInDF2J1EnvvPqYSYKLsQc1ElSvv2ADB1jr4XaxY3yCqX5w_Cs005M-kPMk08Pr_ZW83/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One huge bonus point is the wine here is very nice. <a href="https://www.decantalo.com/en/ca-ls-pins.html">Ca'ls Pins 2017</a> is a young organic wine produced by the a local <a href="https://bodegaslospinos.com/es/">Valencian ecological winery Los Pinos </a>. You can order a bottle for just 8 euros!! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Coming to <i><b>La Finestra</b></i> was our monthly routine. We always know exactly what to order without having to talk about it, and we always end up eating like 5-6 pizzas, sometimes 2 bottle of wines just between the 2 of us ... 😂</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Upb47pTwv4iqHOHugWx0qDNeqDaS6p00p6cSYvIAoRcIxzRoYrUW3C8qC4eZ9VBTh_7R76dvk-sQUI7fzltHGHJkgZa_Xwlx99jm8UCTE6wf-vLzrCR0ZNN4Rn_Kbx5Cd-3cdvFVS-va/s2320/IMG_9187.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="1742" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Upb47pTwv4iqHOHugWx0qDNeqDaS6p00p6cSYvIAoRcIxzRoYrUW3C8qC4eZ9VBTh_7R76dvk-sQUI7fzltHGHJkgZa_Xwlx99jm8UCTE6wf-vLzrCR0ZNN4Rn_Kbx5Cd-3cdvFVS-va/w300-h400/IMG_9187.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Unfortunately we have to be apart now since Simón had to go back to Belgium. But remember, Spain will always be your 2nd home. I miss you so much my dear friend! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Lots of love,</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Cherrie</i></div><p></p>Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-47687235780318703322020-09-28T06:00:00.002-07:002020-12-07T05:42:46.120-08:00Spanish Potato Omelette recipe - My first successful Tortilla de Patata! <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK7PuNyiks_K1D_C2_8qCT0wW7cTgN7PgofD-FIVuW3Nk767f8J5E7L7YTcCjjyFrYnYwfVikZuJLgZJUaEN7cjYYl5NbfJg8JDh_BlBxrcPbgesZMVGzyRIJICGruE1xmp2lgTQegLEvf/s4032/IMG_2151.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK7PuNyiks_K1D_C2_8qCT0wW7cTgN7PgofD-FIVuW3Nk767f8J5E7L7YTcCjjyFrYnYwfVikZuJLgZJUaEN7cjYYl5NbfJg8JDh_BlBxrcPbgesZMVGzyRIJICGruE1xmp2lgTQegLEvf/w640-h480/IMG_2151.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>Tortilla de Patata</b></i> (Spanish Potato Omelette) is one of the most popular tapas to be eaten all over Spain and it is actually more common than the <i>Paella </i>rice dish. Although it only contains egg, potato and salt (and onion if you prefer. Again it is a huge debate between all the Spaniards.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMu0jsOxj3mdzqwD1NwvgUngJumw-9C9g7U4_P6yfuBgybG81ED_bv3xruEs4FfP5Z5hLpBEeGRzswSjfWI0eKZOt0yhHtK1COlMMxBEgKIcl29I21t9m4YpJ7SXkX0A2DFs2SjcpWsWW/s4032/IMG_2143.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMu0jsOxj3mdzqwD1NwvgUngJumw-9C9g7U4_P6yfuBgybG81ED_bv3xruEs4FfP5Z5hLpBEeGRzswSjfWI0eKZOt0yhHtK1COlMMxBEgKIcl29I21t9m4YpJ7SXkX0A2DFs2SjcpWsWW/w480-h640/IMG_2143.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">However making the perfect <i>Tortilla</i> has always been a mystery for me. Not only that I am not someone who like to follow a recipe word-to-word, but because <b>the size of every potato and eggs are different</b>. There is never a one-apply-all formula. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Some people like a well-done, but I love it when it is nicely browned from the outside, but gooey in the inside like it is slightly undercooked, which is even harder to achieve!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVrhcvpJ0A4c1BwBrTRrmPr9hul0-A76B8Fo_iWqbnHHGKOGjemy30l8YAhkO6o12uA0YPpewC5i5Y6rkp7VaeePnCEZ3Pf3gRM7Qdl2SEJMjblyWMxbgKiK-Jy_A_xgtVK9jQJatvY_m/s3088/IMG_2153.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVrhcvpJ0A4c1BwBrTRrmPr9hul0-A76B8Fo_iWqbnHHGKOGjemy30l8YAhkO6o12uA0YPpewC5i5Y6rkp7VaeePnCEZ3Pf3gRM7Qdl2SEJMjblyWMxbgKiK-Jy_A_xgtVK9jQJatvY_m/w480-h640/IMG_2153.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After 2 times of disastrous failure (the potato was rather raw, the egg was too raw aka watery, too little salt, potato and egg are not sticking together...), I finally got it!! Thanks to the advice of my dear Galician friend Michael and his lovely mother Ana!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqXmliyVtNBX1l_TSfp2piwnWJK_V5zJh5CBiO1MnimNTRX9C0WB1TIs4JF1MByxvgjwwjOnRLD-7FrAhZ0Z7CXiftBUr8RU3JlQDgkOLdCTUXToxPrSfXevWAM-7_B3P4csbHa5mjezv/s4032/IMG_2145.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqXmliyVtNBX1l_TSfp2piwnWJK_V5zJh5CBiO1MnimNTRX9C0WB1TIs4JF1MByxvgjwwjOnRLD-7FrAhZ0Z7CXiftBUr8RU3JlQDgkOLdCTUXToxPrSfXevWAM-7_B3P4csbHa5mjezv/w480-h640/IMG_2145.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Again, I think it is silly to share a recipe that you need to follow word-to-word. But I do have some general tips to help you succeed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b style="text-align: left;"><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b style="text-align: left;">Proportion of Egg to potato - 3:2</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span> </span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span> <span> </span>The Egg </span><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: center;"><li style="text-align: left;"><b>Add double the salt</b> you need to season a regular French omelette into the egg (remember 40% of the omelette is potato which is not naturally salty). The salt would help to break down the egg white and help the potato to integrate better with the egg.</li></ul><div> <b>The Potato</b><br /></div></div><ul><li style="text-align: left;"><b>Slice your potato to the finest posible</b> to make it integrate well with the egg later</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b>Always deep-fry the potato</b> until golden brown / slight crispy. (nope, I know what you are thinking but pan-frying will only make the texture of your potato like as if they are still raw. Don't go down that route we have all been there... )</li></ul><div style="text-align: left;"><span><b> The Mixture (Egg & Potato)</b></span><br /></div><ul><li style="text-align: left;">After you fried the potato, pour it into the egg and salt mixture, <b>break the thinly sliced fried potato in the egg into smaller pieces and let the mixture sit for at least 10 minutes.</b> This allow the potato to integrate better into the egg making a eggy potato paste and allows the temperate of the mixture to be consistent.</li></ul><div style="text-align: left;"> <b>The making of <i>Tortilla</i></b><br /></div><ul><li style="text-align: left;"><b>Put the fire on high at first</b>, <b>be generous with the oil and pour your mixture into <u>A NON-STICK PAN</u> </b>(can not stress this enough)<b>. </b></li><li style="text-align: left;">Your egg will cook fast. <b>Once you see the edges of your eggs being formed, use a <u>SPATULA</u></b><u> </u>(your magic wand in this case) <b>to make your <i>Tortilla</i> detachable from the edge of the pan</b>. Prepare a big plate to flip your tortilla around to cook the other side. <b>Once you are ready to flip, turn your fire down to medium. </b></li><li style="text-align: left;">Once you have flipped your tortilla and it is back to the pan, you can cook it for another 1 minute , or once you see the shape of the other face of the tortilla is formed. <b>A general advice is swing your pan constantly left and right. When your tortilla is no longer sticking to the bottom of the pan, your<i> Tortilla </i>is ready. </b></li><li style="text-align: left;"><b>LET IT SIT for 5-10 minutes</b> (again allows better integration). <b>A good <i>Tortilla </i>is an art. Treat it like a steak </b>if you don't want all the juice to flood out (in this case egg).</li></ul><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXfvqBE9lYZmr-faqhosHE-qZhrmvVxdNmd-igj0ERczrJLAJxwSXmN89fcURzITp8rm2RVvURshoul-qVI6-cjFOeOe1ymtXlvBK4dBVUFrLlbjKZbCCRLsImFqD8jbOizn9zOPzoL2p/s4032/IMG_2149.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXfvqBE9lYZmr-faqhosHE-qZhrmvVxdNmd-igj0ERczrJLAJxwSXmN89fcURzITp8rm2RVvURshoul-qVI6-cjFOeOe1ymtXlvBK4dBVUFrLlbjKZbCCRLsImFqD8jbOizn9zOPzoL2p/w640-h480/IMG_2149.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">With a 20-inch pan, I used 6 large eggs. Choice of potato is a science which I am not an expert of that but I used new potatoes because I like the slightly gooey and chewy texture and it can be easily smashed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div>I was super happy to finally be able to make a <i>Tortilla</i> (plus having the approval of a Spaniard (Adri) who ate half the tortilla in 10 minutes 😝).</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">I hope you have enjoyed my sharing. Check out on <a href="http://cherriehui.blogspot.com/2020/09/a-spanish-classic-pork-cheek-croquettes.html">how to make Spanish croquettes</a> or my </span><a href="http://cherriehui.blogspot.com/search/label/Food%20in%20Spain" style="text-align: left;">other posts about Spanish food</a><span style="text-align: left;"> if you are a great fan of foodie like me!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Lots of love,</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Cherrie</i></div><div><p></p></div>Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-86981243562082932262020-09-27T13:12:00.029-07:002021-02-07T06:47:44.201-08:00Trip to Cuenca, Chorreras de Cabriel and Pantano de Chera (with video!)<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvnTmnMh-EwB8TMoWl6MzItdoBLvpDrMQCcXzA-YWtY5q_r8Drbuq30DpYIirOcPCHD61FVl687o1PFjPAj41niGDzLhyphenhyphenDvtvWfcVkSxDjAJscTcRdk7dO-D29CFvg9MQgBZUttvIviJm/s4032/IMG_1599.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvnTmnMh-EwB8TMoWl6MzItdoBLvpDrMQCcXzA-YWtY5q_r8Drbuq30DpYIirOcPCHD61FVl687o1PFjPAj41niGDzLhyphenhyphenDvtvWfcVkSxDjAJscTcRdk7dO-D29CFvg9MQgBZUttvIviJm/w480-h640/IMG_1599.HEIC" width="480" /></a> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Last month I had to go to Madrid to do some paperwork. On the way back, we stopped at Cuenca, Chorreras de Cabriel and we did camping at Pantano de Chera which was by a beautiful lake!</div><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzs4GYhHxsx9zUzrrH4aRRiZp1C0XegcxP74Tg8EnHpolf_xYYqrU-WYzmznr6I2taJyhcu2n94olWWhy4mc5X2Ae1f4Id3TuDQKS93BCAr9G9UKt-e5drXpihFabr0vleHiemf1ox-ohY/s4032/IMG_1587.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzs4GYhHxsx9zUzrrH4aRRiZp1C0XegcxP74Tg8EnHpolf_xYYqrU-WYzmznr6I2taJyhcu2n94olWWhy4mc5X2Ae1f4Id3TuDQKS93BCAr9G9UKt-e5drXpihFabr0vleHiemf1ox-ohY/w300-h400/IMG_1587.HEIC" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hfaakx01b_JoyV6XUavrQn-2t33TLAPSHXpZJdxQS2e_YYP_QzaUBD_f6OD_BGh8Rw6WeUH1qraQg7zrBJimE0sWAcApRg8Mh6EUcMXPvSCgeBKQ5KnGHjEDkvZ-wpWglpLP23SfhAZ-/s4032/IMG_1586.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hfaakx01b_JoyV6XUavrQn-2t33TLAPSHXpZJdxQS2e_YYP_QzaUBD_f6OD_BGh8Rw6WeUH1qraQg7zrBJimE0sWAcApRg8Mh6EUcMXPvSCgeBKQ5KnGHjEDkvZ-wpWglpLP23SfhAZ-/w300-h400/IMG_1586.HEIC" width="300" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">First stop we went to <b>Cuenca</b>. </p><p style="text-align: center;">It is a precious city located in the Castilla-La Mancha autonomous community famous for its hanging houses by the cliff. This city was populated from Stone Age and was given the name "Qūnka" by the muslims when they conquered the Iberian Peninsula (which was later the territory of Spain) in the 8th century. It is absolutely breath-taking to view this city from the top! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAFS_PHjhjjI3H9OWjt4IcQjFowLdyGdd8fmvwFs5pVttRpnFMlub-KEUDEDwiedcCAVYRsJp4cryvglbKNCM9cM-xj29jafpW1S1H-G_KNlzkzSKcjhRKtcqEqXbDmM9HqiIJ6lRy4c-/s1644/Screenshot+2020-09-27+at+19.32.22.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="1644" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAFS_PHjhjjI3H9OWjt4IcQjFowLdyGdd8fmvwFs5pVttRpnFMlub-KEUDEDwiedcCAVYRsJp4cryvglbKNCM9cM-xj29jafpW1S1H-G_KNlzkzSKcjhRKtcqEqXbDmM9HqiIJ6lRy4c-/w640-h428/Screenshot+2020-09-27+at+19.32.22.png" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">Cuenca is just under 2 hours drive from Madrid. Alternatively you can take the train which the journey is around 3.5 hours so it's worth renting a car not to mention you can visit other towns and cities around it. </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLGoyPmqThrP436e-36tZ-kB20_5-L-qEqfd2CtvCU4ZivqLqXLv-gtaQnBaoSRp4fdw6ljUlcMKviq4wB9882OIm6Zt5PytPDJ-Meu6P81ddsLL5rDEpQ4RQ_eFoe1U9Akdyh8dC0q5k/s4032/IMG_6842_Original.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLGoyPmqThrP436e-36tZ-kB20_5-L-qEqfd2CtvCU4ZivqLqXLv-gtaQnBaoSRp4fdw6ljUlcMKviq4wB9882OIm6Zt5PytPDJ-Meu6P81ddsLL5rDEpQ4RQ_eFoe1U9Akdyh8dC0q5k/w300-h400/IMG_6842_Original.JPG" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FhCCErRbrOYoY9BIO6iMGxn34RiQYUdnHjQxg6ANpLCA7JZWeZWM6uJgKbEIkUxxEYvabPRoMtEsNuqV3iysBfoykSn4aC4PA-EbSl418nKsUe-NteyjwzNGc0t211v5_jvaZ6YAmCrf/s3088/IMG_6846_Original.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FhCCErRbrOYoY9BIO6iMGxn34RiQYUdnHjQxg6ANpLCA7JZWeZWM6uJgKbEIkUxxEYvabPRoMtEsNuqV3iysBfoykSn4aC4PA-EbSl418nKsUe-NteyjwzNGc0t211v5_jvaZ6YAmCrf/w300-h400/IMG_6846_Original.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">But I have to it was roasting to be in the centre of inland Spain in August especially with the mask on!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiolhLgaEATYQjK5GBrhSXb-ePm5LLsxVLhVAI3vf4ZmvWy2S_41gUAkptK0gJ5sh7SnZZAgit6iQXU2lfokx4kn-7B-9meB18cDrrM9EZW6KE-AfsNOQr4HSmSYevkXR60cXJKhXK_dO0W/s4000/photo_20200806110528_6553988_0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiolhLgaEATYQjK5GBrhSXb-ePm5LLsxVLhVAI3vf4ZmvWy2S_41gUAkptK0gJ5sh7SnZZAgit6iQXU2lfokx4kn-7B-9meB18cDrrM9EZW6KE-AfsNOQr4HSmSYevkXR60cXJKhXK_dO0W/w640-h480/photo_20200806110528_6553988_0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">We invested the word "Hotísimo" which means Hot + <i>ísimo</i> which is to add to any adjetives in Spanish to exaggerate. 😂</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLAVIE4mEDw-XXUlKWIfJaERC5h22o1lxxj_JrQ2uasAu2s9-ltXvZ2lnraQysDjWsDTuCdW9KPSAcpsrGBDAOBaz5WOqBMotI0MCsLZnI50xVDLBTXAciGPgJ-qO7EVX74lvyZGo_SDi/s4032/IMG_1570.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLAVIE4mEDw-XXUlKWIfJaERC5h22o1lxxj_JrQ2uasAu2s9-ltXvZ2lnraQysDjWsDTuCdW9KPSAcpsrGBDAOBaz5WOqBMotI0MCsLZnI50xVDLBTXAciGPgJ-qO7EVX74lvyZGo_SDi/w480-h640/IMG_1570.HEIC" width="480" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqwKFgcHr7Bmx36Gdo_OpSKjbC9f_rayITApUCyu2rnjXJ1mffFBTrFAlwfT20FhjLpTJRrU71w73xgmvQUFhuRdf7EJh8Q-dN03VlcVx8mgoRm5AeQ89EQ0_nnFbSujNFPNV9QvbUQAj/s4032/IMG_1590.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqwKFgcHr7Bmx36Gdo_OpSKjbC9f_rayITApUCyu2rnjXJ1mffFBTrFAlwfT20FhjLpTJRrU71w73xgmvQUFhuRdf7EJh8Q-dN03VlcVx8mgoRm5AeQ89EQ0_nnFbSujNFPNV9QvbUQAj/w480-h640/IMG_1590.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Food was amazing though and it is very different from what we normally eat in Valencia.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Since it is inland, they eat and use a lot of <i>Jamón </i>(ham)<i>, Embutido</i> (cured meat) and <i>Salazón </i>(salted dry fish ... yes like the Chinese ones you are thinking about) for cooking. They also eat a lot of more meat and make the most of every part. For instance, we had beef tripe stew and grilled pork ear which were scrumptious! I would never have imagined occidental people would eat these parts ... I always thought it was a Chinese thing. This confirms once again why I love Spain! 😆</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Afterwards we went to <b>Chorreras de Cabriel</b>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuAFiwWNEhodCRPuP2qDnrJhiMKsQom93TjlgigCXJrNxfwy_0tM2clY3jeCXhgli9Hy6i5xiWoC_Cset2qBrKj6pRyO14Lty_rMx0CaTNNDHWCHF8EPd9yeEs5gL8aGyDBI23gy6-vSn/s4032/IMG_1612.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuAFiwWNEhodCRPuP2qDnrJhiMKsQom93TjlgigCXJrNxfwy_0tM2clY3jeCXhgli9Hy6i5xiWoC_Cset2qBrKj6pRyO14Lty_rMx0CaTNNDHWCHF8EPd9yeEs5gL8aGyDBI23gy6-vSn/w640-h480/IMG_1612.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYvOPZHwBPZVjgeJuebQN-LF6xQyYW6xXAuF32NO6AxykyWxME6SwlZiNr2jwd_U2_Q1dZhHJAhYQJkLPT5j4D1BvAwhQn0bUfmFfCVu-C_OGbgJS3ZgHEGQKAhyphenhyphenkkpYQKRi5Eo4b_SF0/" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238); margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYvOPZHwBPZVjgeJuebQN-LF6xQyYW6xXAuF32NO6AxykyWxME6SwlZiNr2jwd_U2_Q1dZhHJAhYQJkLPT5j4D1BvAwhQn0bUfmFfCVu-C_OGbgJS3ZgHEGQKAhyphenhyphenkkpYQKRi5Eo4b_SF0/w300-h400/image.png" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx0zBk8hOmiPLvYZPWb_AsPDt15sUO002sAlkLmQNKchEXl95sKg2Mx9v5FIgGtQbnbBo7G-kkDVJUBvZQnInpf5KWYxGIn0K6b0edJShx2q3S51nQ9dZq4fbohL5QLpcYSeZY1twsp_MB/s4032/IMG_1623.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx0zBk8hOmiPLvYZPWb_AsPDt15sUO002sAlkLmQNKchEXl95sKg2Mx9v5FIgGtQbnbBo7G-kkDVJUBvZQnInpf5KWYxGIn0K6b0edJShx2q3S51nQ9dZq4fbohL5QLpcYSeZY1twsp_MB/w300-h400/IMG_1623.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">It is a literally a natural water park! This is only part of it because I did not always have my phone with me (see more in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WfUEnAtE88">video</a> below). There are many level of waterfalls and you can easily spend a day there and do picnic!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8sHbLOGemMdvqfVgr3mYVrI32FqEntQoUUgWN_AOqXNhenDAizMrzLyPbiLR-IdabPJ2TTgXXA_iRTlIRNPmJm6ojLZNfelANCljfmaBJexgISowBPi_6o-34NwDxSRAnV2kUyxyS3tVR/s1712/Screenshot+2020-09-27+at+20.42.05.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="1712" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8sHbLOGemMdvqfVgr3mYVrI32FqEntQoUUgWN_AOqXNhenDAizMrzLyPbiLR-IdabPJ2TTgXXA_iRTlIRNPmJm6ojLZNfelANCljfmaBJexgISowBPi_6o-34NwDxSRAnV2kUyxyS3tVR/w640-h404/Screenshot+2020-09-27+at+20.42.05.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">It is around 2 hours drive from Valencia. Again it is a great place to stop by if you are planning to drive from Valencia to Madrid or vice versa. Entrance is free but parking will be 10 euros so better go early and enjoy the day there! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Later on we went to <b>Pantano de Chera</b> which is an official camping site by a lovely lake within the Valencia Community.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Here are more suggestions on <a href="http://cherriehui.blogspot.com/search/label/Visit%20Valencia">places to visit in Valencia Community</a>.) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidEouRDA7TGFcNWK4klmQIsHILFjMYb0AcAVTto8OJ6mE6vg4yQSmsFxmERz9BtpJsXoatwudKUJDbUA95jVxwzmazq9PYDJJKoA30oGBVosNvYN6D5GSRKifqx-f68zP2wPXZ2B3ShF_u/s4000/photo_20200807105912_6554007_0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidEouRDA7TGFcNWK4klmQIsHILFjMYb0AcAVTto8OJ6mE6vg4yQSmsFxmERz9BtpJsXoatwudKUJDbUA95jVxwzmazq9PYDJJKoA30oGBVosNvYN6D5GSRKifqx-f68zP2wPXZ2B3ShF_u/w640-h480/photo_20200807105912_6554007_0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEi6cnAmEIcWv6vPKYOziBPlePKGgzRCk2jVWFer4H9CU99bH9m9W3Uv7NOA8SVTHzfb5h59WMaKjs9dag7VjdA6s09QkaszXjTDExdWAgtoyiSzDRgFTdH94yE2x3ahCdd2NBkKnHzMZz/s4000/photo_20200807110034_6554009_0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEi6cnAmEIcWv6vPKYOziBPlePKGgzRCk2jVWFer4H9CU99bH9m9W3Uv7NOA8SVTHzfb5h59WMaKjs9dag7VjdA6s09QkaszXjTDExdWAgtoyiSzDRgFTdH94yE2x3ahCdd2NBkKnHzMZz/w640-h480/photo_20200807110034_6554009_0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoPGCCbrn7qEDUEmagqjhUNVneQ84sJ2ejnB0A_Skq8FqMqZF_RVBm9siiK0LPsCqBSiXaeADeYFwo10znIBHKyuuo1FymtXlDvTsPfyUXZvPlqcawExIsLbXDzla5ai5rPrOSAnyh5qx/s3024/IMG_1631.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoPGCCbrn7qEDUEmagqjhUNVneQ84sJ2ejnB0A_Skq8FqMqZF_RVBm9siiK0LPsCqBSiXaeADeYFwo10znIBHKyuuo1FymtXlDvTsPfyUXZvPlqcawExIsLbXDzla5ai5rPrOSAnyh5qx/s320/IMG_1631.HEIC" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg14Ol7qkQaE2hYIjwU6De55w7K5v1urLjj3psvzrqXvGtPALz06V1_iuzNzOYNFu7DfYXDvWgmkTKOlypEp-9WN3rHxgIpBi4UmNeMBiK6W9H-anMiADGH5aO9U2jknPYTSpZ6G3Y6k7r2/s1516/9518072B-47DC-4C5B-AC77-1BB505AC985E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1516" data-original-width="1137" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg14Ol7qkQaE2hYIjwU6De55w7K5v1urLjj3psvzrqXvGtPALz06V1_iuzNzOYNFu7DfYXDvWgmkTKOlypEp-9WN3rHxgIpBi4UmNeMBiK6W9H-anMiADGH5aO9U2jknPYTSpZ6G3Y6k7r2/w240-h320/9518072B-47DC-4C5B-AC77-1BB505AC985E.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /></div><br /></div></span>Unfortunately I haven't taken a lot of photos here because it was getting dark and it was a bit hectic setting up the tent when there was a great population of starving mosquitos. But the view was stunning there and I have include it in the below video I put together to sum up our 3 days trip. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">😛<span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="332" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9WfUEnAtE88" width="598" youtube-src-id="9WfUEnAtE88"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I hope you enjoy my sharing. Can't wait to visit more places with you 💕</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Lots of love,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Cherrie x</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></span></div></div>Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-83087963323889595412020-09-12T10:40:00.022-07:002020-12-07T05:43:03.420-08:00Pork Cheek Croquettes recipe<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Croquette is one of the most eaten tapas and there are many different varieties. In fact it is a typical Spanish dish that everyone can make at home and it is super easy to make.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Today I am going I am going to share with you all how to make Pork Cheek Croquettes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjGs6MchxKsTn_hnfxZdjxow450QO-oARpTA5FMFlfo93MXkWfF7PLTYhG_9xpmbGGGyNeuCezAZisEXFDQBDjZADj4Ub-C3YnhTd8T31Sl2ugGAzo7IS1gjdphZ_yPq98gFbic6AJHxt/s4032/IMG_1822.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjGs6MchxKsTn_hnfxZdjxow450QO-oARpTA5FMFlfo93MXkWfF7PLTYhG_9xpmbGGGyNeuCezAZisEXFDQBDjZADj4Ub-C3YnhTd8T31Sl2ugGAzo7IS1gjdphZ_yPq98gFbic6AJHxt/w469-h625/IMG_1822.HEIC" width="469" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Croquettes in fact can be done (I say) on purposely, but it is also a way to make your leftover food wayyy more attractive. The rationale behind croquette was initially to use up the leftover food.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And I am telling you, croquettes of <i>sobra</i> (leftover food) are the one of the best croquettes ever just like this one that I am going to show you! </div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkE0RdkVHA2iphHpAIqMMU7qt4wTAQJU-YY-ageG30003QXLwNshUfwIvGPOPB0l_LdE8EEVZIK0ou5Jbx7H0GR67PCYgZE6EP2DFWmJvZ3iFowdlD5eqQplPQR43zwN9VnsnErX2d1zdp/w469-h625/IMG_1799.HEIC" style="text-align: left;" width="469" /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So first of all I made a <b>Pork Cheek Stew</b>. Now I am person who hates to follow step by step recipes because things change! The amount of the ingredients you can buy, the amount that you want to serve etc. Also it is always best to buy ingredients in season. Therefore I will tell you only the essential rules that you need to know.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>What you need:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Pork Cheeks, Vegetables, Herbs, Wine</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><ul><li style="text-align: left;"><b>Meat : vegetable proportion = 4:6</b></li><li style="text-align: left;">I think in general a stew with 2 pork cheeks can serve 2 easily but make more if you want left over! </li><li style="text-align: left;"><b>Marinate your pork cheek with salt and black pepper </b>at least 2-3 hours before (put as much as you want because you are going to throw it into a stew! The more the merrier, the earlier you marinate it the better.)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b>Vegetable choice: </b>whatever you want but something that can be cook for a long time and contribute to a sweet note to the base of stew, release lots of moisture and absorb well the flavour of the broth. <b>Safe choices are carrots, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, zucchini </b>etc.</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b>Herbs are your best friends. </b>Throwing in some moderate amount rosemary, thyme, etc never hurt. (moderate meaning throw in 1-2 sprig and add more if you think its necessary). The golden rule is that <b>rosemary and thyme usually go well with meat, oregano usually goes well with a tomato base </b>(if you throw in a bigger proportion of tomato that other veggies), depends on how you like it.</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b>Wine makes the magic.</b> I personally like cooking with red wine more but I think with pork it is pretty versatile. It depends on what wine do you have. Usually I would add around 100 - 150ml (for a portion of 2) of wine to start, then add more along the way. I mean it depends on how you like. <b>Don't be afraid to use a cheap wine. A sweeter white or red wine does a great job making the meat more tender </b>(not dessert wine like moscato or mistela).</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7rq85EeoD2cMpO7sIpyc1agf_CX0qtjiCHBIWBmBTXohuvTX_kb1eBqaLrMrmZ91hDiRy077rsKIlD_XnJLOPP0zqeSJlcuJ1TQld7EXUigO3nBT1s9TaZVknQH06P5J3BJrvxBzV1sf/s4032/IMG_1800.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7rq85EeoD2cMpO7sIpyc1agf_CX0qtjiCHBIWBmBTXohuvTX_kb1eBqaLrMrmZ91hDiRy077rsKIlD_XnJLOPP0zqeSJlcuJ1TQld7EXUigO3nBT1s9TaZVknQH06P5J3BJrvxBzV1sf/w469-h625/IMG_1800.HEIC" width="469" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><ul><li style="text-align: left;"><b>Always sear the meat and the onions at high heat in the pot with some oil first. Once they are browned and the onion is softened, add the rest of the veggies, give it a nice stir, add your wine then turn the heat to low to medium and cover the pot. </b></li><li style="text-align: left;">Now every stove is a bit different. The whole point here is <b>not to let the moisture of the vegetables evaporate</b>. Therefore feel free to turn the heat lower if you think it is necessary. I suggest not to add any water at this point because you want your broth too be concentrated and your meat to slow-cook absorbing all the lovely flavour. </li><li style="text-align: left;">Add salt and pepper on the way depends on how you like it.</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b>You need to cook the stew at least for 2-3 hours with low heat.</b> And then to serve, if you prefer a more creamy finishing, turn off the heat and let it rest for 5-10 minutes in the pot and then stir in a cold chunk around 20g of butter in (optional). The stew is lovely to be served with some creamy mash potato.</li></ul><h3><br /><b>Now you have the perfect strew, so what about the croquette? </b></h3><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It is actually very easy. You need to make a Bechamel (white sauce) with the pork cheek stew that you have. <b>So, heat your left over up, add flour and a splash of milk to make the bechamel. </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5fObCP8kZwyYlDCIZ_3IWdb7Ja9YnrJ0oY3TbF3JAix4ttOaf1yfM_iMudv3yPXQwka-osN-FoGtJFADbq8MXWuLPz6kJ8lfIwBqlrjLukWleRE7U-gM8OnDItmmISwvyATvgbVIlpvT/w500-h375/IMG_1819.HEIC" style="text-align: start;" width="500" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Again some golden rules here:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><ul><li style="text-align: left;"><b>Cut your meat and veggie into small dices</b> (no bigger than 1cm but the smaller the better because it will be easier to form the croquette later)</li><li style="text-align: left;"><b>Heat the stew up first, add a pinch of salt and pepper, then stir in the flour, then add the milk. </b></li><li style="text-align: left;">Now the amount of flour you put in will depends on how saucy the stew you have left was. My strategy is to <b>add 1 tablespoon of flour into the stew at a time and stop when you see that the stew has "dry up" i.e. there is no liquid, that's enough.</b> For instance, I have only added 1 big tablespoon of flour into the stew that I had left given it was not very saucy. </li><li style="text-align: left;">The amount of milk depends on how creamy you want your croquettes to be. <b>If you add lots of milk, it will be a more saucy bechamel (white sauce) which your croquette will be very creamy</b>, but obviously it will be a bit more complicated to coat the batter and breadcrumbs later. <b>In general I would say the proportion of Stew with flour : Milk should be 8:2.</b></li><li style="text-align: left;">Please please please use a full fat milk!! I mean you are eating the ultimate fried food anyway, why do you want too compromise of the creaminess and the flavour?</li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Once you have your stew bechamel ready, rest it in the fridge for at least 3 hours so that it hardens and it will be easier to form the shape.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXGq3-674m2PqhxBpZkhYgU8stIxGh3yBYfbmLGHGpXMUjSvQIaR9Q2Y7Vb2litbMuckN44L-VQRiQjkfYd3xfSTbKjYI4H0ZzbP2TL-2IJAW15nXFAMB8OTBXNjD3THo40JVKlwjV8P1/s4032/IMG_1818.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXGq3-674m2PqhxBpZkhYgU8stIxGh3yBYfbmLGHGpXMUjSvQIaR9Q2Y7Vb2litbMuckN44L-VQRiQjkfYd3xfSTbKjYI4H0ZzbP2TL-2IJAW15nXFAMB8OTBXNjD3THo40JVKlwjV8P1/w469-h625/IMG_1818.HEIC" width="469" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Coat the bechamel with 1) flour, then 2) egg, then bread crumb.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Now the above photo is not the most ideal situation but I have learnt my lesson. It will be so much easier to put your flour, egg and bread crumbs in larger bowl / plate.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjpnmuQT_8jeFUXRPfqITpqrqgSwA9R4Ly0CX_qeyKBdfA01udPdp2UR07ysPhTplirTCYE2SjBFB4JpLQzBUy1or5LviXIe8a2g9sa9ezalEpsk4Jbu9Z3vi2_ZHzSYWzdFkzfTCatNN_/s4032/IMG_1820.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjpnmuQT_8jeFUXRPfqITpqrqgSwA9R4Ly0CX_qeyKBdfA01udPdp2UR07ysPhTplirTCYE2SjBFB4JpLQzBUy1or5LviXIe8a2g9sa9ezalEpsk4Jbu9Z3vi2_ZHzSYWzdFkzfTCatNN_/w469-h625/IMG_1820.HEIC" width="469" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Once you have formed your croquettes, place them back to the fridge again for at least an hour before frying.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Now when you fry them, golden rules:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Make sure your oil is at the maximum temperature possible</b></li><li><b>Fry them maximum 3 at a time.</b> Remember your croquettes are cold. If you put in too much at a time, this will cool down the oil. Then what will happen? Well given the croquettes are made with bechamel, they are going to break or they are going to be soggy and you are going to be depressed with all the hard work you have put in.</li><li><b>Take them out when they are nicely browned and place them onto kitchen towel to drain off the excessive oil.</b></li></ul><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Then serve and enjoy!</div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIN6D60QfzyVRelLUp9g_ZBuh3e1srT7h_YWDt9F4JT5jHl9qoIGRow32WxYlcIJpMSmGb3jRuDY8iwKRhOMfDgkK_p2r0l3OxWO7JsEyJZInTBySEl4QLUuqqQQN10UYlJtFktMnfE4iw/s4032/IMG_1821.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIN6D60QfzyVRelLUp9g_ZBuh3e1srT7h_YWDt9F4JT5jHl9qoIGRow32WxYlcIJpMSmGb3jRuDY8iwKRhOMfDgkK_p2r0l3OxWO7JsEyJZInTBySEl4QLUuqqQQN10UYlJtFktMnfE4iw/w469-h625/IMG_1821.HEIC" width="469" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6umSu9KdIV1VYdCe6qE9ieBCVrWmlwEaqF1YwDz1YFXtqrIFMGalMngjSrm0V2m58z8SS-z_K_Q_KBsfMOFWM06WweN4saQOISjxbIJf3Rq18o7Yt55Q3s7mbUdw7XHWSGCG-fu9KfxY/s4032/IMG_1825.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6umSu9KdIV1VYdCe6qE9ieBCVrWmlwEaqF1YwDz1YFXtqrIFMGalMngjSrm0V2m58z8SS-z_K_Q_KBsfMOFWM06WweN4saQOISjxbIJf3Rq18o7Yt55Q3s7mbUdw7XHWSGCG-fu9KfxY/w469-h625/IMG_1825.HEIC" width="469" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoAfGPkSjcU1p1ecnhHeaNrD1S1tiDdXHfghBIkPSy-ZeMBaT_puXgLOHayFjlbRBYBCeKBl6Ep-M_1NG5oPLg3FIHtG1vOMeB_jiVXnCsOnoXBwJOqv4JbE33f5LWRVoTrm-3ftXSr3bJ/s4032/IMG_1826.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoAfGPkSjcU1p1ecnhHeaNrD1S1tiDdXHfghBIkPSy-ZeMBaT_puXgLOHayFjlbRBYBCeKBl6Ep-M_1NG5oPLg3FIHtG1vOMeB_jiVXnCsOnoXBwJOqv4JbE33f5LWRVoTrm-3ftXSr3bJ/w469-h625/IMG_1826.HEIC" width="469" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hope you have enjoyed my sharing! Again they are super easy to make but patience is the key. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If you have interested in learning how to cook other classic Spanish dishes, check out my other post about <a href="https://cherriehui.blogspot.com/2020/09/my-first-successful-tortilla-de-patata.html">how to make a Spanish Potato Omelette (Tortilla de Patata)</a>. See you all next time!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Lots of love,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Cherrie</i></div><br /> <p></p>Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-82439114266219497882020-09-07T11:16:00.016-07:002020-09-29T14:05:04.090-07:00Homemade pizzaaaaaaa! <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Adri and I we love to cook and experiment with different things.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And last Friday we have had a busy day at home. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here we proudly present ... (drum roll) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpigEUgHlfB742-DqLUMUW9jBmm0o0wW1NCDF8y5uob7vjiG7dizxzwhZX1Xqt8V418NTFW3O2S1FbocNNdUPCfj7PhDGKSlwV11tpx5xCcWZGCXrFCMtJYkT-FAuTnKdCdce7CWUtytpP/w375-h500/5330d3ad-f1b9-46d0-a92f-cecabad39bb1.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="375" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Homemade Margherita Pizza!!!</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b> </b><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21TUycAToCjXeoDACtik_5pBbI5JjmQ-AXGTyDZw2rL4fOnzZbeIF9yZ4N8jaQZtp83pmdak1GlIAk018ruuLldxvT48et8Gsp3wNS5ksa89eYpBO3-9P9qKdTT9GlD9MFPTTVmO7kNMi/w375-h500/IMG_1925.HEIC" style="text-align: left;" width="375" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When I say homemade, I mean the dough, the tomato sauce and the chilli oil (ok it was a Margherita with a twist. sorry <i>amici</i>). Even the basil was home-grown. The tomato sauce Adri made for hours was so creamy while the pizza base was soft with crunchy edges. <b><i>Deliziosa!</i></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqJr9jFgzT0z3a7QUf-U_5OhmiFIV0JO2ik2kpxMpy0HLdCwAILxGkv3EObL01mnYeEtV8bb1c-obZVqerZBxYyR6lRexxx29xQvDOHHhIYF1qwi3ZTSefna6lLl6Trlh5mSZlBcyPWJA/s4032/IMG_1903.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqJr9jFgzT0z3a7QUf-U_5OhmiFIV0JO2ik2kpxMpy0HLdCwAILxGkv3EObL01mnYeEtV8bb1c-obZVqerZBxYyR6lRexxx29xQvDOHHhIYF1qwi3ZTSefna6lLl6Trlh5mSZlBcyPWJA/s320/IMG_1903.HEIC" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLewYzwF_iOKUMjET5k_NI19t04WjB_OWpMHmvRVlqa6xlczLIHiiywzJAVOBQNEMFbqfhWnojGpVxrduhbb2uv9pll9Sus97VZ39Ni1UjSnkCNIr6HUyxHBl3LQzxVj0FE0jkVeLmeWDW/s4032/IMG_1920.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLewYzwF_iOKUMjET5k_NI19t04WjB_OWpMHmvRVlqa6xlczLIHiiywzJAVOBQNEMFbqfhWnojGpVxrduhbb2uv9pll9Sus97VZ39Ni1UjSnkCNIr6HUyxHBl3LQzxVj0FE0jkVeLmeWDW/s320/IMG_1920.HEIC" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Behind the scene featuring the professional poser ...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Meanwhile, I prepared the dessert for the night and for my lovely friend Simón who was going back to Belgium. 😢</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOOkQP11oWYAuuoZOiX7u0_wkP-jaH6Gk-J4nOsk0h4lDAKThow2Vp8RkSX1hXkHX_iqRM9sGMlC3wrpDX18eE2_b9DQ4qvzee1PAUAXs6rdbmV5OJuZ-nQpjz8EMb1MuG7zV_TCAaAMM/s4032/IMG_1906.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOOkQP11oWYAuuoZOiX7u0_wkP-jaH6Gk-J4nOsk0h4lDAKThow2Vp8RkSX1hXkHX_iqRM9sGMlC3wrpDX18eE2_b9DQ4qvzee1PAUAXs6rdbmV5OJuZ-nQpjz8EMb1MuG7zV_TCAaAMM/w400-h300/IMG_1906.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2bjlRwpUwWQIRGubBswVaunOCkRm_StDErQdGWstPvW1pkNtRjQ4BWGm5Dw9X69W2VV8CEep3jzU9SOZhW8zPAEjZek-6siOwlfcMIrNDkhjla7ThwWvaXPVoabxRgkVv4IxqggURYC2/s4032/IMG_1927.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2bjlRwpUwWQIRGubBswVaunOCkRm_StDErQdGWstPvW1pkNtRjQ4BWGm5Dw9X69W2VV8CEep3jzU9SOZhW8zPAEjZek-6siOwlfcMIrNDkhjla7ThwWvaXPVoabxRgkVv4IxqggURYC2/w375-h500/IMG_1927.JPG" width="375" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These <a href="https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/chocolate-brownie-cookies/">Chocolate Brownie Cookies</a> are super easy to make and they are wonderful. I would recommend 2 tbsp for the cookie size (because they are quite heavy), half the white sugar and use a darker chocolate (I used 55% but I am planning to use 70% next time). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhus_lVlZxIitWY4lh5giE9-8qMnchSNswD1Rt1M0gGVmGNWlrODVmre7k_Xy0jLp0Koz6wJVyea3sZsLU77jlqmnLTvYFLOYR8bf3pA7m9pYWid0tQ6T6xnpS3Qy_c-12qCVqcDJFcYTih/s1600/844bb5f0-5fff-4a3c-87a9-32608327a4a3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1202" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhus_lVlZxIitWY4lh5giE9-8qMnchSNswD1Rt1M0gGVmGNWlrODVmre7k_Xy0jLp0Koz6wJVyea3sZsLU77jlqmnLTvYFLOYR8bf3pA7m9pYWid0tQ6T6xnpS3Qy_c-12qCVqcDJFcYTih/s320/844bb5f0-5fff-4a3c-87a9-32608327a4a3.jpg" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1202" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2LDNwUnMPT6wX_8HvXUM0YRqt0ANiSNJA5HCGbUx4LH0KvYGOwusIjZLsHFFno21dYjFA24lIMiQeMLC4GVdKXzEh9WvZphK9Gfb0EwRHbUugHIcO9Lnqt9t2s6K0PgHINjOgZ6eJ3a_/s320/5deb7be9-0c27-4b89-9a85-b931a510b335.jpg" style="text-align: left;" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And of course, the next day after consuming all the carbs and fat and sugar, we are back on the track and did a bit of jogging in the Rio Turia to burn it off so we can eat more 😛 Look after lovely Parque de Cabecera is.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWRUspsY0hJr8a_hg6jGKGr2UFw7tDnyfMB8Qo3L8zeOMWWAMIk766NM2Sd3K5JI-a80Gr2-WrDIo7hR7NrCG8DGm6peRXOVBSPVufOaGoNHVeNCCz2xajHDWrQXJ-9eXRTpzBVvs75Mn/s4032/IMG_0727.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWRUspsY0hJr8a_hg6jGKGr2UFw7tDnyfMB8Qo3L8zeOMWWAMIk766NM2Sd3K5JI-a80Gr2-WrDIo7hR7NrCG8DGm6peRXOVBSPVufOaGoNHVeNCCz2xajHDWrQXJ-9eXRTpzBVvs75Mn/w500-h375/IMG_0727.HEIC" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parque de Cabecera<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(oops I didn't mention we had a Peruvian lunch and 2 huge scoops of icecream before the pizza and cookies ...)</div> <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfd8FhZMIQOD3WLxW9VHvVY4oVIgZVIdFGP1MPlZFW2tYjt2Zst1nF9WoWCVyGaV85kFLUw5JmY9f9SPj1n9b7PFUh5C_5DZ9GZWFVaAjaI3tc0lBQwF6rQSCAp7xPni-U3nk_m0t5nE0_/s4032/IMG_1931.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfd8FhZMIQOD3WLxW9VHvVY4oVIgZVIdFGP1MPlZFW2tYjt2Zst1nF9WoWCVyGaV85kFLUw5JmY9f9SPj1n9b7PFUh5C_5DZ9GZWFVaAjaI3tc0lBQwF6rQSCAp7xPni-U3nk_m0t5nE0_/w469-h625/IMG_1931.HEIC" width="469" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Treat after jogging - Pasta baked with chilli, sausages, aubergines topped with gouda 😋 </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Super tasty. Gracias Chef! 💕</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-55966599208992544402020-09-07T10:13:00.022-07:002020-09-08T02:03:48.607-07:00Misconceptions about the Spaniards <p style="text-align: center;">I know that Spain is probably one of the favourite travel destinations for a lot of you. That's probably why you are reading my blog! (thanks again for supporting!)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Before I came to Spain for the first time, or even before I come to live in Spain 12 month ago, I always pictured everything being red with fancy tiles and patterns. We often hear a lot of about how the typical Spaniards are (passionate , friendly, lazy) etc. While some part of these perceptions we tend to have are true, in this post, I will share some of the common misconceptions about the Spaniards. They are quite interesting and different from what I initially expected. So I hope you will enjoy my sharing! </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>EVERYONE DANCES FLAMENCO</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i1.wp.com/scuoladanzacrprofessionaldance.it/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/flamenco.png?resize=944%2C531&ssl=1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="272" src="https://i1.wp.com/scuoladanzacrprofessionaldance.it/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/flamenco.png?resize=944%2C531&ssl=1" width="483" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: wp.com<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Flamenco is truly a Spanish origin performance art that is worth experiencing and there are places across Spain where you can witness its charm and beauty. However, one thing to note is that Flamenco is actually originated from South of Spain, precisely speaking in the Andalucia region such as places like Cadiz, Sevilla etc. To be very honest with you, <b>I have never known anyone who dances flamenco nor go and watch a show casually every year.</b> I suppose we do appreciate it in the rest of Spain, but outside of Andalucia, the Flamenco shows are mostly designed for tourists, where as within Andalucia it is a common type of performance in random bars, the same concept like when you go into a jazz bar where there is a band performing.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>EVERYONE LOVES BULL FIGHTING</b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://miro.medium.com/max/1024/1*A8Fdl8Iwxl8am4GO6PVyoA.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="800" height="355" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/1024/1*A8Fdl8Iwxl8am4GO6PVyoA.jpeg" width="524" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: miro.medium.com<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;">This is actually one of the hottest controversial topic between all the Spaniards and political elements play a major role. Bull fighting is definitely one of the biggest tradition and it contributes a huge part to the Spanish culture. While some people, especially the older generation, do like to enjoy a bull fighting performance once in a while, there is also a huge population that is against the whole animal-killing concept. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>The Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands and Catalunya are one of the first autonomous communities in Spain that has banned bull fighting completely.</b> Obviously some criticised that Catalunya's prohibition of bull-fighting in 2012 was partly to establish a distinctive political stand contrasting "Spain", contributing to their manifestation for independence. Meanwhile since the rest of Spain, especially the autonomous communities that were governed by extreme right at the time such as Madrid, The Valencian Community, Murcia, quickly reacted to declare bull-fighting as part of <i>Bien de Interés Cultural </i>(a list of Spanish heritages to be protected). </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Today, you can still enjoy bull fighting in a lot of places around Spain, but it remains to be a highly debatable topic for most Spaniards.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>EVERYDAY WE TAKE A <i>SIESTA </i>(afternoon nap) </b></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjksrtNjnKWJksmioGtB5yNA6Q00MaRK7S1b1tXxtfDQEEVBlm-JjC4seAwTnw8JDQrvH8Cjq71yEZiH2o1pZhCoUnAU0Kgo-60_ko6v16KbUwthN4iX_nH0bM2xhTlzehBULck8_RzcpP/s2048/12C86BD7-8BE9-46EB-816A-890D3C534CEB.jpeg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="2048" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjksrtNjnKWJksmioGtB5yNA6Q00MaRK7S1b1tXxtfDQEEVBlm-JjC4seAwTnw8JDQrvH8Cjq71yEZiH2o1pZhCoUnAU0Kgo-60_ko6v16KbUwthN4iX_nH0bM2xhTlzehBULck8_RzcpP/w500-h280/12C86BD7-8BE9-46EB-816A-890D3C534CEB.jpeg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is a funny one. The stereotype of Spaniards is that they have a long lunch break for 2-3 hours everyday where they will eat and have a afternoon nap, and then go back to work. This is true and not true. <b>It is true that a lot of shops are close in the afternoon between something like 1pm to 4/5pm in Spain, mainly because it is in fact way too hot for anyone to go out which is especially true in the summer. </b>When the shop owners is aware that they are probably not going to sell in this time of the day, there is not point for them to open their shops neither. <b>Another reasons is that back in the old days it is common for everyone to put aside their work and go home to have lunch with their family </b>(because Spaniards are very family oriented). </div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Actually most white collar Spaniards only have around 1 hour lunch break. Remember I mentioned before that there is a meal called <i>Almuerzo</i> which is a meal between breakfast and lunch? Well I am sorry to disappoint you but if you work in a bank, in an office, most likely you are only going to one lunch break, but you can always fetch yourself something to munch on before lunch time which is typically something like 2pm (I will dive into this topic of Spanish dining schedule and culture in later post).</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">In short, once in a while we take a <i>siesta (afternoon nap)</i> but it is not an everyday activity, just like everyone else in the rest of the world.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>CHORIZO IN PAELLA</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://easyfood.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Chorizo_paella-e1529593031221.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="699" height="297" src="https://easyfood.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Chorizo_paella-e1529593031221.jpg" width="559" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: easyfood.ie<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>This is a BIG NO NO. </b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">As mentioned in previous blog post, Paella is a sacred thing especially in Valencia (which is the origin of Paella). While there are different types of paella (check out my <a href="https://cherriehui.blogspot.com/2020/08/my-favourite-spanish-food.html">blog about paella and other typical spanish food</a> to know more), <b>putting chorizo into paella is an absolute sin</b> that any true Valencian will roll their eyes to the back of their brain when they see paella is served with chorizo or any type of cured meat. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">This is not only a misunderstanding for people outside of Spain. The truth is outside of the Valencian Community where paella is less consumed, you do find them pretty much in every single touristy spots. And trust me, nothing else annoys more a Valencian than a paella with chorizo. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">One thing also to note is that <b>Paella is supposed to be eaten <u>ONLY</u> for lunch</b>. Please don't walk into a restaurant for dinner and ask if they have paella...</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>SPANIARDS ARE ALL LAZY</b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.inventorsdigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/lazy-sloth.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="800" height="375" src="https://www.inventorsdigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/lazy-sloth.gif" width="553" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: investor digest.com<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;">Hey first of all I want to clarify that there is nothing wrong with lazy. It is a lifestyle and I truly respect lazy people (because they are usually the smartest!). Beside do whatever you want it's your life!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Lazy people (or species) are found in literally any corner of the universe. It is a living style and it is not limited to Spaniards. Moreover, from my observation, actually a lot of Spaniards are very hard-working. <b>The truth is the government spends a hell lot on education subsidies so most Spaniards have 1-2 master degrees</b> (obviously it also depends on whether it is necessary in their industries). You simply encounter huge difficulties finding a job especially in ordinary business sectors like banks if you only have a bachelor degree. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Furthermore, <b>salary tax rate is exorbitant (we are talking about up to 45% here) and the overall salary level in Spain is relatively low compared to the rest of Europe</b>. Therefore, there are also people who work 2 jobs to maintain themselves and their families. (I will cover the topic about Spanish economy and its loopholes in later post so stay tune if you are interested!)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>SPANISH MEN LOVE THE CHASE</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://azbigmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Flutter-dating-covid.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="419" src="https://azbigmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Flutter-dating-covid.jpg" width="629" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: azbigmedia.com<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;">When people picture dating in Spain, they often associate the image of Latin Americans (who mostly speak Spanish apart from Brazil) with the Spaniards. The mentioned group do have the fame or the culture where men will do more the chasing in a relationship. In fact it is necessary and important. If you don't explicitly show your interest with your masculinity and join the race with other men to hunt down your girl, she will simply think that you are not interested. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">However the norm can be quite different in Spain. The truth is in Spain, we stress a lot of more in equality and there is a lot of feminism actions in place. If you are used to be an alpha men who likes to dominate and right away pays the bill on a first date without prior communications, you can been seen as pretty macho and your generosity may not appreciated (i.e. chance of a second date is unknown).</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">I hope you enjoy my sharing! Please feel free to leave me a comment if you have any questions. See you again soon. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Lots of love,</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Cherrie</i></p>Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-71166086769420622242020-09-06T06:04:00.041-07:002020-09-07T13:10:29.053-07:00What should we desayunar (have for breakfast)? <p style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Desayunar </i>is literally the Spanish verb of "to breakfast". (I love how they have different verbs for different meals!)</p><p style="text-align: center;">I mean practically speaking you can eat whatever you want for breakfast. But in this post, I am going to share the most typical breakfast that Spaniards eat, and most importantly, what and how you can order them.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="960" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivOQKUPPF9jn6LHHAUZsXGs_NwKVy0qn6SJbC5Mte-kPwMAcFX3MLcMH5uqrGCQSCvEi4WH7X72YnHtFKuHXO1dp-tjQ3hJDOpfFKgdaPhao8FlHCNiBMLi63FmfNZSvBN5tveZndkGpuD/w500-h301/DF1CE82C-9B9E-494A-B891-F85AF603DE38.jpeg" width="500" /></p><p style="text-align: center;">When people think about Spanish breakfast, they picture churros and thick hot chocolate. It is very typical indeed, but the truth we don't eat it all the time. </p><p style="text-align: center;">Churros and chocolate actually can be eaten anytime of the day. I would say it is more like a sweet treat especially in the winter days. I honestly have never met anyone here telling me they eat churros at least twice a week ... </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.confessionsofachocoholic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/chocolate-con-churros-san-gines.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://www.confessionsofachocoholic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/chocolate-con-churros-san-gines.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: confessionsofachocoholic.com</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;">The truth is that traditionally <b>churros are only served with white sugar with no fillings</b>, no cinnamon, no chocolate sauce. Nothing else. However people typically drink hot chocolate with it, and we tend to dip any kind of food in our drinks (even buttered toast I can assure you).</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">The <b>Spanish hot chocolate </b>is usually very thick. There are found in designated <i>Xocolaterias or Xurrerias </i> (places for hot chocolates or churros) specialised in serving hot chocolate with churros and sweet pastries, and they are often not available in normal bars and cafés. <b>The reason why it is so thick is that they tend to put corn or normal wheat flour in it.</b> Therefore it is thick but not sickly as the French <i>chocolat chaud</i>.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Pastries</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Pastries is a big thing and you can find them not only in Hornos / Panaderías (bakeries), but they are often found in bars and cafés as well.</p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>As mentioned in <a href="https://cherriehui.blogspot.com/2020/09/baked-goods-that-spaniards-die-for.html">my previous post about Spanish pastries</a>, you find them in all forms, both savouries and sweet, but they are mostly made of lard instead of butter. </b>They are soft and airy, much lighter than the French ones. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_r8xXSLipLK7Dxz3Fxxv3YksdMeEl0Dy4cPVWeTt3MYlUCL_0HE6GobOCemvXp3eH3wJSB9d_M1TFzdZN80pB_dnfFkaL9RZJGAE-aEObmpBMj7ZdjNJ-Yhpuikju0BSPkMI9bgW6eS_h/w375-h500/IMG_1834.HEIC" style="text-align: start;" width="375" /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>One thing to note is that when I say cafés (in the context of Spain) I am often NOT referring to the fancy ones that charge you a coffee for 4 euros (HK$30-40). I am talking about Spanish version Cha Chaan Tang that are usually not very well decorated but they are the authentic ones with hearty food that you want to find yourself in. </b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Tostadas </b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Toasts are one of the most popular options for breakfast and we often eat is only with olive oil and salt, or/ and with grated tomato. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLX4BQWEmD2i5h9apk0yICVw6aEAti_QCKfzTeJCQSB-DV4whsovv5g_IJb6JRLhBXyX_VQTheahH3liBfCcun7x_TKL-vUuFQApXCMbL8wEZC6r65qb4b2FvLyP1gInX3ktEZ__VB3Fgz/s4032/IMG_0493.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLX4BQWEmD2i5h9apk0yICVw6aEAti_QCKfzTeJCQSB-DV4whsovv5g_IJb6JRLhBXyX_VQTheahH3liBfCcun7x_TKL-vUuFQApXCMbL8wEZC6r65qb4b2FvLyP1gInX3ktEZ__VB3Fgz/w375-h500/IMG_0493.HEIC" width="375" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkaJqSas5X6g6tBOFjdI6TPcpFwQjeTTS4UIMFlS-o33HS8ai0aPazkZHecNp3HHnFYqRSrgjSo850ETfrUSSf-5jv2PpZCKJFy_5jyTQ9FKaj-Pa_RLARa4zYStakS1eJqw1rTyx9QGD/w375-h500/IMG_0578.HEIC" style="text-align: left;" width="375" /></div><p style="text-align: center;">We all know <b>Spain produces one of the best tomotoes in the world and they are indeed lovely on bread with olive oil and salt.</b> You can also order them in any bars with <i>Jamón</i> (general cured ham) and cheese for 1-2 euros extra. You can usually ask for specific type of bread you want in bakeries but white baguette is norm.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Point to note: <b>when you ask for <i>Jamón</i>, you are always referring to cured ham.</b> If you want the pink ham (the ones that you can't figure out why they are even associated with meat), you are talking about <i>Jamón York</i> which is often more expensive in supermarket than the normal cured ham you find. Again don't expect gourmet quality when you order Jamón unless you are ordering <i>Jamón Serrano </i>or even <i>Jamón Iberico</i> (Serrano or Iberian Ham) but they are pretty nice and you will find nothing close for this price that you are paying here when you are outside of Spain.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Tortillas</b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.lavanguardia.com/files/og_thumbnail/uploads/2020/02/04/5e998254e558a.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="346" src="https://www.lavanguardia.com/files/og_thumbnail/uploads/2020/02/04/5e998254e558a.jpeg" width="614" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: La Vanguardia<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;">The famous Spanish potato omelette is definitely something you can not miss. In fact people eat it with bread not only for breakfast but also for <i>Almuerzo</i> (a meal / snack between breakfast and lunch. This is a weird one so I will cover the topic in later blog post).</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Usually the most traditional Spanish omelette only has potato, or potato and onion. <b>The topic of whether it is better to go with or without onion is a huge debate for any Spaniards. </b>I personally like it only with potato. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://content-recetas.lecturas.com/medio/2018/07/19/tortilla-con-verduras-y-queso_f570fb0a_800x800.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="512" src="https://content-recetas.lecturas.com/medio/2018/07/19/tortilla-con-verduras-y-queso_f570fb0a_800x800.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: content-recetas.lectura.com<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">In the Spanish bars and cafés (again I mean the shabby yet authentic ones), you can normally find the original potato omelette, alongside with ones of other flavours such as <i>Jamón y Queso</i> (ham and cheese - the no-brainer), chorizo, mushrooms etc. There is another type of omelette called <b>Tortilla Francesa (French omelette) which is often just egg omelette, or egg with other stuff that is NOT potato</b>. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>How to order your coffee?</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Why would you even tell me how to order my coffee? Duhhh </i>you may wonder.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>The truth is, in most of the Spanish bars and cafés</b> (not the ones for tourists or situated in the centre of Madrid),<b> they don't have a drink menu (or any menu) </b>but everyone knows what they want and what the bars will have. And I am telling you, in my first 6 months living in Spain, I was confused (af) and I always got super nervous everytime I order something in the bar because people expect you to know what you want. Then I was sticking in the safety zone choosing the same thing everytime ...</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://img.vixdata.io/pd/jpg-large/es/sites/default/files/imj/crema-casera-cafe-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="793" height="422" src="https://img.vixdata.io/pd/jpg-large/es/sites/default/files/imj/crema-casera-cafe-1.jpg" width="634" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: vixdata.io<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;">Now I know you love your Cappuccino, Latte, Flat White etc. In Spain, unless you are in Starbucks or some fancy cafés with English menus designed for tourist (and charging you unreasonably), all of the above means <b><i>Café con Leche</i></b> (coffee with milk). While I am saying this, usually you can ask for more / less milk, more / less foam, depending on how you like it. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s1.eestatic.com/2020/01/22/ciencia/nutricion/Cafe-Matematicas-Fisica-Nutricion_461714995_143036722_1024x576.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="189" src="https://s1.eestatic.com/2020/01/22/ciencia/nutricion/Cafe-Matematicas-Fisica-Nutricion_461714995_143036722_1024x576.jpg" width="335" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: eestatic.com</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;">If you are a fan of expresso, you can ask for <b><i>Café Solo </i></b>(or <i>Corto</i>), which is literally an expresso shot. Mind you, when you ask for just un café (a coffee) without specifying what kind of coffee you want and they don't clarify it with you, what you will get is a<i> Solo</i>. </p><p style="text-align: center;">You may also order <i><b>Café Largo</b></i> with a little bit more water (but much more concentrated than Americano) or <b><i>Café Cortado</i></b> with a tiny winey bit of milk.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://badun.nestle.es/imgserver/v1/80/1290x742/775fa5ac42a4-cafe-bombon.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="800" height="194" src="https://badun.nestle.es/imgserver/v1/80/1290x742/775fa5ac42a4-cafe-bombon.jpg" width="338" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Nestle<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Café Bombón</i></b> is also very typical. It is literally espresso served with condensed milk which is very nice for anyone with a sweet tooth. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Another sweet choice is <b><i>Café Carajillo which is café with liquor </i></b>such as rum, bailey, brandy, whisky at your choice. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://offloadmedia.feverup.com/valenciasecreta.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/21091928/cremaet-valenciano-1024x597.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="800" height="306" src="https://offloadmedia.feverup.com/valenciasecreta.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/21091928/cremaet-valenciano-1024x597.jpg" width="524" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: offloadmedia.feverup.com<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: center;">One of the typical Valencian coffee is <b><i>Cremaet</i></b>. It is <b>served with boiled liquor (often rum) together with sugar, lemon and cinnamon</b>. After boiling, the alcohol is already evaporated leaving only the flavour of the liquor behind. It is a very popular choice often to be consumed later on in the day after a meal like a dessert.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">I hope you have enjoyed my sharing about what Spanish people tend to <i>desayunar</i> (verb: to breakfast). In later blogs I will share more about the mystery of <i>Almuerzo</i> (the meal between breakfast and lunch) so do check it out later. See you soon!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Lots of love,</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Cherrie</i></p><p></p></div>Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-4966631348015715232020-09-06T03:50:00.013-07:002020-09-27T16:15:03.758-07:00The best Spanish pastries to die for <p style="text-align: center;">The spaniards in general eat a lot of pastries for breakfast, for tea, for whatever moment they feel like it. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Spanish <i>bollerias</i> (pastries) are often quite different from the French ones although they look similar. The reason is that <b>they tend to use lard instead of butter</b>. So their texture tend to be less flaky but equally fluffy. Now obviously whether you like them or not depends very much on your preference. I generally love French pastries but they are more for cheat days for me as they can be a bit heavy for everyday consumptions.</p><p style="text-align: center;">I am not saying that lard is any healthier than butter, but theoretically it has only half of the saturated fat contained in butter. Most of the fats in lard is monounsaturated, and it is a great source of linoleic acid / omega-6.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/26/e1/30/26e130ee07e499d71dcbd546dd2e7380.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="800" height="403" src="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/26/e1/30/26e130ee07e499d71dcbd546dd2e7380.jpg" width="614" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: pinning.com</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Cruzán</b></i> (croissant) and <i><b>Napolitana Chocolate </b></i>(chocolate croissant) are one of the most popular onces and they can often be found in bars and cafés (including shabby ones as well). They are usually pretty soft, with a shiny sugar glaze on top (that makes them soggy). It's quite nice if you consider it as an airy type of bread. They are usually be eaten on its own locally. Very rarely you may see them being served like a sandwich (which you can tell you are in a touristy cafe). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Alternatively if you are dying for some <u>buttery</u> croissant, you have to look for "<i>Cruzán París</i>" Paris is the key word ...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pansgranier.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/bretzel-de-chocolate-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="800" height="384" src="https://pansgranier.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/bretzel-de-chocolate-1.jpg" width="625" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://pansgranier.com">Granier</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;">Meanwhile if you are a fan of chocolate or custard, there are pastries that comes in all forms such as <i>Caracola </i>(conch / shell), <i>Trenza</i> (plait), <i>Bretzel </i>(pretzel) etc., often made with lard and glazed. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://saltandoladieta.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/napolitana-jamon-queso-receta-facil-deliciosa2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="437" src="https://saltandoladieta.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/napolitana-jamon-queso-receta-facil-deliciosa2.jpg" width="655" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: saltandoladieta.com<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;">Apart from the typical Napolitana Chocolate (Chocolate croissant), another type of pastry also in the same form is the <b>Napolitana de Jamón y Queso (Ham & Cheese pastry)</b>. Usually Jamón York is used (basically the pink ones that you can not trace any part of it to its meat origin). </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.miscosillasdecocina.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/saladitos-caseros.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://www.miscosillasdecocina.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/saladitos-caseros.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: miscosillasdecocina.com<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;">Alternatively if you are as greedy as I am and wish to try different things at once, you may opt of the <b><i>Frivolidades,</i> mini pastries with different fillings such as tuna, paté, <i>sobrasada</i> (a Majorcan spiced paté which is super tasty (and fat)), cheese, etc. </b>It is far lighter than the British sausage rolls with the use of lard. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nestlecocina.es/sites/site.prod.nestlecocina.es/files/2018-12/empanadillas-de-carne_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="419" src="https://www.nestlecocina.es/sites/site.prod.nestlecocina.es/files/2018-12/empanadillas-de-carne_1.jpg" width="629" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: nestlecocina.com<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;">Another savoury choice is the <b><i>Empanadillas, </i>baked crumbly pasty, again made with lard, with a variety of fillings. </b>Empanar is literally the verb of coating something in bread. The typical fillings are tuna, chicken, spinach, tomato, onion etc. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Empanadillas are also very popular in Latin America and the forms and recipes can be quite different. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://ep00.epimg.net/elcomidista/imagenes/2016/09/09/receta/1473420933_316824_1473502363_media_normal.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="800" height="262" src="https://ep00.epimg.net/elcomidista/imagenes/2016/09/09/receta/1473420933_316824_1473502363_media_normal.jpg" width="590" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: el país<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">One of my absolute favourite of all is <b><i>Ensaimada (Catalan: </i></b><i><b>Ensaïmada</b></i><b>, a typical fluffy pastry again made with lard coated with icing sugar</b>. You can eat them plain, or you will also see ones that are filled with white / milk / dark chocolate, custard or cream. In fact, <i>saïm</i> means exactly lard in Catalan (which is the official Language apart from Spanish in Mallorca, the origin of this heavenly sweet dough).<i> Ensaïmada </i>literally means "lard-ed". </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://yoyomismaymiscosas.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/IMG_8381.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="800" height="366" src="https://yoyomismaymiscosas.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/IMG_8381.jpg" width="536" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: yoyomismaymiscosas.com<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Another beautiful thing you must not miss is the <b><i>Lacitos de Miel</i>, twisted puff pastries with honey and condensed milk topped with icing sugar.</b> They are everyone's favourite especially for kids and they are quite easy to make at home as well. The texture is chewy and soft, and they are perfect for breakfast or merienda (afternoon tea).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="402" src="https://scontent-cdg2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/117799180_1007497583018925_8107405536572550153_o.jpg?_nc_cat=100&_nc_sid=2c4854&_nc_ohc=QK3BBZnVuPcAX-_OE_T&_nc_ht=scontent-cdg2-1.xx&oh=e1e4bb04484e0e3b9d06806a4978003f&oe=5F7AF963" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="536" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ElPandeEstelles">El Pan de Estrelles </a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">If you ever come to Valencia, you will see <i>Fartons </i>and <i>Horchata </i>(in Catalan / Valenciano: <i>Orxata)</i> almost at every touristy points especially during the summer. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Fartons are more like a sweet icing glazed bread based rise with the use of oil and baking powder, or sometimes lard. </b>The texture is very airy and light. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="800" height="361" src="https://static.vueling.com/blog/media/1513/038-20-para_comerselas-valencia-rrii.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;" width="630" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: vueling.com<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://topvalencia.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/horchata-de-chufa-600x360.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="600" src="https://topvalencia.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/horchata-de-chufa-600x360.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: topvalencia.net<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Meanwhile <b><i>Orxata</i> is a typical summer vegetal milk made with chufa (tiger nut) which is a super food from Africa with plenty fiber, proteins, glucose, minerals and vitamin, contributing to intestinal and cardiovascular health as well as better immune system. </b>With its fiber content, it is also ideal to be included in diets. It tastes a bit like Almond milk but I have to say they can be quite sweet especially the ones sold in the booths on the street.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The origin of Orxata and Fartons is Alboraya which is a small village right next to Valencia city. People love to dip their fartons into their horchata. </div><div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Now obviously there are festival specific pastries that are incredible common which will be covered in future blogs. </p><p style="text-align: center;">If you are interested on this topic, you may also want to check out <a href="https://cherriehui.blogspot.com/2020/09/what-should-we-desayunar-have-for.html">my other post about what Spaniards eat for breakfast</a>. I hope you enjoyed my sharing :) </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Lots of Love,</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Cherrie</i></p><p></p></div>Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-28770633938663141842020-09-03T21:52:00.021-07:002020-12-07T04:23:29.666-08:00Review on La Omma Gastrobar - exceptional tapas experience<div class="separator"><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9OzPpGhxc47vN1u2r6wDIgf69mTLBC1kU1-ptySOvJUvZhEJeYmzqjq5c8J56W_IwUuqr-nurP-JnGxUSpilC0yMw33ROM0qf_uyZxWOPFYDrTYTwpRIOw5E7tApUDI94dYjxqhHVdk5/s4032/IMG_1256.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9OzPpGhxc47vN1u2r6wDIgf69mTLBC1kU1-ptySOvJUvZhEJeYmzqjq5c8J56W_IwUuqr-nurP-JnGxUSpilC0yMw33ROM0qf_uyZxWOPFYDrTYTwpRIOw5E7tApUDI94dYjxqhHVdk5/w300-h400/IMG_1256.HEIC" width="300" /></a> <img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQGGgcu2oRro6JNcrSXSwgsh5VqM5Zkm5aj2C-MRiPLK9-p5fMbM6G1Adw_LIiRqF8ckbchEZAjAEcmQAAz8sPyLOGVBQSNopdCwokyb7b_f1D4Lj4pfO8YElNnQQVlO8k5QtEvCTFVnP/w300-h400/72e14d96-107f-403f-92bd-3fc730261efa.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="300" /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>La Omma Gastrobar</b> is located in <b>Playa de Pinedo</b> (the Pinedo beach) which is just behind the famous Valencia Malvarrosa beach and the Valencia port down south. It is around 15 minutes drive from the Valencia city centre or from the Valencia port.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9RCplVczmZyBGgJjmddy6k6b9R-5Uhi8wGXaRz6xA4lAH0XDtcCj5wUTBp2MncXyhZvou1OO1ZZiMhW7Y3J8bp1DK3RdjftmjywmFoCzTM0FDS-ZxHjV3Xp0QO_aBQ7KWO5qJ-Nd1tLpt/s1948/Screenshot+2020-09-04+at+06.10.10.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1410" data-original-width="1948" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9RCplVczmZyBGgJjmddy6k6b9R-5Uhi8wGXaRz6xA4lAH0XDtcCj5wUTBp2MncXyhZvou1OO1ZZiMhW7Y3J8bp1DK3RdjftmjywmFoCzTM0FDS-ZxHjV3Xp0QO_aBQ7KWO5qJ-Nd1tLpt/w625-h454/Screenshot+2020-09-04+at+06.10.10.png" width="625" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pinedo is a small village which to be honest if you are looking for anything wow to see as a tourist, you may be disappointed. However you are looking for some exception gastronomic experience that is reasonable priced and not touristy, La Omma may be a good place to start.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQwe_T8IHB0pJL46kwpHGZqaJyjHFvfT4gI5knJm5KBEQrg5jWDVczdSbEo0SevlPXokDGxNygZ1-I0SGiNQYE18BKwKCc1X6wx0KaCXRqdSbv85sgPk1lyG75IhNkxPXuJmzxBg-HYri2/w480-h640/IMG_1249.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;" width="480" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barbalada de Bacalao<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Everyone knows the Spanish and the Portuguese eat a lot of Bacalao (salted cod). This <b>Bacalao 3 ways</b> is one of the most creative dish (<span face="" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86); color: #4d5156; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">¡</span>Me flipó!). Looking like a Millifeuille, it is made of creamy ajoarriero (a mixture of salted cod, potato purée, garlic and olive oil, a popular tapas from the inland regions of Spain) layered by crispy cod skin, with shredded of raw salted cod at the bottom layer, accompanied with red pepper jam and garlic cream. It was sensual experience in all form. I love how they use the sweet pepper jam to leverage the flavour of the cod. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But I have to say it's very glittery. (usually I am more into authenticity... food colouring slightly puts me off 😬)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVK7jxyhbBYHqz-CXeFbPU_aSsw_LcKdN7SgZsCjJDpCJqGkI99liLJdhpYDA_0Muj_1BP1zjSlz1ETEIA8JHkgDckysWzrrD5SjHZ75OhA5oBYMoFOWKqHsOg6VjjNYCR-GGp8iUSlYrJ/s4032/IMG_1254.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVK7jxyhbBYHqz-CXeFbPU_aSsw_LcKdN7SgZsCjJDpCJqGkI99liLJdhpYDA_0Muj_1BP1zjSlz1ETEIA8JHkgDckysWzrrD5SjHZ75OhA5oBYMoFOWKqHsOg6VjjNYCR-GGp8iUSlYrJ/w480-h640/IMG_1254.HEIC" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coca de Cremoso de Berenjena<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">First thing first, I love how the napkin matched with Adri's shirt XD</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This <b>c<i>oca</i> served with grilled aubergines, red pepper, picked green chilli (<i>piparras / guindilla)</i>, anchovy mayo and smoked sardine</b>. While it looks like a simple dish with a humble presentation, it was bursting with flavours firstly from the sweetness of the chargrilled smokey vegetables, then the tanginess of the picked chilli purée and finished with the oily raw smoked sardine. Beautiful.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><i>Coca</i> is a type of bread that is very popular and traditional in Catalunya, Valencian Community and Balearic Islands </b>(basically all the places where Catalan / Valenciano is spoken. Catalan and Valenciano are practically the same language although I am not sure if I am supposed to say that outlaid) . It is also widely consumed in Andorra (where Catalan is also spoken).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><i>Coca</i> originally came from bread that could not rise as it was not properly fermented.</b> So the mothers or the bakeries put sugar on top to make it like a sweet treat. Nowadays <i>coca </i>comes in all forms, both savoury and sweet.</div></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWBiVXe-2zugAKKj67CGOKlrdfTX4xP7drDKs4SAJEhFzKqzKNDIHQNXkvxFoXinfMkJop20sJFcy4WKoRDhAHFTv5GaA60EIwbuA4Vj0cwLCe6J4mu2xuNxke4np2eaqUVSM2gAu8Ui9/s4032/IMG_1259.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWBiVXe-2zugAKKj67CGOKlrdfTX4xP7drDKs4SAJEhFzKqzKNDIHQNXkvxFoXinfMkJop20sJFcy4WKoRDhAHFTv5GaA60EIwbuA4Vj0cwLCe6J4mu2xuNxke4np2eaqUVSM2gAu8Ui9/w480-h640/IMG_1259.HEIC" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Croquetas de Pulpo<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These <b>Octopus Croquettes</b> is definitely my favourite dish of all. It reminds me so much of Japanese Takoyaki but this is served with brava sauce that give the creamy croquette a slight kick. The octopus was juicy and well-prepared.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFr2tf-gs9gmQc99PH2S0_8PNe789vMc0t_olZ8ayWeTJwT5FHP-dz8yOBXie3_kQDHotXN4kQWeZuVGr2sm_bUv44NIIyPUvKFvmhsiOoqvsafzBsQGstZibSAnUvGeJh4rGEupfrJUT/w480-h640/IMG_1261.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;" width="480" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panceta de Cerdo al Hoisin a 65ºC</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Finally we had this <b>slow-cooked belly pork with grilled crispy skin to finish, glazed with hoisin sauce and served with peanuts, scallions and a bed of creamy potato purée</b>. The belly pork has its fat perfectly distributed which it just sort of dissolved in the month. And of course, the crunchy pork skin was also one of the highlight. I quite like how the sweet hoisin sauce and the scallion balanced the fat and the oily sensation, while the peanut sauce and bites added an Asian touch to the whole dish. The potato was so creamy, so buttery that I almost felt like I was eating butter itself. To be honest I may prefer just grilled potato slices to go with the dish as you don't want the buttery potato to override the overall flavour and balance of the whole dish. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSK6wwKAbZlP8bTHIzPxV8RTQ2B0S0cdUcaueZPljkSCr0WQWjjrwfxhSrJW4m8eHmObPoZwcSsQgPNeVhsg1h8DJb2yhXmRkiD_0bGc8fb4OCy7jWlpNQxgVr1jiOn2d5nUPLu2bTAiV9/s4032/IMG_1265.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSK6wwKAbZlP8bTHIzPxV8RTQ2B0S0cdUcaueZPljkSCr0WQWjjrwfxhSrJW4m8eHmObPoZwcSsQgPNeVhsg1h8DJb2yhXmRkiD_0bGc8fb4OCy7jWlpNQxgVr1jiOn2d5nUPLu2bTAiV9/w480-h640/IMG_1265.HEIC" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Torrija con Banoffee<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The dessert of absolutely fenomenal. We shared this caramelised <b><i>Torrija</i> served with banana slices, toffee ice cream and caramel sauce as well as slightly salted mascarpone cream</b>. <i>Torrija</i> is basically Spanish French toast (I am not supposed to say that lol). The overall combination worked out really well with all the different texture and balance of flavour in place.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJugMAhx5Z4XBxO41G1SGqOatjNekLrb3qssR5xY4iMN4EDmKCANPKBUnWzsOtM2fQaNPT-pYvLHI8ru_v9yLf8G4b_ma0XxJEpFiQpzYJMGLzs72AuWD33Ncp1zGTdjBgTi3bXX4ZlP81/w480-h640/IMG_1250.HEIC" style="text-align: left;" width="480" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It's always nice to share the same interests with someone especially when it comes to food. 😋</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I think overall we paid around 56 euros for this meal in total including wine, olives and water. It was definitely worth a try and advanced booking<span style="text-align: left;"> is recommended. </span><span style="text-align: left;">Hope you enjoyed my sharing! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.movilmenu.com/laomma/46012">La Omma Gastrobar</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Cami de Muntanyars, 17, 46012 València, Valencia</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Lots of love,</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>Cherrie x</i></span></div><p></p></div>Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-31561848043544623562020-09-03T13:51:00.015-07:002020-09-27T13:17:38.734-07:00Cala Sardinera (Jávea) - panorama view of the mediterranean sea<p style="text-align: center;"> As mentioned before, I haven't actually been to that many beaches before so I can't write an review on all of them. But I do want to highlight some of the ones that I really like. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QsubBeftDGvOFoRIc9rwXRvuJ3Pmh1JJtTP7TWo6acFcBNWhCfp0ZIB_wCYR039IPlG1UhWGmiYfW286CueYSqZpqd9cUSckdRhrIYHsDgXuNcyz4j00NkYL0HgUy-finOE9A9rH7Zqv/s4032/IMG_0994.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QsubBeftDGvOFoRIc9rwXRvuJ3Pmh1JJtTP7TWo6acFcBNWhCfp0ZIB_wCYR039IPlG1UhWGmiYfW286CueYSqZpqd9cUSckdRhrIYHsDgXuNcyz4j00NkYL0HgUy-finOE9A9rH7Zqv/w500-h375/IMG_0994.HEIC" width="500" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cala Sardinera is a cove located in <b>Jávea</b> in the Alicante region. Javea is a popular town for a weekend escape or even a day trip in the summer because there are many beautiful beaches.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If you are going from Valencia city by car, you will get to Call Sardinera in around 1.5 hour.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1588" data-original-width="1668" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGIHOFM1-c8OIn0ntIud2WSVRT_eb9B-ieDZ0COY0XBJqnKCTkG0Hpo1OEmjtB9o8SqWzQJ1MOXmGkp51G-vAU-5Do414CjLgnXtRh_EWnAGRCVSgPF1BI8ECIgqVK7E_sea_6DAnnHx3/w500-h476/Screenshot+2020-09-03+at+22.12.00.png" style="text-align: start;" width="500" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0T4RSDbX7Rn3Nc1ml-_FiKqutYMrEZ5NWTIRIsXIxI-rw6GHQeSgNkJvECh1-IZvhv6chKuZEjZS2RFHzYFyxk1V6xujdRGSYtRpGzP37u3HXqSaejGZGeZRsi7pZrHaH3jHVHq4d4dIx/s2048/Screenshot+2020-09-03+at+22.11.14.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1403" data-original-width="2048" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0T4RSDbX7Rn3Nc1ml-_FiKqutYMrEZ5NWTIRIsXIxI-rw6GHQeSgNkJvECh1-IZvhv6chKuZEjZS2RFHzYFyxk1V6xujdRGSYtRpGzP37u3HXqSaejGZGeZRsi7pZrHaH3jHVHq4d4dIx/w500-h343/Screenshot+2020-09-03+at+22.11.14.png" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s0.wklcdn.com/image_12/377998/23663296/15061152Master.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="350" src="https://s0.wklcdn.com/image_12/377998/23663296/15061152Master.jpg" width="524" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Wikiloc.com</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;">After parking your car, you will have to take a 15-20 minutes walk from the motorway down to the cove. The route is fairly comfortable but flip-flops are not recommended... </p><p style="text-align: center;">(I know because the first time when Adri brought me there he told me to bring "zapatillas" which I misunderstood to be flip-flop but actually he meant trainers. 😅 language barrier is real.. 😂)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXnXiS3s7JG_3dFUNuZWdZd4hnaG5neclt7dU0gPun4QJeCZF309r8MyYZgi-JeMA8_AJzG7CCO8lBnJOsMKxbpk-fmO4HZ56pqLute3ltc2-_kJWgc0fH1TBFf1JAS_PSNsKQ2557spi/s4032/IMG_1011.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXnXiS3s7JG_3dFUNuZWdZd4hnaG5neclt7dU0gPun4QJeCZF309r8MyYZgi-JeMA8_AJzG7CCO8lBnJOsMKxbpk-fmO4HZ56pqLute3ltc2-_kJWgc0fH1TBFf1JAS_PSNsKQ2557spi/w500-h375/IMG_1011.HEIC" width="500" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzN8I8ziyVVppRLomcALc92jmhyDNHKjEML8HMHUtLsJ6o7wAZmrNKm36ssEqeAB2BAiTGp3P7jIiNSWN7C_TAwmC716u908ahuR6xco1I5Q90AcrFdwzihLf30BqIqUgvxtD6_YV7ddcr/w469-h625/IMG_1012.HEIC" style="text-align: start;" width="469" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And TADAAA! Look how clear the water is!! It's perfect for scuba diving. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">3 things to bare in mind:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>There are jelly fish!!!</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(I got beaten and god knows how itchy it was! The scar is still visible after 2 months.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Wear neoprene shoes</b> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">because it is very rocky and they are covered in moss so it can be quite slippery under the water, especially when you are trying to scuba-dive</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Always bring a beach umbrella (sombrilla)..</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You can literally get burnt after 30 minutes under the Sun in Spain even with sunscreen on.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJXQ6JrjKpQEO7Tr78yJovVTUL6VbfVnly6sYZf-9Ef9I-Xdpsv7wCFzkNlmSx8352dPA1BNZUkLTdVEczBkym4rHQyIKymBxBH30OWEKuYwHl0EM78n7YYmkX0bzQbhGuNKfyA5vO6Ul/s4032/IMG_1499.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJXQ6JrjKpQEO7Tr78yJovVTUL6VbfVnly6sYZf-9Ef9I-Xdpsv7wCFzkNlmSx8352dPA1BNZUkLTdVEczBkym4rHQyIKymBxBH30OWEKuYwHl0EM78n7YYmkX0bzQbhGuNKfyA5vO6Ul/s320/IMG_1499.HEIC" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik0jIhKKFNmoX4jHC5rVjxpcpRWbunHWDn3nhJg_32xgBB3DTf8ztG61EQIxKOe1WZBkzEA4XpHWQ8F6XHL37hm15BlawFMbHDXwQAjRhM_PCglPt66MXFQ0fgTjss8Ow66-D-BE14xgWl/s320/IMG_1503.HEIC" style="text-align: left;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Look how comfy Ximo is taking a nap under the shade!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1335" data-original-width="1069" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNSLM4YvRS3pdQMXG85LTjj9TNsNp_Y6sRy8YYoMW_zyFK4zt0vc2O5-XN1SWuoaB5nGX_o592eHvFcVhn33v-Rdq5yCoFs3_nJFYW9hbAa35HeTigwMMa041RERsoNc4zuDC5O20jPor/w400-h500/F8D476CC-E3AE-48BB-8FDE-0A59C97A7FA4.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="400" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Cala Sardinera is definitely a lovely cove worth visiting if you are looking for spot along the coast that is less crowded but easy to get by. Hope you like my sharing! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Lots of love,</i></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Cherrie x </i></div></div>Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-1268949052686075832020-08-30T12:29:00.067-07:002020-09-27T16:15:20.273-07:0010 reasons why you should visit Valencia<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Why Valencia? Because it is simply incredible. After living here for a year, I am still stunned by how beautiful this city is everyday. So in case you have not yet witness its beauty, here I have laid out 10 reasons why you should buy your flight tickets now (or at least right after Covid)!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>10) First thing first, for the one of a kind architecture</b></div></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: normal;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5UiLY0vLc1xDxoQkDINAjvlO8e41MMgGs2a5YnVMxuyQnokbV7oFuu9nytAJCPpcFxuIL-9ZFEKwCYo6IlTCG-2OBGaUHfrPeKLChzRuut9xNkWj4WLO0IL-6L_KyeVNX6XhCQbgK1H-O/s3427/2AF66EAC-D970-4F12-9FD7-FB88607BB532.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3427" data-original-width="2743" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5UiLY0vLc1xDxoQkDINAjvlO8e41MMgGs2a5YnVMxuyQnokbV7oFuu9nytAJCPpcFxuIL-9ZFEKwCYo6IlTCG-2OBGaUHfrPeKLChzRuut9xNkWj4WLO0IL-6L_KyeVNX6XhCQbgK1H-O/w328-h410/2AF66EAC-D970-4F12-9FD7-FB88607BB532.jpg" width="328" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Calle de las Barcas<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVZfiL0aONTynMC5ebGxhrlfi9xsxDlCUQ_GLxmmd7IMXDBVBQEkoTof3fmCflb-_68qUo91eCcHYLY7Kjiln7iM8-WYYVpkuMhEQSU1V-qpTml1eBkjj51BiMws6lIvabM837q2axnma/s4032/IMG_9976.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVZfiL0aONTynMC5ebGxhrlfi9xsxDlCUQ_GLxmmd7IMXDBVBQEkoTof3fmCflb-_68qUo91eCcHYLY7Kjiln7iM8-WYYVpkuMhEQSU1V-qpTml1eBkjj51BiMws6lIvabM837q2axnma/w308-h410/IMG_9976.HEIC" width="308" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Torres de Serranos<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: normal;"></div><p style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEbC5aHeaxmyuiTn6IfI6X-GGAETLHUeonwdI_xufYbTpS63UHiiLKmVyMVRb1eNdZLXxohS8wYTBYu69T7NUfZwOEgNkeuvZE-qhwWXnB99CnjUan5jYEwQTpzjVt3Lnh0vmSweJGrIf/s4032/IMG_8511.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEbC5aHeaxmyuiTn6IfI6X-GGAETLHUeonwdI_xufYbTpS63UHiiLKmVyMVRb1eNdZLXxohS8wYTBYu69T7NUfZwOEgNkeuvZE-qhwWXnB99CnjUan5jYEwQTpzjVt3Lnh0vmSweJGrIf/w307-h410/IMG_8511.HEIC" width="307" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Museo de Belles Artes de Valencia <br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-weight: normal;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhaiYixKJFEL5j_dfCeP3FPTF59lPL8qluRcCbGPS01SsIc8T3LGbz-pqjOcYArkp449jchSpUsp-eT_mNlfBIFvK2j1VvBS0vsBe2qKPO_TkVUfV-sDxuCbJydczo-_xO4vTHT30q0yj/s4032/IMG_7689.HEIC" style="font-weight: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhaiYixKJFEL5j_dfCeP3FPTF59lPL8qluRcCbGPS01SsIc8T3LGbz-pqjOcYArkp449jchSpUsp-eT_mNlfBIFvK2j1VvBS0vsBe2qKPO_TkVUfV-sDxuCbJydczo-_xO4vTHT30q0yj/w307-h410/IMG_7689.HEIC" width="307" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaza de la Virgen <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtJpaDnVjytbqDfgSjS_Pi4UudnTF6U5ORBa2uew2a2A-NE0L_9t3BB9Os1Ts8qZfOyNPGdpEmHrusuf5NlphZtQNz-pXstYJmzs4kj5gWEpZgLz0LhCClva1EEn7O8BVNNItYKowVZmP/w308-h410/IMG_9635.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;" width="308" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">View from Torres de Serranos<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pLRL9Uv901gu6KmvFRNuciMNsXp4Mp4rupHdGkc8086bZzmTfxbABvWzt2ChHB9LewGSk5ggG7lOIAkWSJsamgyOGKe0Q_HIK8lhpSvLReU5wlz71uRMf6twPhZoxHY4rxNXv44xE_CE/w307-h410/IMG_7802.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: start;" width="307" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Ruzafa</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggs74HjsSiiy9Cd33zYZ2OXR2iTEUhXi9TQwELjGgcXEYTXzSYGe3bvYcyU9YF4RPvrGJA5vnNmJwAW9mWhaxWJl5zDMN2l405zgNIItRUz7DVR3kk01yvvFJ_2od4gqZ8Zjfg-VTDowho/w307-h410/IMG_9091.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: start;" width="307" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><div>Plaza de Toros</div><div><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEx7na65BHB77ZDRnV-rHZbcV-zSpIrIqsyldYihMnBIfEGtVwlM1Kx-NJXohfIM8PnVKyq2qBiw5CMRO6i7TolYidvpJVxtnsxeJj8Xc8f7cwl-O8btjNtOOjw-bfBphCnRburR8vu3CD/w308-h410/IMG_8516.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;" width="308" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><div>Night view from La Torre del Miguelete</div><div><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: normal;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRsepnbBxi3_VkuMmZx5bQ6Xe6tG1tiOjdzsX9USVLfo8VKsl2GOxB10CFivo-Wq3bxMvWvpc6YG-1BM7aA3Wjz1HPyxi8UUHhxjFkZLttsBKR9pMTEMG9NGqBtUb-bUg2y1CrcCbshxmP/w410-h307/IMG_7841.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: start;" width="410" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">El Carmen</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption"><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRka0QtDJZis-4FIRzYqqyCmuleHRmdoWWdp0pTapm-fJ26_gxRw-jx9AP1aXrBRCEALFTIJK5HJxUn87IjVXC2e2Jh4RnAV-RU66Egx9MVjf5P9z860ZrLVQ-w_XVXZoAuEvCywfdipBF/s4032/IMG_9088.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRka0QtDJZis-4FIRzYqqyCmuleHRmdoWWdp0pTapm-fJ26_gxRw-jx9AP1aXrBRCEALFTIJK5HJxUn87IjVXC2e2Jh4RnAV-RU66Egx9MVjf5P9z860ZrLVQ-w_XVXZoAuEvCywfdipBF/w410-h307/IMG_9088.HEIC" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">La Arena / Cabanyal<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Needless to say, the city is simply gorgeous. It is not like Barcelona where you are shocked at the first sight. Here there is nothing too loud. But what I like about Valencia is that it is very original and authentic. <b>People are proud of their city and they need not to make pretentious things just to sell their hometown to tourists. </b><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixErtDVvbjTdfWCOPDnyXzpmiq0lZV-82zELu5K5zdVQsGKD3clrZiYFSQnObGRQ0wtzarEG-g2gNHld5sL15ZlWuXhrGPEMeaKrgz0_YtR6yWJhJo8FrIJha6Y_lnfD1anInIzr0aT0Lf/s4032/IMG_7832.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixErtDVvbjTdfWCOPDnyXzpmiq0lZV-82zELu5K5zdVQsGKD3clrZiYFSQnObGRQ0wtzarEG-g2gNHld5sL15ZlWuXhrGPEMeaKrgz0_YtR6yWJhJo8FrIJha6Y_lnfD1anInIzr0aT0Lf/w307-h410/IMG_7832.HEIC" width="307" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Iglesia San Nicolas<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />One of my favourite spot is definitely this church in a small alley in the old town El Carmen. While it is so not noticeable from the street, the interior of the basilica is absolutely stunning. People often compare it with the 16th Chapel in Rome. I personally find them equally charming from different perspectives. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8m5PtDqGUTam3j2xuNxKCF4iEvYak68IcQAI-CttW7OONRgH5X_kjLKqv8BX64FYfUfwIzeBMuFVmb95-feB-7tOnovZxph3B6UKjSZkIGmJsp_12y9Pn2VSGW_XEu91b1mFa0QYXlGN/s4032/IMG_0808.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8m5PtDqGUTam3j2xuNxKCF4iEvYak68IcQAI-CttW7OONRgH5X_kjLKqv8BX64FYfUfwIzeBMuFVmb95-feB-7tOnovZxph3B6UKjSZkIGmJsp_12y9Pn2VSGW_XEu91b1mFa0QYXlGN/w410-h307/IMG_0808.HEIC" width="410" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_n-jQt91U7_eiotN-7UBUUjNieMDbOLBs9BOfQBvgNgN4h_TuclfJXMHAiYf3Q7keCUO9k-n7lfz29O2N3edTQfQIztBa7knqBqhzZE5cHbPdVQ_-eAe9yvFCGd2-y3xw6oxK_k4OgaT/s4032/IMG_8775.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_n-jQt91U7_eiotN-7UBUUjNieMDbOLBs9BOfQBvgNgN4h_TuclfJXMHAiYf3Q7keCUO9k-n7lfz29O2N3edTQfQIztBa7knqBqhzZE5cHbPdVQ_-eAe9yvFCGd2-y3xw6oxK_k4OgaT/w410-h307/IMG_8775.HEIC" width="410" /></a><br /><br /><br />And how can we ever forget one of the biggest benchmark Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (Art & Science City)? Inaugurated in 1998, this landmark has definitely turned the city around and is attracting thousands of tourists to Valencia every year. It is an area that includes museum (art and science of course), aquarium, hemispheric for IMAX dome and 3D movie experience as well as one of the biggest night club in Valencia.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPi_sn_aKZoSm_VC5NezPvxBoXQuwzmmKqu3oRaK8u0M5fSpx1AeKTsgSmETqqdwd9egWw1WVKaBmkKDJAicGIfIy7HJ_T8xW9bPkod3T3pBhxctEqvj7-6SzXlS0YrscRue8cWMsYSUm/s1440/beauty_20191013143327.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPi_sn_aKZoSm_VC5NezPvxBoXQuwzmmKqu3oRaK8u0M5fSpx1AeKTsgSmETqqdwd9egWw1WVKaBmkKDJAicGIfIy7HJ_T8xW9bPkod3T3pBhxctEqvj7-6SzXlS0YrscRue8cWMsYSUm/w197-h262/beauty_20191013143327.jpg" width="197" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-SOD9XIef_4o9_C7mgRfdRMifYUEmzgUQYVWyG7ksH3EBsTKZvgKAujgHOsMMAuUf3kuNPmJNI2Q1rSG5G3fRHKkagQO0dwiVzwvsutOTixLtAv2ShXtnFbQRtwezvXoPCaa0QcWlnkP/s3840/IMG_8819.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="2880" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-SOD9XIef_4o9_C7mgRfdRMifYUEmzgUQYVWyG7ksH3EBsTKZvgKAujgHOsMMAuUf3kuNPmJNI2Q1rSG5G3fRHKkagQO0dwiVzwvsutOTixLtAv2ShXtnFbQRtwezvXoPCaa0QcWlnkP/w197-h262/IMG_8819.JPG" width="197" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWoHmf1f5Dtoj1OOUPeqNfi78Hj2uiapbZ1PFCxvXj-fEQWq9L84oM4kQw-MaraJVWFl2orkQyCdEoy4kJ4EXchnAWa8D1osdhBN-FTSSoSWZr06cSh0UuqC3bufvWaUanDXLR2kwVfHOB/s4032/IMG_8211.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWoHmf1f5Dtoj1OOUPeqNfi78Hj2uiapbZ1PFCxvXj-fEQWq9L84oM4kQw-MaraJVWFl2orkQyCdEoy4kJ4EXchnAWa8D1osdhBN-FTSSoSWZr06cSh0UuqC3bufvWaUanDXLR2kwVfHOB/w410-h307/IMG_8211.HEIC" width="410" /></a><br /><br />Definitely a photogenic place to visit! :p<br /><br /><div><b>9) The beach is right next door </b></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUuUMkg1iGfcq7cSLNx1eq3Og4nl8Uj9FWRvEnwkgA3cnCmf0pyf4bWv6vhrd8sqiXM7nN4JhODYOJIIcc40dhMLJzKCofLPTQJzIjdTYrJhsV_IMR5l72vaHdJ0d01RrcE09Hnku7P6f/s4032/IMG_1012.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUuUMkg1iGfcq7cSLNx1eq3Og4nl8Uj9FWRvEnwkgA3cnCmf0pyf4bWv6vhrd8sqiXM7nN4JhODYOJIIcc40dhMLJzKCofLPTQJzIjdTYrJhsV_IMR5l72vaHdJ0d01RrcE09Hnku7P6f/w246-h328/IMG_1012.HEIC" width="246" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDt5YxijzbfK5evcp_SHkIBUR-JZzL7xVq7eFa7MguFUAZwalN0st79y49NTcgreT4rqc-qa0CO2zKN7n3rs3u5RgZceJ6CyogcbMfOv8e2fY6qhJigPeeX0jvFWsRnqy6-X05de8SWaF6/w246-h328/IMG_1014.HEIC" style="text-align: left;" width="246" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Along the coast across the Valencia Community (the province that include Castellón, Valencia capital, Alicante) there are so many lovely beaches where you can do all sort of water sports such as kite surf, surfing, scuba diving etc. <b>Basically the tanning and beach season starts from late May all the way to September or even early October.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I personally have not visited all of them (because there are so so many!) but I quite like some of the onces I have been to e.g. Sagunto, Javéa, El Saler, Mareny Blau.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.lovevalencia.com/en/the-best-beaches-of-the-valencian-community.html" target="_blank">Here</a> is a site to search for the best beaches in Valencia.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>8) And the mountains are on the other side!</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcpDkWFoifrhYOSFDfLW-9BSzyB0W7J5d4zfe1bIaZtYT0awKA9WPyLBeWqFEnpCk7ybVZodhdsr993qdrNMb4rB55IlzaLIWc0hMW0tadSazYtASxb5UA-pnnVOEwIzzcKpVFlvHI9Na/s583/F7599AEE-1B1B-4350-8564-4D57B3FCBC1E.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="432" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcpDkWFoifrhYOSFDfLW-9BSzyB0W7J5d4zfe1bIaZtYT0awKA9WPyLBeWqFEnpCk7ybVZodhdsr993qdrNMb4rB55IlzaLIWc0hMW0tadSazYtASxb5UA-pnnVOEwIzzcKpVFlvHI9Na/w296-h400/F7599AEE-1B1B-4350-8564-4D57B3FCBC1E.jpeg" width="296" /></a></div><b><br /></b></div></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQcQ_XsFFOVaM4rP_mQzE-jlayOG6m37gZvDYEkc6ToQ3qS1R6vJ4dlQl_zIoYSnmJ-wxUJh1aA-wBWPP7Q5USzylCv-dj_YrvxrpQQlHNT3ycURHZGLD4gRfXPYe9rT9eH34ysfFE9zF/s4032/IMG_0598.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQcQ_XsFFOVaM4rP_mQzE-jlayOG6m37gZvDYEkc6ToQ3qS1R6vJ4dlQl_zIoYSnmJ-wxUJh1aA-wBWPP7Q5USzylCv-dj_YrvxrpQQlHNT3ycURHZGLD4gRfXPYe9rT9eH34ysfFE9zF/w308-h410/IMG_0598.HEIC" width="308" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If you are more of a mountain person, there are many routes that you can do! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIrhgaKc9FYqXEqrjmvf-kxqj2UOH0WG_EWSf729OgBJV_Jtf8R7mGHVfi9bczpdPNmvYZZBC5wrOdfce7y1EF10Bh57p8ZaE5FpvW0b-ePWTIM9Q-Z0A5kIJQIBB3sWeyb5ababv0h49/w246-h328/IMG_1600.HEIC" style="text-align: start;" width="246" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLnVaZPynrRj95fdNhe9sD6ROBA2CifHBSK9umFxunhejgg7hzQINGPosBW2c4UwEAwte54cgG6tXnB4mvFtKRbo6MzLDSUylH97Ll0GWgerRoepTgD7nYQKL4alum3RDsOr1eZ6s6MxFS/w246-h328/IMG_1623.HEIC" style="text-align: left;" width="246" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The best thing is there are many with rivers and waterfalls as well where you can jump into the water whenever it is too hot. They are like <b>natural water parks</b>! The water is absolutely freezing though so better to go in only in the summer unless you are Aquaman ... (not funny I know.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://static3.lasprovincias.es/www/multimedia/201706/29/media/cortadas/cueva-turche-kEi-U40208719289nyH-624x390@Las%20Provincias.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="624" height="250" src="https://static3.lasprovincias.es/www/multimedia/201706/29/media/cortadas/cueva-turche-kEi-U40208719289nyH-624x390@Las%20Provincias.jpg" width="399" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: lasprovincias.es<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/gr-cms/media/filer_public/dd/4a/dd4a05e9-1641-4044-82b2-fe5e3e15b2b4/batch_apertura_montajenos_shutterstock_471253274.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="262" src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/gr-cms/media/filer_public/dd/4a/dd4a05e9-1641-4044-82b2-fe5e3e15b2b4/batch_apertura_montajenos_shutterstock_471253274.jpg" width="393" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: guiarepsol.com / Shutterstock</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Unfortunately I haven't been able to find a site in English that introduces the top recommended trekking routes in Valencia but honestly I think the beauty of the nature here is so undermined and lack publicity! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>7) There is so much <span style="background-color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: white;">GREEN</span></span> in the city too!</b></div></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMOus0Gz4HfPRN7Oj45xhnOQwi7ekQ2P_CGwLLT4n2HUS5Q_5SurauicQVMt3zRxmLDfN6L4qEuOZLM19DW60i9YTdzY5avAPrBjMjLRD9Yf7QxgA-VgT-Wn8k-56Me4tNokFext81AsBt/w246-h328/IMG_0368.HEIC" style="text-align: left;" width="246" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKdl0-OKXJB0Y80cdYMRIZUEpYjXbkvVV7Q4qPrwwzRJrhgT1UE5nN5r55t5ZsM5Qfg9tPdJmQdcBAG5VpYGtzBsKUnpYuA-hBre0sb-1OiQu02uWg8ZTPKSRNvqjvswoaYVB6p2sz32f/w246-h328/IMG_0424.HEIC" style="text-align: left;" width="246" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The famous Turia Garden is one of the greatest heritage of Valencia. Everyone calls it "the river" in Valencia because it used to be the Turia River before 1958. Since there was a lot of flooding that caused chaos and catastrophes, the local government decided to undergo "Plan Sur" to divert the water to another route.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_A5glFnLk6_z7z4yRatLZI3mgVXh3rr60aekvLP8BSyDgqzAcbuJFdys8hyphenhyphenLZgVC9dp9fYU0c9ZBa5Ll1XfWdp-1iQKKjcDw4vgod0jR_FFjXx7xj4PHuzA514kbipz5uwf61j1iwOsU/w246-h328/IMG_0226.HEIC" style="text-align: start;" width="246" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-GQLSnamy7-nbWCDE_EvyZI_m_nT6iA-caV4O9A2BVte3zjQxIlIgjAqvTAAZjMdDaQM6BUoJCKZUxWxtK_cEvRkLeVBscFxbTMKga6eRWziPSL-F3OdfXjChmUPzuIjvFrTrZ6_bT3T/s4032/IMG_8502.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-GQLSnamy7-nbWCDE_EvyZI_m_nT6iA-caV4O9A2BVte3zjQxIlIgjAqvTAAZjMdDaQM6BUoJCKZUxWxtK_cEvRkLeVBscFxbTMKga6eRWziPSL-F3OdfXjChmUPzuIjvFrTrZ6_bT3T/w246-h328/IMG_8502.HEIC" width="246" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Later on they turned this "dry river" into a park and is now the best place to jog, cycle, do yoga, have a picnic, or even just to go around different landmarks in the city such as the iconic <i>Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias</i> (Art and Science City).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption"><h3></h3><h3></h3><div><b><br />6) The homeland of Paella and a lot of Spanish rice dishes</b></div><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbrflpj9WWu0uWIrqUBb6ifIkoC_vA5aQ896_f1BhEI03WANwJ-x4R1oNhpy59gNMDfIFiNyIUCzBr5QTxBr4_2x757f6wjNEzLLI440XJyC3E3qBcw585c9Me5nt9-aSt3rKM8Rkcxdq_/w246-h328/IMG_1764.HEIC" style="text-align: start;" width="246" /><br /><br />If you haven't tried the authentic Valencian paella, don't claim to be a fan of Spain.<br /><br />As mentioned in previous blogs, the most authentic "paella" rice dish is originated from Valencia and <b>the traditional paella only has chicken and rabbit meat with vegetables</b>. But later on obviously people make different versions with seafood, or mixed paella which is with the best of both worlds. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePdha1kymXU3v9cozYHUVnFvC86HLkrE0Uyk9qCbsAYz6hVtLAEKGpeiqT6sgvfGwHZBF2Szc8GiawtOlayRzMPtWgNnXvcr_aCn_mKyNxrhYMhBFqVAfi0Y1jjUsYdfebGOYNGuoxySi/s4032/IMG_20191014_222228_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePdha1kymXU3v9cozYHUVnFvC86HLkrE0Uyk9qCbsAYz6hVtLAEKGpeiqT6sgvfGwHZBF2Szc8GiawtOlayRzMPtWgNnXvcr_aCn_mKyNxrhYMhBFqVAfi0Y1jjUsYdfebGOYNGuoxySi/w246-h328/IMG_20191014_222228_1.jpg" width="246" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyF1bW9u97NG3FRhyuOUDYvZTix43vK3fSogDNyYij2pYWJCQ_7axhZlWirZjAf6sdTKmwSW6151DzLiwCxMmm5py37t_jGkR8929vu4LgbRNQtcHIWl-RzdayY9eR5s5vf1hfurPC9gWp/w246-h328/IMG_8306.JPG" style="text-align: start;" width="246" /><br /><br /><b>The word "paella" means the pan that they use to cook the rice</b>, so seafood paella, mixed paella, black paella, vegetarian paella etc. are all legit. But if you want to try the most authentic one, you have got to try the Valencian paella. <br /><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gUSfnyWGQ5wINWhFtTMV56KeCuS0kOD2jMNgXbodU_WhvG914xGPkMOXydg0NbweBsLKCrJdt3iz-4vQvIK6MuMvXNNaJv-QGGO760QhEtwhoBiXMxkPYM7dseZRRzOv1wNddKZv1G23/w246-h328/IMG_1106.HEIC" style="text-align: start;" width="246" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPz_DnT40b9KdTkM6vuWfjPiIMmQIevAAC2NTBY9X4KeuWjkiRNAJ4KWrvF0bVI0eT5eol4U6n-035NeKwjlVPz2tgRV08BZWNltBRc63gP-fNd3br6QNf3QP3h_Apw4rayvonHkg71g85/w246-h328/IMG_1121.HEIC" style="text-align: start;" width="246" /><br /><br />The Spaniards also value a lot of their time and connection with their family and it is very common to eat with their families on Sundays. Instead of going for dim sum like in Hong Kong or make a Sunday roast in the UK, they make paella at home outdoor (with a thing called "paellero" which is a stove that is just for making paella or over firewood). Basically they meet almost for a whole day and <b>eat in a marathon style with appetiser, paella, dessert, coffee, mistela shot till like 6pm and this is their "lunch"</b>. How can anyone not love the Spanish dining culture right?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTtPN7zxyxVDNkoutyTtyqUHyL7B8hKL2Lp-V9KtZMTLljX0L48XDyG6o5kF-Smv5zOAB1OcuSNTUmV6IFSoSWHLZuG2lm1C162e0RsQS2NAWzyW6v7xp052mErzSdQUwqJCqFxcnpzG2/s3780/4296E42C-80F6-439A-82D4-A2A2AB276A80.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTtPN7zxyxVDNkoutyTtyqUHyL7B8hKL2Lp-V9KtZMTLljX0L48XDyG6o5kF-Smv5zOAB1OcuSNTUmV6IFSoSWHLZuG2lm1C162e0RsQS2NAWzyW6v7xp052mErzSdQUwqJCqFxcnpzG2/w328-h410/4296E42C-80F6-439A-82D4-A2A2AB276A80.jpg" width="328" /></a><br /><br />One extra point to add is that Valencia is famous for a lot of rice dishes because they have a lot of rice fields. One of the area to mention is Albufera where you can see amazing sunset by the lake and apparently you can find one of the best paellas in Valencia! <br /><div><b><br />5) The weather is simply AMAZING (like 320 days a year I swear)</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq9z36bZyI6HTzSHm3url0ffmOtb1kOfPcOBLOp6IPZiyhbBgqATe7A840ygJRO3l1zB4F-BA4q25CyYXqU-l3aqiLujJRbBK4QETM1WqptrVjwFe4UPwP_UFCvyYXtrCWmMxbHONxzG6h/s4032/IMG_0818.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq9z36bZyI6HTzSHm3url0ffmOtb1kOfPcOBLOp6IPZiyhbBgqATe7A840ygJRO3l1zB4F-BA4q25CyYXqU-l3aqiLujJRbBK4QETM1WqptrVjwFe4UPwP_UFCvyYXtrCWmMxbHONxzG6h/w410-h307/IMG_0818.HEIC" width="410" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I mean how much better life gets when you see a blue sky almost everyday?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Mind you a lot of people think we get nice weather all over Spain but actually there is miserable weather up in the north and in the in-land too. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Comunidad_Valenciana-loc.svg/882px-Comunidad_Valenciana-loc.svg.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="589" height="392" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Comunidad_Valenciana-loc.svg/882px-Comunidad_Valenciana-loc.svg.png" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Source: Wikimedia<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Given the fact the whole Valencia Community is by the Mediterranean Sea, we get a lot of sunny days. It's not too cold in the winter (you will never see snow sorry) but it can get quite hot in the summer (but lots' of beach days!) Those people who think it's humid in Valencia have seriously never been to any part of south Asia ... </div><h3></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"></h3><div><b>4) People are lovely</b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3DyEsyPlgszmXSkBrDWog29UHoB0pJ5QO1zY782fadLFIBnaaV55QfRG8bNv50Pd9jEWpTFHwQMS5D8lHaLs4PcVP536kP2BYFGXy2XB92oQnL4EcM7-lEbgz7oJ8SLFhiR4kX1yKaYCJ/s2016/b5f3e385-ec56-471b-984b-2cd1a278077b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3DyEsyPlgszmXSkBrDWog29UHoB0pJ5QO1zY782fadLFIBnaaV55QfRG8bNv50Pd9jEWpTFHwQMS5D8lHaLs4PcVP536kP2BYFGXy2XB92oQnL4EcM7-lEbgz7oJ8SLFhiR4kX1yKaYCJ/w410-h307/b5f3e385-ec56-471b-984b-2cd1a278077b.jpg" width="410" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Actually I have not been living in any other places in Spain apart from Barcelona and Valencia. (disclaimer) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">But in general I do notice some differences in how people interact. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In Valencia, while there are also some foreigners, most Spaniards you will meet are originally Valencians. They tend to have a very tight social circles with all their friends from a very young age all the way to university and workplaces. And when I say very tight, I mean <b>a random Valencian that you run into would probably know the family of their friends quite well, and may even join their family gatherings</b>. It seems to me that it is quite common to hang out or include the siblings of their friends in reunions which is lovely in my point of view. People seem to care and pay so much more attention in the well-being of their friends and what's going on in their lives since they are eager to maintain such relationships that were established a long time ago. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">At the same time, since a lot of Valencians born and grow up in Valencia, where in Barcelona there are a lot of people from other regions (imagine Shenzhen in China), in general everyone is very proud to be a Valencian. So when you come to Valencia, overall they are fairly welcoming and are eager to show you the beauty of their hometown. </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyaQq3p2eUi0aAcbjzD6AvcKDAWqtMthLdRRfvhD_OgdBLq3NSJoKmFHfodTEaw_csxTu_s2ncLWwLlN3A7E21sLRgbv2p_8SVmxr9c33is7asq9tiI8Yx8rW71Sej0EL3TJme9kH_5nIX/s2048/84cba523-d49b-4726-b652-067ec8815b26.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyaQq3p2eUi0aAcbjzD6AvcKDAWqtMthLdRRfvhD_OgdBLq3NSJoKmFHfodTEaw_csxTu_s2ncLWwLlN3A7E21sLRgbv2p_8SVmxr9c33is7asq9tiI8Yx8rW71Sej0EL3TJme9kH_5nIX/w410-h307/84cba523-d49b-4726-b652-067ec8815b26.jpg" width="410" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">On the other hand, I have to say it was not easy to mix with the locals since everyone has their own groups since a young age, unlike in Barcelona where as a newbie in the city, people tend to be more open where you may easily meet someone randomly while you are having tapas at a bar. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">If you don't speak any Spanish or are still catching up on it but would still love to meet and hang out with cool people, there are plenty of opportunities to meet foreigners in meet-up groups, language schools, language exchange platforms, flat sharing etc. </div><div><h3></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"></h3><div><b>3) Drinking is cheap</b></div></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiraS7TZNcYjJvLaXy672xaOomwS6OxHeNjOgqf7xeiAHSy5vwHGjbzvArpXRRCYJHVgdalqiLSZ4u0L1xo97Sd5PEiZoN28LmdyIIx4JqWIbdN1RNgqQH1eZDOIPDSMn66yZLyZahm2hI3/w246-h328/IMG_8666.HEIC" style="text-align: start;" width="246" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWsgJj1Yc4NZvKvGls0k_vZ2rUhMGJfiCuVsLexQD6h7WuJkDy_jZuYGX9B_BRn-Zg7lNL_3sJQrbfoehb8MMary3Und8hv1TDJoJtVHpI4y2Y4QtOMm8mB6NxONo6NZmNhovltaB1lN_F/w246-h328/IMG_8429.HEIC" style="text-align: start;" width="246" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I am not saying everyone is as alcoholic as I am, but I have to say it is far more economical to go out for drinks than in Hong Kong. Used to paying like HK$90 (9 euros) for a glass of wine? <b>Here in Valencia a very very expensive glass of wine by the beach will cost max 4 euros. You can easily find one for 2 euros in the city centre.</b> If you order a bottle in a decent restaurant in the city centre, obviously depends of what class of wine you are getting, but it is not difficult to find a bottle costing 15-20 euros or under. In fact, for 20 euros you can normally get a pretty good wine.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtkgXeEZPib4g-fvGrJdNmcg8XWjXV3eVxnIXhzVqP3fTjKc6xHXJA2d0UnD_oV67vRkdwFlcaC0BtFmTIGfwWsRDyQWRcwkZA5zhSxAhxkO8wT_-SXgdM3R0SHf_DvUnTi2oh2IjRE6y/s4032/IMG_9582.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtkgXeEZPib4g-fvGrJdNmcg8XWjXV3eVxnIXhzVqP3fTjKc6xHXJA2d0UnD_oV67vRkdwFlcaC0BtFmTIGfwWsRDyQWRcwkZA5zhSxAhxkO8wT_-SXgdM3R0SHf_DvUnTi2oh2IjRE6y/w246-h328/IMG_9582.HEIC" width="246" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhiDX7xSQYmAyIa7tR9_qIVuWclNmkEiyyblXIm1O4pTAeMKpG2d9EoKpnRbMvsYeQro2680JhprCtAbkBH9aXwzhhl63uFE5Zt9PhR9xKfkXk1H0u1-MuZpqb8IR0x5Jz0sJHYu2WCMDl/s1824/f1326330-ba09-4428-bf81-2172573834b1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="1368" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhiDX7xSQYmAyIa7tR9_qIVuWclNmkEiyyblXIm1O4pTAeMKpG2d9EoKpnRbMvsYeQro2680JhprCtAbkBH9aXwzhhl63uFE5Zt9PhR9xKfkXk1H0u1-MuZpqb8IR0x5Jz0sJHYu2WCMDl/w246-h328/f1326330-ba09-4428-bf81-2172573834b1.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br />The truth is there is a lot of excellent wine in Spain. Many people know about wines from Rioja, but actually <b>there are very nice wines in the Valencian Community as well, for example from Utiel Requena and Alicante</b>. There are also plenty of wine tasting events organised by different cellars weekly. As posh as the idea sounds, usually you can find ones that are less than 15 euros per head where you get to try 3-4 different wines. It's a fantastic opportunity to experience how the Spaniards appreciate their local wines and is a great social activity as well. <br /><br /><div><b>2) Super easy to get around</b></div><div><h3></h3></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="280" src="https://www.culturacv.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/valenbisi.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: start;" width="419" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Culturacv<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="800" height="246" src="https://offloadmedia.feverup.com/valenciasecreta.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/21093351/carril-bici-valencia.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;" width="423" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Valencia Secreta<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></td><td class="tr-caption"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"> </td><td class="tr-caption"><div><br /></div><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: center;">While the city size is only 134.65km², a lot of places are pretty walkable or can be accessed by the extensive metro and bus network. Alternatively taking bikes is also very common. If you are staying for a long time, it is definitely worthwhile to sign yourself up for Valenbisi which will cost you 30 euros per year and you can enjoy unlimited trips up to 30 minutes. There are usually special lanes dedicated to bikes and segways so it is not always necessary to drive on the road. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>1) Most importantly, life is simple here.</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2sDo9jjDlc-IkhYSc7JNJNkd8la1PPdnqATRdFUmaTFbzJKdtqfqbkKbWrOE5YlYP9gldNIqolhdQeNdG5feI5PC0BxEbw_8ehCFIELHkHNHTAUtG3MCXckiWJBXw6wQ_BYcn3k04ijqQ/s4032/FullSizeRender.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2sDo9jjDlc-IkhYSc7JNJNkd8la1PPdnqATRdFUmaTFbzJKdtqfqbkKbWrOE5YlYP9gldNIqolhdQeNdG5feI5PC0BxEbw_8ehCFIELHkHNHTAUtG3MCXckiWJBXw6wQ_BYcn3k04ijqQ/w307-h410/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="307" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">If you are someone who is looking to become a billionaire, frankly speaking Valencia is probably not the most ideal place to get yourself loaded.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">But one thing that really makes me love this place is how simple life can be. It is not common to see people carrying a Louis Vuitton walking around on the street and people simply don't care about this stuff. People may not be earning the most here especially when compared to other European countries. However, people live very well. They are happy, enjoy a lot of family time and time for personal interests. <b>They don't need a Porche or a pair of Gucci sneakers to prove their self-worth. </b>People spend time doing sport (I am not talking about signing up a Pure membership and get yourself squashed in a 50 people yoga class thinking you are part of the cool gang kind of sport), paint, lay on the beach and do nothing after work, etc. If you don't have your own flat? well then rent one, share a flat, or live with your family. The last thing they will do is dedicate the next 20 years working overtime everyday just to get themselves a 50m² flat. Get a life! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">There isn't so much of a social pressure for getting yourself married neither. If you are 30, 40, 50 and still single, good for you! You are still free to date and hop around. They would rather be single than condescending and compromising themselves just to save a marriage that does not make them happy. If you are not straight, you have found heaven because Spain was the first country that legalised homosexual marriage. There are specific clubs that you can unite with and meet new people. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0eUbNw8DWjmLWXZ2wr49psteDMXR7v4Yky4mJG8WA39sZCBdyGwdpt7O_w_s_r42KKkejGI_kaEZj3g98BPZqEeNlsQqy4oQby5syn9xPI23wRrPjP6qOmKHX5etuDHnP9swWT_sgNknD/s2320/IMG_8389.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="1740" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0eUbNw8DWjmLWXZ2wr49psteDMXR7v4Yky4mJG8WA39sZCBdyGwdpt7O_w_s_r42KKkejGI_kaEZj3g98BPZqEeNlsQqy4oQby5syn9xPI23wRrPjP6qOmKHX5etuDHnP9swWT_sgNknD/w307-h410/IMG_8389.JPG" width="307" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here are 10 reasons why you should come o Valencia. Everyday I fall in love over and over again with this place so I really hope you have enjoyed my sharing. I look forward to see you guys soon! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Love from,</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Cherrie x</i></span></div>Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-88761553252588511492020-08-26T14:44:00.094-07:002020-09-07T12:43:45.337-07:00My 12 months journey in Spain<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1740" data-original-width="2320" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zPg-8OEZfljxpsSe6Ms4NvzfftJ6zKwxLHuBKhGVAoD-VZkOzLckpkAIuo5Azj9_LYtVNyc9UYoRnOX8E0zk0QI7qfZngTpq8aVaX9Tmd6ccUJWQuCM41k9Ehm59HNapDkiiFBz8ZWwI/w513-h384/IMG_9314.JPG" style="text-align: left;" width="513" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I have learnt Spanish for so many years and from a young age, I know there is where my passion lies. While the whole image of Spain is fancy and amazing, Spanish is just so fun to learn and it sounds so sexy omg! Therefore 12 months ago I quit my stable job and came to Spain to pursue this dream of mine being able to speak Spanish like a native with my savings. And then I stayed. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">God I want to live in Spain!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45ufPibYr8F7EGviIVUEHyz1lCbn5t1jppAHrbO8IjY-VBWXvM-7Q5i2F4S5swp5qO1CVMW50XPLjOAonYC9Zqau7wfG_wttDp8pir6R8IWvVDfA9R28XmSmimOUsexgvIowntEFZPJfe/s2027/5B62EF63-9D11-46E6-9005-66F5D4A877AA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2027" data-original-width="1622" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45ufPibYr8F7EGviIVUEHyz1lCbn5t1jppAHrbO8IjY-VBWXvM-7Q5i2F4S5swp5qO1CVMW50XPLjOAonYC9Zqau7wfG_wttDp8pir6R8IWvVDfA9R28XmSmimOUsexgvIowntEFZPJfe/w263-h328/5B62EF63-9D11-46E6-9005-66F5D4A877AA.jpg" width="263" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvW5RI6uFLSxJVOg_HlSB-iKaM4mwpNVtzbTuds64oJiILRAK_TSjMx564x7v-lwB9RWvx4GYn6v7GzU9TAFRXye3j9ArxMFtjE9tPq6dU0FgufziKptCPhTA3D7SXQciFRI_8BTzdONLQ/w246-h328/IMG_0125.HEIC" style="text-align: left;" width="246" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> I actually started all the planning, the research and paper work one year before coming. Even though I did know a bit of Spanish before I came, I could not catch up on how fast people talk at first together with their different accents, slangs and expressions they use (which often make no sense in English), etc. With the language and cultural barriers, initially getting around and sorting things out while I had no one was 10 times harder!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">From sorting all the paperwork, getting a residency card, then getting a SIM card, opening a bank account, to job offers that could not be accepted due to restrictions of working rights (the HR was seriously even more clueless than I was because they very rarely hire non-Europeans), then to find a lawyer to help me with my visa, finding a new school because all of a sudden the government officials felt like changing the policy and f-up everyone (don't even mention boys' issues..), it has been a bit of a bumpy way.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Meanwhile in the eyes of many (including my family) I am a lost kid not willing to face the reality. Some of my relatives and friends have no idea why I want to study Spanish and they often say, "<b>Being able to speak Spanish will not help you find a job with better salary dear. It's useless in Hong Kong</b>" "<b>When are you finishing your holiday and coming back</b>?" I love how people picture me getting tanned serving myself Sangria all day like I have all the time and money in the world to waste ... (I wish honey)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1598" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgkquge0uYAjz5l6j4C5lVleykICPgWBxGGgpyDnBaMLErAawiShmlkr_9pfO80eGwplJM5QrUe-r_EvkAEnXcxYl3FrbqYPEZW3RrnUdPcYnOopWi3WV3lofLgtP85SBa7eb49GjvJVFS/w513-h385/95ABC284-5AF0-4151-82F6-FE397D6BBAF5.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="513" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When people think that I am naive running off to Spain to escape from the reality, they didn't see me working 11 hours a day, also after office hours and on days off in a job that I didn't like for 4 years to save money for pursuing this dream of mine instead of spending the money on limited edition trainers (not that I am interested neither even though my trainers look like shxt...) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The ROI of a personal goal does not always have to be translated into money term for you to decide whether it is worth pursuing.</b> The truth is I don't have it all together and I never had to be honest 😂. I am acting on my toes all the time and planning the next step as I go with this one clear goal in mind. 80% of the time I am in panic and anxious state. But <b>we only have one chance, one life to do what we want. I want to live for myself and I am not ready to compromise.</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2oc58zaOR-0i7gTUDE-kk2gpiNxmpLXHDB_Gp9H8KQJWQ71fWl8Ps_Ex5yjCM3DW1MrJupfqM6Q9SMg0pIYQ5ZD7JdGoqQoBeIkaG9FCPpnsfOqWTt4GgTvT7Z1j6fnf2Uo-cW3UGYK7p/w480-h640/IMG_20191014_182438.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="480" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The experience of overcoming different issues alone when I had no one had made me stronger than ever. <b>The more difficult things are, the more I am sure that this is what I want and the more dedicated I become to work things out no matter what it takes. </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I mean obviously it was not going to be easy to pursue a so-called dream where there is no direct formula. <b>But if it was easy, what's the fun?</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This journey has not only trained my mindset to be resilient and go after what I want in life, but it has also made me realise how I used to take things for granted, how I always used to expect things to work out well by themselves without realising that nothing was actually meant to be. I have been so lucky!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDy9YhKkq7266I5_r7hKcmcgvZsghnY0MtgGYDYmeUVHP3xqo4wzXu3kJcj5_3TJAY57hUphyphenhyphen_jcnP426xVihaPfpqwt4QHelQ4TAZj1mAj_WBOdiM_m-icVlp_2ERXBTEHvIe0SmvJ20P/s1600/f0e1bb4b-bb3b-4118-be98-fe3ef8fe64b8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDy9YhKkq7266I5_r7hKcmcgvZsghnY0MtgGYDYmeUVHP3xqo4wzXu3kJcj5_3TJAY57hUphyphenhyphen_jcnP426xVihaPfpqwt4QHelQ4TAZj1mAj_WBOdiM_m-icVlp_2ERXBTEHvIe0SmvJ20P/w513-h384/f0e1bb4b-bb3b-4118-be98-fe3ef8fe64b8.jpg" width="513" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I got to know a lot more about myself, mainly the ugly parts like how I used to self-sabotage being a people-pleaser... I got to learn what I actually value and how do I want to live my life. I often become so buried worrying about (tedious) things in the future or thinking about the past that I forgot to live! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In the <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #444444;">dark days</span> </span>(the first few months being alone and abroad) <b>I struggled to find happiness and purpose because I was lonely, lost and anxious. I cried for 3 hours nonstop on my last birthday because I didn't know what the heck I was doing with my life.</b> Then I realised that actually I only had to make myself happy <i><u>today</u></i>. I just have to make the most out of<i> <u>today</u>.</i> The rest is not so important. We don't know what's going to happen next. So just give it our best shot and trust the process. Control the controlables.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYdbwTmZhXQaJkAq-4H5qh4qCM3nShR7uXDWe3wtyfgtO8gLd63oruZ58EoNDNJSgmbwSM620cu5HL96mqdkJrWg57qDBvrlNZA1PYU52xg3EplhHk0NnTFUxHgnJe3huMr8yvZKz7oxK/w328-h246/2ca1951b-36f7-4233-8c0e-b686e736d171.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="328" /><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxoVvxqt9uZ_5vx7y8bw4SJeQN6C_nEG_ZAt2zYvpKedSPFLTJdu2ub7s2PbD3uVJo71j58yk9du_5PbtoA-6lQHqpm_RoOqoo-rnYHfGKz6TlxbQGUiNhGtMtKJUnEcoZtiN1j6JKO2co/w328-h246/8a812f24-1b9c-4ebd-be9f-f5c93a20c39b.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="328" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">On the other hand, one of the highlights of the last 12 months is definitely staying under the same roof and sharing flat with people from different nationalities, understanding their habits, cultures and values. Precisely speaking, I was lucky to have the chance to share flats with <b>Americans, Belgian, Brazilian, British, Chinese (from Mainland China), Colombian, Dutch, French, Germans, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Swiss</b> from all walks of life.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Having said that, sure to say it was not always easy because we all are from very different background. And trust me, t<b>he flat I lived in for the first 7 months was a disaster where between 7 people in the flat there was only one bathroom, one stove, one tiny fridge with all the mouldy food in the world that people left behind </b>(mouldy pasta or natural blue cheese anyone?)<b> there were water leakages everywhere and all the time with literally everything being broken</b>... a shared tele or air-conditioning are honestly too much of a luxury to ask for lol It was quite an experience indeed. 😂 Lucky enough from this I have developed further my EQ, my adaptability and level of tolerance (should put this on my CV... 😆). </div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPnYxVwLRbrC9QLFi5V-uqmwZpQBFil3-xgQZGK1EJtQesZ-k9DOIi2UWTCC41SSU1id-5FIfPMxFf1GU-QvV8592Wv8prz706t111eCff1Dc3ZWH0YeUroNJYNGwBz3a3iWtXl9Fwv3KI/w262-h328/F61D8043-AECB-4689-91F5-7E5D90F19807.jpg" style="text-align: start;" width="262" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqcrOUGofIileBDFqt42qKz4q3bK5Qd1BeD18tDAdZpTYnOR24r6YNa9dUQNnYw_VOE4pCv6ez1Jz_ol6uLXFUhIZV2gnOwsAlQeUBH-_zk0t2zPfSEIRdphP8oTRjRaDwUKwZIZGrAYl9/w246-h328/IMG_0692.HEIC" style="text-align: start;" width="246" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2g5JjzNYsq5-_4A1AhGMgPJ6mIJYldbQvdH5WE1-BE12tlekUC7fX60V4V2TieCm-5Q5wdKfPlT7Kx8-xwy36xpXfq6kkJ8rR95SL9GoGiuBET2qX4iDCCYsw1TL99LVtLj9SaCc6N8zb/w246-h328/IMG_0173.HEIC" style="text-align: start;" width="246" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizm6N3Xg8J_haXLrWAwyCxA7JHA3-eOf9G9IKOL6uDviavk7hJCSr0qtcNzefIA8WZYb8nEilDxUny941SQ6xL3iU1I54k0jTJJPDUw9S43qiU5-deSERjqQKWRrK8PePaynRKJdIX0qk-/w246-h328/IMG_0381.HEIC" style="text-align: start;" width="246" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On the bright side, since I am broke<i> <u>(af)</u></i> and jobless 😂, I have adopted a new hobby! Trust me my mum was equally shocked as you are now when she found out I can actually cook XD.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBvorwuQ-kAgZaheqUR43D_SkPl7cwOQus0VgaFF1zQwMET8wZwMEijMIj-tOOmW5VAY7GoQUOyPJtsUHc345ajvi37VgznTj80ww7SUNUPptikRoNQYBv9BXthoq9elilmOuRjYe5wBl/s4032/IMG_0829.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBvorwuQ-kAgZaheqUR43D_SkPl7cwOQus0VgaFF1zQwMET8wZwMEijMIj-tOOmW5VAY7GoQUOyPJtsUHc345ajvi37VgznTj80ww7SUNUPptikRoNQYBv9BXthoq9elilmOuRjYe5wBl/w480-h640/IMG_0829.HEIC" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nunca dejes de soñar<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>(never stop dreaming)<br /><br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After 12 months, while I am still finding my way through, I have to say it has been an amazing journey and I will never be regret of making this move of following my heart and going after what I want. The experience was priceless. I will continue to fight for it. After all, I believe everything is a choice. When there is a will there is a way. :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b>Sea como sea, lo voy a conseguir. Eso lo tengo claro.</b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>(No matter how, I will achieve it. In this I have no doubts.)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Lots of love,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Cherrie x</i></div></div></div><p></p>Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-51135184063657325932020-08-25T13:47:00.014-07:002020-09-07T10:16:29.804-07:0010 common Spanish dishes<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As my blog title suggests, I love Spain and I love food. So I thought, why not talk about the Spanish food? Here are some dishes that I would die for and they are very typical ones you will find across Spain. <br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIs84WUS5L9kqoEQoyRqVi9IG9SGaXYOqWfsCdadT46LDu0ByL959ptE_2MBwXcG0In9zrHJxfc41V7H1kqY6ENhClzrDRi7toX0tMWLMlsfxuivxoskShjR-yhslrgtzan5rcTh0CGhvB/s2048/1277658_10202120090186097_822006112_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="513" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIs84WUS5L9kqoEQoyRqVi9IG9SGaXYOqWfsCdadT46LDu0ByL959ptE_2MBwXcG0In9zrHJxfc41V7H1kqY6ENhClzrDRi7toX0tMWLMlsfxuivxoskShjR-yhslrgtzan5rcTh0CGhvB/w385-h513/1277658_10202120090186097_822006112_o.jpg" width="385" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Chipirones a la plancha<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Grill baby squid)<br /><i>From Tapas 24</i><br /></span><br />Actually I love any kinds of grilled seafood, or seafood of any kind really. But one of my absolute favourite are these baby squids grilled with its ink splashing out. Sweet and juicy in every bite!<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5m8R6-h_gnJ-xqGJZerLuPNmOTvX9yPe1qv653Dv7qZOz-QcCQiThtpt_wloohz56C1VYdKcDcw_IIkDk1PeN9BQn1CAIpMexf8SZgQ64PZsM9fZYvYX98xVH-rZyB86645zWOxFpvsIF/s4032/IMG_8113.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="513" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5m8R6-h_gnJ-xqGJZerLuPNmOTvX9yPe1qv653Dv7qZOz-QcCQiThtpt_wloohz56C1VYdKcDcw_IIkDk1PeN9BQn1CAIpMexf8SZgQ64PZsM9fZYvYX98xVH-rZyB86645zWOxFpvsIF/w385-h513/IMG_8113.JPG" width="385" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fideuá Negra<br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">from La Fonda<br /></span></i><br />While everyone is crazy about paella which I also love (mentioned below), fideuá is a twisted version where a thin short pasta is used (almost like vermicelli) and it picks up all the flavour from the broth. Definitely a stunning dish accompanied with the sweetness of the squid ink and the shellfish. (people are so strict with not needing to eat it with Alioli (garlic mayo) if it's cooked well but I don't care I am Asian and I love it!)<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8FBqfYge2b4106ZG9Xu9DojEZNbgPHlFrmGER4iF7M-Y2OaqeMADZA-zIGtcfIyzkz-0ZbNjcuqagVSDP9qqft1S_f6G84cvfM5cWVwzdamc9XAXpxjvYB4aha9bgkpaPffy4xPgmBpg/s2160/IMG_8131.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="1620" height="513" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8FBqfYge2b4106ZG9Xu9DojEZNbgPHlFrmGER4iF7M-Y2OaqeMADZA-zIGtcfIyzkz-0ZbNjcuqagVSDP9qqft1S_f6G84cvfM5cWVwzdamc9XAXpxjvYB4aha9bgkpaPffy4xPgmBpg/w385-h513/IMG_8131.JPG" width="385" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Huevos Rotos<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Broken Eggs)<br /><i>from El Quim de la Boqueria<br /><br /></i></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes, that's right they are just eggs. And yep they are just any kind of eggs and it definitely does not look very Spanish-exclusive. But how they fry the eggs with the edges all crispy and oozy in the centre is definitely a highlight, especially when they are usually accompanied with crispy potato chunks, jamón, cheese or in this case my favourite baby squids. Yes you can literally throw it all together yourself at home and it's not exactly gastronomic but it's a great comfort food to have. </span></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbT1HXCoSD-uRJIPwuBlEUjCaZEMIIZGYdRdrMVy1kK5gk0Pp71994xVzYGTKTf4aer5ijsMleypLov6renQtZ3ONBVpRgszPVNQrasSG9PEoBkM0Hfe9p0qvvHu308MM_CHD_J5Pknil7/s4032/IMG_1533.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="513" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbT1HXCoSD-uRJIPwuBlEUjCaZEMIIZGYdRdrMVy1kK5gk0Pp71994xVzYGTKTf4aer5ijsMleypLov6renQtZ3ONBVpRgszPVNQrasSG9PEoBkM0Hfe9p0qvvHu308MM_CHD_J5Pknil7/w385-h513/IMG_1533.HEIC" width="385" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jamón Iberico <br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Iberico Ham)<br /><br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Needless to introduce this very legend of the Spanish culinary. There are many kinds, and many grading according to its origin, the number of years it has been cured for, the brand, what did pigs eat ... etc. just like how fussy people can get with wines. I am honestly not an expert in this area. </span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqCkOkv_6jHcmW3mA11SDu69Kv8Wyo0Z4QPfthV-v5yikuWIO4nZf3lma2CkAG9-RzJzczn8WNEjhJLLD6ZQp4xn_8rMlIcLzgIuX8dAW5jjhenhqJD2EalJUd2lXKfzQ-SSf2ERoKWZ2/s4032/IMG_1112.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="513" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqCkOkv_6jHcmW3mA11SDu69Kv8Wyo0Z4QPfthV-v5yikuWIO4nZf3lma2CkAG9-RzJzczn8WNEjhJLLD6ZQp4xn_8rMlIcLzgIuX8dAW5jjhenhqJD2EalJUd2lXKfzQ-SSf2ERoKWZ2/w385-h513/IMG_1112.HEIC" width="385" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Paella<br /><br />I actually never knew about 2 things before I came to Spain<br /><br />1) "Paella" literally just means the pan.<br />2) The most traditional Valencian Paella actually is meaty and it doesn not have any kind of seafood! and definitely NO chorizo (please... )<br /><br />For me I like both Paella Valenciano and Seafood Paella. Do be prepared to see the rabbit head (and its heart and all its organs) in the rice they love it...<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5rDHQeKWrNBr7hJLdqMwYGvrC7CmqSso3k-W8_-ryK-o0LjYK0zcbL_yxkN7XEp4IVf2bUwzxZ7mHbZ7Ws0ewE7m5Si5K0jQWN9e24xw8baSgvIB2KJwKUgg56MR3VFwOeazIiGqeixG/s4032/IMG_1307.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="513" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5rDHQeKWrNBr7hJLdqMwYGvrC7CmqSso3k-W8_-ryK-o0LjYK0zcbL_yxkN7XEp4IVf2bUwzxZ7mHbZ7Ws0ewE7m5Si5K0jQWN9e24xw8baSgvIB2KJwKUgg56MR3VFwOeazIiGqeixG/w385-h513/IMG_1307.HEIC" width="385" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ensaimada<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>from El Pan de Estelles</i></span><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My absolute absolute favourite choice of breakfast / pastry in Spain. Ensaimada is originally from Mallorca which unfortunately I haven't had a chance to visit yet. They are fluffy pastries made with lard (lard actually is more healthy than butter in case you don't know) and sprinked on top with icing sugar. You can find ones that are filled with cream, jam, chocolate as well but I just like it plain. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02LCIhi8zjpnaamhtMqpFeH0MCSXfIhJLrmTf59f2yOyBudAMkfh4idacMcnAPd0y6DwklrUrDSIBziKDwNTI_tVyE5sTImu9iWXe9ftTTn_K_-BB2r436AoGh6W-zFNykLQ5rY6c70Uy/s4032/IMG_1232.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="513" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02LCIhi8zjpnaamhtMqpFeH0MCSXfIhJLrmTf59f2yOyBudAMkfh4idacMcnAPd0y6DwklrUrDSIBziKDwNTI_tVyE5sTImu9iWXe9ftTTn_K_-BB2r436AoGh6W-zFNykLQ5rY6c70Uy/w385-h513/IMG_1232.HEIC" width="385" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Arroz al horno<br /><span><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Baked rice?)</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">It seems to an everyone's favourite dish at home in Valencia although apparently you can find it in some (touristy) restaurants too. It's a hearty baked rice with crispy potatoes on top, morcilla (blood sausage with onion), ribs, tomatoes but the best part is the mushy, flavourful baked garlic. It's wonderful with the <i>socarrat</i> (burnt crispy rice).</div></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5eEeazc6RZ9uLsHIE7I816QfMU6IBLq1VH8amCJ3wL0sn5CQktTuBbPkw1w6f8BElS9BPquS52lG9dQ3Hj-imljd496fnUZEdF6TcDcCXAKcmk9E-LcIftKQWU4ILEqRuVDDYvdVnJRP/w411-h411/PicMonkey+Collage.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="411" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Oreja a la plancha<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Grill pork ear)<br /><i>Source: Google</i></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Not that I have not eaten pork ear in my life. It's really popular in Asia too. But I tried these grilled with parsley and garlic and WOW I can never go back! They are so crunchy, chewy and gooey all at the same time, together with the pork fat .... This is a perfect tapas for me. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.hola.com/imagenes/cocina/recetas/20190624144582/tortilla-estilo-betanzos/0-694-858/betanzos-m.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="745" height="383" src="https://www.hola.com/imagenes/cocina/recetas/20190624144582/tortilla-estilo-betanzos/0-694-858/betanzos-m.jpg" width="383" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tortilla de Patata<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Potato omelet)<br /><i>Source: Google</i></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I can't believe I don't have a nice tortilla photo SHAME ON ME. Probably because I always can't wait and just dig into it! There is always a huge debate between whether you like your tortilla with or without onion. I will no doubt vote for one without onion. There is also a conspiracy theory around saying Gallegos (people from Galicia) make the best tortillas. I mean my one and only Gallego friend and his mum both make amazing tortillas. Not sure if this info is helpful :p</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://aws.traveler.es/prod/designs/v1/assets/940x629/149548.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="800" height="258" src="https://aws.traveler.es/prod/designs/v1/assets/940x629/149548.jpg" width="386" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pimientos de Padrón Fritos<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Padron peppers)<br /><i>Source: Google</i></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Another one of my all-time favourite! And yes another one that I never take photo of because it's a true love and I can bare to have it cold. Some earthy fresh Padron peppers fried and served with salt flakes. Nothing fancy and pretentious, as authentic as it seems and never fails. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">The Spaniards eat so well ... I am so never going to leaving.</div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzwn_dK0dY00HsGuv49w3Ci2KmmuwkkU86RrycTKPHD2A0kQ2i5vlE5KaOJT5aZkbffdFu5xOvbNgvMmvtvqDEX_IZAB9ZVF48P7jDpKrsiixWd2JDjkMrDvDRLRPtgyvPMhwM579m9d-/s4032/IMG_9345.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="513" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzwn_dK0dY00HsGuv49w3Ci2KmmuwkkU86RrycTKPHD2A0kQ2i5vlE5KaOJT5aZkbffdFu5xOvbNgvMmvtvqDEX_IZAB9ZVF48P7jDpKrsiixWd2JDjkMrDvDRLRPtgyvPMhwM579m9d-/w385-h513/IMG_9345.HEIC" width="385" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Lots of love,</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Cherrie x</i></span></div><p></p>Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-9476438688747238282020-08-25T02:39:00.008-07:002020-09-07T12:44:02.138-07:00Hola from Spain! <p style="text-align: center;">It's been such a long time since I write on this blog.. precisely 3 years! I moved to Valencia (Spain) in September 2019 and I am still in love with the city. As anyone who knows me well would probably be shocked yet figured that I would really do something as crazy as this, yes I quit my job after over 4 years (un maldito trabajo que odiaba .. translate if you are desperate to know) and I came to Spain just to improve my Spanish. And of course, I would love to live in Spain. I haven't planned so much at the very beginning. I only planned to stay for 7 months. Yet once I landed on this paradise of mine, I really CAN NOT LEAVE. I know this is where I want to be, no matter what it takes. So here I am, for almost a year and I am still deeply in love with this place.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Anyway, from now on, I would like to share with you all on this blog what I love about Spain and clarify any misconceptions about Spain. I would also be sharing some of the things e that I have gone through in this "dream-chasing" journey. Do check it out and I hope you will find it entertaining XD.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZDM0KTPWDQCtCT8uWGG4X8zPQvsTHJGRl89d2VGudNUIcaj6qfC2D9iaXXCjwIodyMKgnc9-Bb1152DQWKIq0-eVPey-jk4oEti930mGlULHjdwJV8s_QHcc0ldBvC-vOV3pMugRnN8O/w197-h262/085813c5-4725-45a0-9592-756f943fd004.jpg" style="text-align: left;" width="197" /><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="1620" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJlQNvZLdaFgki1DrkU2FT1u6SV4Z-T6BdkMfuetBRg2Ed6EPLpx2g6BdCxFij4pKinipxJg2ys5K0d2G3k61UUymqU46Sc7_pnCQ9XINcuFXlwNPptegRFBbrzkJoLUFP2884uogSSb_/w197-h262/IMG_8131.JPG" style="text-align: left;" width="197" /><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1200" height="262" 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src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6GoZXDDDv8XsoHrgf6L0mn1CpflUmm2aIewWUurK80rIb3MobSXi6FFS_8t7LO0r4U5tVWmrFr5pH7T04_7kekfX9IFND6voUghiGqnRiwGr58f_y6FC-ox2QybM_NmAMTnLOtWffPMC/w197-h262/IMG_1012.HEIC" style="text-align: left;" width="197" /><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhTYlbWfFIU4Yg3nbapVgYUAPo_AZ6pcOQrKtM1hyzPAs_WjrG4pS7RY3lT1HK0FdcUA1Y3ogwgT3uhVRB5VyeOcKXL36SgPzSQ47mBzvTD254nFwusADlKJ6UbRgAyL4LBmQg0A1__7r/w197-h262/IMG_9439.HEIC" style="text-align: left;" width="197" /><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="1620" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtHgMGRiwJ95fgmuUqaF-VEcNlZW83GuZFEhY4o4bk05YNDIfRGCjqXVTatW1eNpB6Ino5-XjhCRN7_NeytkoqUxPVmboJRNxjHstNkpdR_FHNF1IS5tDKWbL1AFNPn6gYloKNvQzvirA/w197-h262/IMG_8330.JPG" style="text-align: left;" width="197" /><img border="0" 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/></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Lots of love, </span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Cherrie x </span></i></div><i><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-67980572650615086942017-01-24T07:26:00.002-08:002020-09-27T16:43:03.233-07:00Les Saveurs : Private French dining experience<div>
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Les Saveurs has always been one of my most-recommended place for French food. Having tried their lunch menus for a few times, I decided to come with friends for their dinner sets. </div>
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The dinner set consists of 3 entrée, 1 soup, main and dessert. We started off with some fresh bread. I had a bit of croissant which was flaky and buttery, irresistible indeed.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "sfuitext";">The amuse bouche of the day was a cauliflower cream with uni, sakura shrimp and lobster oil. It was so silky and delectible, with so much flavours all in one bite!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "sfuitext";">First came the poached lobsters, which were chopped in small bites, tossed in a cream sauce and was delicately wrapped with thin slices of avocado. It came with truffle, yoghurt and these cubes of jelly, which was pretty much made of very concentrated shrimp stock which made this dish a true epic.</span></div>
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Fresh applewood smoked salmon - Salmon was cooked to perfection which gave such a smooth, aromatic sensation. The smoked caviar, however, lift it to another level while the apple & horseradish sauce in molecular parcels worked as a subtle kick to the dish. </div>
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The pina-colada version foie gras was nicely prepared, so silky that it dissolve instantly in the month, leaving a nourishing note. It could be more caramelized with the malibu but it worked the same with the sugared pineapple purée. Love the coconut crisps that came on top where it added a bit of crunchiness and highlighted the differences. </div>
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Cream of Watercress soup tasted just like one of those Chinese watercress soup but blended and in a thicker texture. The jamón flake was a nice kick and the geoduck was cooked to perfection - remarkably sweet and tender.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "sfuitext";">For main, you could either go with pork collar, smoked USDA rib eye or fish of the day. I had the Sous-vide Iberico Pork Collar which came with braised pork cheek and some purple sweet potato puree. The collar part was scrumptious and rich with the marbled layer of fats in between, while the braised cheek was perfectly tender and flavourful. The potato puree was rather light and foamy, I wouldn't call it a mash but it was just right considered the amount of proteins that has been taken in.</span></div>
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For dessert, it was the Matcha Millifeuille I had before which came together with some quality vanilla icecream. The pastry was nicely flaky but I would prefer more matcha cream and slightly less pastry because it tasted a bit burnt so sort of undermined the matcha.<br />
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At the price of HK$788, I would definitely say it is such a bargain to enjoy some of the signature dishes in Les Saveurs, not to mentioned some of the dishes could be derived from the chef's past experience catering in the Michelin-starred restaurant Amber. For dinner, you can also enjoy a room to yourselves even if you are only in a party of 2 and you can guaranteed the food is only prepared when you ordered it (given the pace they serve to be fair, but also how you can see everything from the open kitchen). Together with the stunning view looking out to the harbour and the city skyline, this is for sure a place I will back again and again.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/r-les-saveurs-private-kitchen-%E9%8A%85%E9%91%BC%E7%81%A3-%E6%B3%95%E5%9C%8B%E8%8F%9C-fine-dining-r158812">Les Saveurs Private Kitchen</a></b><br />
10/F., Universal House, 229-230 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay<br />
<br />Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6586470831387112998.post-67546254138010954552017-01-01T06:24:00.005-08:002020-09-27T16:51:47.129-07:00COVA: Saturday Lunch<div>
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Honestly speaking, patisseries from Cova have never really impressed me given the choices we have in Hong Kong. Perhaps it's really my problem instead as I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so I have decided to give it a go for the savories and the set meals in their Ristorante branch. </div>
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On one of the most typical Saturdays my friend has suggested to go have brunch in Cova. </div>
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They serve the typical Chef's Special Lunch Menu and the seasonal dishes with Live Lobster. Not being a huge fan of lobster, I decided to go for the 2-course with Secondo Piatto set ($338) with the Italian antipasti buffet as the starter.</div>
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There has been a great selection of cold cuts, seared tuna, veggies, pâté, anchovies, as well as an Italian sausage and beans stew. </div>
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The waiter has brought us a wide range of breads, starting from some flat breads, focaccia then later on some warm fresh breads. The brown bread with walnuts was my favourite with its crunchy crust and the moist and fluffy interior.</div>
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For my main, I picked the Merluzzo All'acqua Pazza - basically pan-fried cod filet. I love the tangy tomato sauce that goes with the cod, but the fish was way too dry and flavorless that I thought I was having a thick cut of dried bacalao that has been over-boiled and has lost all its flavour. </div>
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No doubt that the service here was superb and talking about the food antipasti buffet was not bad. However the fish I had was a great disappointment. Given this price, I believe there would be quite a number of choices available in Causeway.</div>
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<b><a href="https://www.openrice.com/zh/hongkong/r-cova-ristorante-caffe-%E9%8A%85%E9%91%BC%E7%81%A3-%E8%A5%BF%E5%BC%8F-%E8%A5%BF%E5%BC%8F%E7%B3%95%E9%BB%9E-r6684">Cova Ristorante & Caffe</a></b></div>
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Shop G011-G012 , World Trade Centre, 280 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay</div>
Cherrie Huihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14464209903051401356noreply@blogger.com0