VALENCIA - WEEK 2

Slipping nicely into the Spanish way of life, we're getting accustomed to the heat, and arranging the day accordingly. This includes siestas after lunch at the hottest part of the day, which then means we can all go out and enjoy the lovely warm evenings with the Spanish and their families until late. 

 Bella soaking up the atmosphere at 11pm, and now going through her everything is "so embarrassing" stage when being asked to pose for photos.

This was also "so embarrassing"

This is another Valencian treat, Horchata De Chufa, a drink made with milk and tiger nuts (non alcoholic) this comes with Fartons, long sweet pastry sticks with icing that you dip into the Horchata, Delicious!!

It's also been great meeting up with Spanish friends 

 Rueben and baby Freddy

Mabel and Eliyah. I love it how kids who don't speak each others language are able to communicate and have a great time together.

No trip to Valencia would be complete without our visit to the Oceanografic the largest aquarium in Europe and part of the wonderful City Of Arts & Sciences

 We decided to get there later this time to try and avoid some of the heat, but at 7pm sitting on concrete platforms with the temperature still at 30 degrees we were melting.

One of the many aquariums.  My family can't understand it when I enter this room and announce "I think it would be a great place to get married." which is always met with the reply "Mum are you mad?"

Fantastic to be this close to so many amazing creatures

Chilling with the penguins

With the imminent arrival of our first guest Peter from Holland and the discovery of an old 80's cocktail book in the house, we set about stocking up on various spirits (which are considerably cheaper here) and mixers to practise a few cocktails 

We've  been enjoying one called Tom Collins. This is the recipe 

RECIPE
juice of half a lemon
1 and a half teaspoons of castor sugar
2 measures of gin
some soda water to top up

Shake the ingredients well with ice and strain into a tall tumbler. Add ice and a good dash of soda water. Decorate with lemon slices and cocktail cherry. (little too 80's we've left out the cocktail cherry)



Always great to have friends over and the first was Peter who came over from The Hague, an old friend of Harry's he joined us last year for a couple of days and he's back again so I guess he must have enjoyed it.

 Never have we actually asked a waiter to STOP!, when pouring out the gin for a gin and tonic, these were giant!

and I also enjoyed my bucket of sangria

Smoothie and ice cream for the girls 

 Yes, they were able to stand up afterwards, and off to find tapas. Love these little streets in Valencia.

 Found a great little tapas restaurant, and very delicious it was too.

And then one of those torrential down pours. Big drops of warm rain, left us stranded under a huge sun shade. "Oh go on we'll have another drink until passes"

Saturday night saw the arrival of another friend from London Graham. We all welcomed him with a big barbeque, more red wine and a few Tom Collins of course.