In Valencia, they don’t say “let’s have paella,” they say “let’s go for paella,” because it’s an outing, a spectacle, and a discussion waiting to become an argument. The first argument is about the word itself. Paella originally refers to the shallow, wide pan used to cook rice—from Old French paelle and Latin patella, both…

Before you dreamt of coming to Valencia — before you even knew where this city had its pin on Google Maps — you already knew Spain. And when you heard that word, a close-up shot of a floreo appeared in your mind: a flamenco dancer’s hands tracing slow, circular patterns in the air, her dress…

My relationship with Valencia began by pure accident when I purchased an apartment, initially without any particular plan. However, when COVID and lockdowns altered how and where we worked, Valencia gradually became my second home. I did not have many expectations of the city, but it pleasantly surprised me and eventually convinced me to move…