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Food 
22nd May 2022 VEGAN & WHEAT-FREE ‘SPANISH TORTILLA’ BY HELEN WESTWATER OF ‘LA OLA FRESCA’
There’s an expression in Spanish ‘como agua en mayo’, for something that comes as a happy relief, be it water to soak dry fields, money or for me an exciting new recipe, ‘Vegan tortilla!’ As regulars at ‘La Ola Fresca’ will know, it has become my favourite Spring delight but it is great for summer […]
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Nightlife 
19th May 2022 La Ruta: Valencia’s Hidden Underground, Coming to the Surface
Just a day after I arrived in Valencia, my attention was drawn to a cultural movement existing here in the 80s and 90s. Labelled ‘La Ruta del Bakalao’ (also known as the Destroy Route, or simply La Ruta), this was a scene that represented many things at once: unlimited expression, the acceptance of all, and […]
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Food 
22nd April 2022 FOOD BY HELEN WESTWATER OF ‘LA OLA FRESCA’ ….CHIMICHURRI AND CARROT TOPS
If you get an organic veg box, you will find your vegetables don’t come neatly trimmed to fit their plastic container but bustling with a jungle of accompanying vegetation. Waste not, want not! Don’t throw it in the bin. These leaves and tops are the top of the pops… with nutrients of around six times […]
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Food 
17th April 2022 FOOD BY HELEN WESTWATER OF LA OLA FRESCA…‘ARNADÍ DE CALABAZA’
One of the most fascinating things about cooking for me is the dialogue or stories that can be passed down through the ages. Traditional recipes, and the way they are celebrated in our homes, can give coded messages of where we came from and the stories of our journey. As we are in Easter, we […]
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Food 
15th April 2022 LA MONA DE PASCUA (EASTER IN VALENCIA)
EASTER DESSERT: Today, it can be found with slight variations practically all over Spain. It is an Easter dessert whose tasting symbolizes that Lent is over. ORIGIN OF NAME: The name comes from the munna or mouna, an Arabic term that means “provision of the mouth”, a gift that the Muslims gave to their lords. […]
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Popular Festivals 
14th March 2022 ’24/7 Valencia’ GUIDE to FALLAS 2022
Are you interested in folklore? Tradition? Big dresses? If you are, stick around. Valencia has all that and more, during the celebration known as Fallas. Read this and consider yourself armed for the festivities. LAS FALLAS This March 2022, you’ll see these large sculptures being set up at practically every street corner in Valencia. Anything […]
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Food 
6th March 2022 FOOD! ZEST FOR SALMON FISHCAKES
BY HELEN WESTWATER OF ‘LA OLA FRESCA’ Here is an East hits West recipe that does not involve hot ovens and is easy to make. A firm favourite in ‘La Ola Fresca’, these Zesty Salmon Fishcakes combining potato, fresh salmon, lime and coriander are served with a cooling yoghurt accompaniment that will refresh the palate. […]
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Food 
26th February 2022 ‘FARTONS’ IN VALENCIA! BY HELEN WESTWATER OF ‘LA OLA FRESCA’
#When I arrived in Valencia 20 years ago, I was not really aware that the language valenciano existed. I remember chortling to myself in a supermarket as I spied a packet of iced buns labelled ‘Fartons’. Worse, later, I even pompously wrote to the organisers of a festival suggesting they change the festival name ‘Estic […]
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Places 
15th February 2022 SHOPPING IN VALENCIA AT ‘LA ROOM’
#“This is Passion not Fashion” When you find yourself in the historic centre of Valencia, quite near La Lonja, you will find a street filled with rows of family-owned businesses, from bike rentals to souvenirs. There you will also find a local clothing shop ‘La Room’. ‘La Room’ is a family business of Ferran, a […]
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Places 
1st February 2022 A VALENCIAN NIGHT OUT AT ‘LA SALA’ IN ‘ZONA CEDRO’
#How to spend your Saturday evenings somewhere different in Valencia and away from the tourist spots? Just a five-minute walk from the ‘Amistat-Casa de Salut’ metro station is located a concert venue, La Sala in the somewhat studenty and indie and very much local ‘Zona Cedro’ area of town. The venue benefits from really artistic […]
