Lunch in Valencia

I spent the first part of this week in Valencia, the first of a series of three visits over as many weeks.

I suppose I don't need to go on again about the beautiful weather or the friendliness of the locals, but the fun bit about this last trip was the team lunch.

I was training a whole project team on the software, and the program manager treated us to lunch at a local restaurant. We went to this place they refer to only as "the buffet", which I'd heard people rave about before.

I know nothing about Spanish food expect maybe paella, so I tugged on the sleeve of the lead engineer (Inigo Montoya) and asked for help. He was happy to introduce me to his country's cuisine and dragged me around the many displays of food, pointing things out.

Inigo: Here are some salads. You can take what you like.

me: ok, I'll try this.

Inigo: no no, you want this. This is typically Spanish.

me: What is it?

Inigo: Some kind of fish. I'm not sure. Just eat it, it's Spanish.

This went on for a while until he'd filled my plate with "typically Spanish" food of questionable nature.

My famously picky brother would have had a panic attack if Inigo was in charge of his lunch. On the other hand, my mother would have had a field day.

After starters, we moved onto the main courses, which included two paella pans at least four feet in diameter, and a tray of squids as big as my fist. Inigo decided to spare me the squids, but I tried a cute little octopus with head, legs, tentacles intact. I wished I had brought my camera.

Dessert wasn't quite as adventerous, but I did have a piece of pineapple with caramelized sugar on it. There might have been some kind of cheese on there as well...I'm not sure.

That afternoon I wrote an e-mail to my dad: Ate an octopus for lunch. Tell mom.