Arroz! Where the paella comes from - paddy fields near Valencia

Valencia is famous for paëlla. 

The city claims the dish was invented here - originally it contained chicken, rabbit and beans. Nowadays they leave out the rabbit and invented a sea food paella: the paella mariscos and our fav one. 

You never think of rice growing in Spain, or, for that matter, in Italy (risotto!). But there you are: ricefields in the Parque Nacional de Albefera, 10 km. south of Valencia. The lush green of the rice plants as far as you can see. 

You'll see the pictures we made of them. Unfortunately we cannot send you the scent - sweet, fresh, green, normally you'd have to go to the tropics to smell it.

Of course there's all sorts of tourism around the place. Boattrips are abundant. There's one small village that consists only of restaurants serving the local rice plus eel - they do well in shallow waters as well. All was closed when we visited the 'Park'. 

Later I also forgot to buy the paëlla rice when we went shopping. Next time...