Valencia In The Autumn

As autumn breezes in, the change in weather is a welcome break from the sweltering heat we’ve all endured over the summer. Once you’ve purchased your slice of Real Estate in Valencia you may want to know more about the way of life here and with different seasons come different traditions.

According to The Local newspaper there are in fact seven reasons why autumn is the best month to enjoy life in Spain. For one, there are not nearly as many tourists: This year, Spain has seen a huge increase in its number of visitors, but by autumn they drop by about two thirds. The beaches are much emptier and there´s no more huge queues in Mercadona at the fish counter.

Another great thing about autumn in Valencia is the pumpkins. Every year there seems to be a rich variety of winter vegetables readily available. The ‘calabaza‘ or pumpkin makes a gorgeous winter soup.

So, next time your Spanish neighbour gives you a couple, instead of looking at them with utter dismay, you now know exactly what to do with them.

Here is a great recipe with a bit of a kick:

About a half a pumpkin or butternut squash

Knob of butter

1 onion

1 crunchy apple

1 and a half pints chicken stock

1 teaspoon garamasala

Pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion, pumpkin and apple and cook until soft. Stir in stock. Season with pepper. Boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes until vegetables are soft. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!