Sunny days in Valencia

 What do we associate with Valencia???? Modern architecture of the City of Arts and Sciences and the sea! But there was much more!!!

As we arrived to our apartment in the city centre, we were welcome by a nice lady, Marlene, who seemed to fulfill diverse roles simultaneously: the welcome committee, the information centre, the cleaning coordinator! anyhow, after greeting us warmly, she directed us to the wonderful market just down the street while the last touches were made to our apartment. We had very much enjoyed Mercado San Miguel in Madrid but the Valencian  Mercado Central was huge and different: one of the biggest markets in Europe, with almost a 1000 stalls selling fish, meat, fruits and vegetables, it made our head spin!!! We bought huge shrimps, mushrooms, tomatoes, and bread...and went back to our sparkling clean apartment fully loaded with our edible bounty.

During our 3 days stay in Valencia, the evenings were mild and we enjoyed meandering the streets, sitting at the Placa de la Reina with an ice cream or with fartons and horchata! We also got to enjoy these typical Valencian delicacies  at the Horchateria Santa Catarina, an institution for that type of sweets in Valencia.  Fartons, like churros, are always made fresh, no matter what time of the day!!!


Besides the area of the Cathedral , other favorite sites at night were small streets of the old city leading to the towers Serrano or de Cuart, lined with Tapas bars and creating a wonderful atmosphere. And once in a while, an angel...

We devoted an entire day to the visit of the Ciutat de las Artes y las Ciencias. This is a giant complex, the largest cultural centre in Europe, which consists of several futuristic buildings designed mainly by the Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava.

From the Centre, it was a long walk to the seaside...but we could not resist of course. And having lunch at a restaurant by the sea seemed like a great idea! Paella valenciana???? not here..a bit too touristy. The pizza was wonderful though!!!! And we did buy the typical Valencian rice to make paella!As well as smoked paprika De la Vera, another regional specialty.

Valencia was our relaxation stop between Madrid and Barcelona: no mega museums repertoire but enough interesting sightseeing to spend a few days. The old city had its charms, with quite a bit of history in buildings such as the Cathedral, the Lonja, the City Hall and the museum of Ceramics, just to name a few...

 The Serranos Gate with its octogonal towers is one of the twelve gates that formed part of the ancient city (Christian) wall of Valencia, Spain. It was built in Valencian Gothic style at the end of the 14th century.  It is one of the best preserved monuments of Valencia. It was the main entrance of the city and it was originally build with a defensive function but later on, from 1586 until 1887,  the towers were used as a prison for nobles.  More interestingly, it served as a “bunker” during the Spanish Civil war! Indeed, works of art from the Prado Museum needed to be protected from bombardments. Layers of concrete as well as automatic humidity and sensor controls were built to prevent any damage to paintings. The towers last restoration was in 2000 when the stones were cleaned.

The Towers of Cuart (round shapes) have not been restored to the same extent and it is fascinating to be able to see the bullets holes in the wall, dating from the war with France in 1808. This is also the famous gate or tower through which El Cid's dead body was tied to his horse and sent out by his officers, to encourage his troops to continue fighting the Moors. And according to the legend, it was a deciding factor in the victory of Christian Spaniards over the Moors.

 Here we see the Miguelete, the cathedral's tower, a Valencian landmark. The cathedral has a strong presence in the city; it is an eclectic agregate of different architectural styles but with a very strong presence on the Plaza de la Virgen. We loved listening to its bells!










A visit to the City Hall or Plaza Ayuntamiento and its historical Municipal Museum proved very interesting and was our introduction to the Catalan history and culture. Amazing piece of history such as this original flag dating 1238 used by Arabs to signal their capitulation to the troops  of the King James I of Aragon.

The National Museum of Ceramics constitutes another attraction for tourists. The baroque facade of the building is the most stunning of all Baroque style buildings in Valencia. It was without doubt the most accomplished realization of Hipolito Rovira (1695-1765) a Valencian painter and engraver.

On a more contemporary note, the train station Estacion del Norte is a jewel of Art Nouveau architecture. Valencia’s mainline railway station was built in the early 1900's. The exterior is decorated with orange and orange blossom flower motifs but it is the interior of the station that is stunningly elegant. Ceramic murals and stained glass in the foyer and cafeteria depict the life and crops of the farm lands surrounding Valencia as well as from the Albufera, a fresh water area with numerous rice fields (yes, yes, THE paella rice)! This station really evoques the Belle Époque of travelling by rail!

 Adios Valencia! Next time we are here, we may be lucky and have time to get into the art of Tauromaquia!!!!