Days 11-13: Guided Tours in Valencia
Disclaimer: All voyages in this blog are being taken safely in the comfort of our imaginations - based on our plans and intentions for travel in 2020. What is reality after all?
It helps to have a good tour guide when you've not been to a city before. Sometimes we get on the big red bus, more likely on the little tourist train, and sometimes we enjoy the insights from the 'free' guided tours.
Here in Valencia for the first time, we've definitely benefited from the insights of Mike and Maria, local residents, but relatively recent arrivals who enjoyed discovering and showing their city to us.
There was no need for a distinctive umbrella; we'd know them anywhere!
Over three jam-packed days, they led us to some favourite places ... whew, what a schedule! We'll subdivide it, not necessarily in chronological order, according to what we did.
We started each day with the mid-morning snack of Almuerzo (derived, no doubt from the Arabic - and often translated as 'lunch') on the terrace. But here it was familiar to us:
though our hosts admitted a bit of disappointment with the out of date (March 2019) Vegemite! But, as they said, beggars can’t be choosers.
We went to some favourite local bars and cafes, including the beachside headquarters of the local bikers:
as well as Cafe Valiente:
which, we're told, has as its other claim to fame, that it’s run by a couple whose husband was in a band called: “WOW Y LOS ARRRGHS!” - punk surf music.
There was also Restaurante Bodega Bar Flor , a nearby favourite near the fruit and veg market:
It’s a family run place, quite often full, but they managed to find a place for us for churros and chocolate amongst other delights:
Their card features Saint Pancras (San Pancrazio), the saint for work and health - which kinda covers it.
Nearby - about a 20 minute walk away, was El Famos: https://www.elfamos.com which is a lunch time place for paëlla, both the fish and the meat versions:
Weirdly, walking away from the beach (an integral part of the city) took us suddenly into deep country - the middle of fields! They are growing potatoes there but mainly the delish onions that you get in everything around here:
We walked along the road to get there, with the road running alongside part of an intricate watering system, another arabic legacy, which is regulated even today by a Thursday open hearing (as it were) next to the main cathedral (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Tribunal_of_the_plain_of_Valencia). Shame that we have to move on before then.
We didn't find the perfect banana split, but still managed some great desserts and ice-creams:
Our guides noted that there are many Italians who have settled here and so the place is heaving with ice-cream places, including some weird Asian ones - we spent a little time trying to discover the best ones: (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g187529-zfd9899-Valencia_Province_of_Valencia_Valencian_Country-Ice_Cream.html)
We hoped that the ancient trams might be running, but this was sadly fixed in place:
At the Pont de Fusta station, we got off and walked across the famous bridge - the Pont de Fusta:
which crosses the lovely Turia Park and ex-river, which is now turned into a park. There's a mark on the old stone wall, showing how flooding of this river instigated the idea of re-directing it, leaving its bed bare - and ready to be turned into the lung of the city.
Nearby is the Centro Contemporaneo del Carme, a converted ex-convent: https://www.consorcimuseus.gva.es/centro-del-carmen/ :
It has great cloisters, a location for interesting art:
Just round the corner from there, is a wonderful little House of Cats - you can see people in the windows of the little house, but no cat emerged:
We ran out of time to get to some of the other museums, such as the free Prehistoric and Ethnographic Museum with its courtyard with splendid trees which is particularly cool. And we missed the IVAM museum: 2E and cheaper if you are over 65. Our guides said that the quality of this museum is stunning, apparently also with a good restaurant is also good, and was one of the reasons that led them to move to Valencia.
It's supposedly the biggest market in Europe!
Our guides popped off to reserve seats at their favourite El Trocito del Medio restaurant, which is a mainly outdoor cafe where you can take what you’ve just bought at the market and they cook it for you, paying for corkage and drinks!
We walked through El Carme, a trendy area near one of the old gates to the city:
Much closer to where we're staying, is Cabanyal with cute streets and houses - a good place for lunch, or it’s on the way to the market! It has the Mar d’Amura for flamenco in a patio garden, and a bookshop called Batisfera - which has a great selection of all types of books.
Russafa - or the Ruzafa district - is a trendy place with loads of cafes - and named after a garden that was originally near Damascus in Syria. Abd al-Rahman was from the original Umayyad dynasty, and founder and first Emir/Caliphate in Spain!
We also went to see the Post Office and also the Filmotheque (1920s style) and the Xativa - or Valencia Norte - Station, with beautiful mosaics:
This is also next to the Asian or Chinatown area, with a huge supermarket - right next to the station. The population is very visually mixed here, including for example, La Patacona, a Latin American restaurant specialised in flattened fried plantain.
And we remarked on the gender equal street crossings!
These are mainly in non-central areas where locals have voted them in! The other side of the crossing features the usual striding or still man.
Finally, we visited the big second-hand market to choose our ‘native' dress:
to battle the lady birds ... the black dots on the painting! When we weren't there, birds swooped in to have some fun and food.
But the tiki bar on the patio even had its own resident band:
We now head off for the short trip to Elche, our next stop, where we're staying in a palm grove.
Thanks to Maria and Mike for the inside knowledge, the tour and wonderful hospitality - we'll be back to do it all again, and see if it really looks like this!
It helps to have a good tour guide when you've not been to a city before. Sometimes we get on the big red bus, more likely on the little tourist train, and sometimes we enjoy the insights from the 'free' guided tours.
Here in Valencia for the first time, we've definitely benefited from the insights of Mike and Maria, local residents, but relatively recent arrivals who enjoyed discovering and showing their city to us.
There was no need for a distinctive umbrella; we'd know them anywhere!
Over three jam-packed days, they led us to some favourite places ... whew, what a schedule! We'll subdivide it, not necessarily in chronological order, according to what we did.
Food and drink
How come this is top of the assumptions for us?We started each day with the mid-morning snack of Almuerzo (derived, no doubt from the Arabic - and often translated as 'lunch') on the terrace. But here it was familiar to us:
though our hosts admitted a bit of disappointment with the out of date (March 2019) Vegemite! But, as they said, beggars can’t be choosers.
We went to some favourite local bars and cafes, including the beachside headquarters of the local bikers:
as well as Cafe Valiente:
which, we're told, has as its other claim to fame, that it’s run by a couple whose husband was in a band called: “WOW Y LOS ARRRGHS!” - punk surf music.
There was also Restaurante Bodega Bar Flor , a nearby favourite near the fruit and veg market:
It’s a family run place, quite often full, but they managed to find a place for us for churros and chocolate amongst other delights:
Their card features Saint Pancras (San Pancrazio), the saint for work and health - which kinda covers it.
Nearby - about a 20 minute walk away, was El Famos: https://www.elfamos.com which is a lunch time place for paëlla, both the fish and the meat versions:
Weirdly, walking away from the beach (an integral part of the city) took us suddenly into deep country - the middle of fields! They are growing potatoes there but mainly the delish onions that you get in everything around here:
We walked along the road to get there, with the road running alongside part of an intricate watering system, another arabic legacy, which is regulated even today by a Thursday open hearing (as it were) next to the main cathedral (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Tribunal_of_the_plain_of_Valencia). Shame that we have to move on before then.
We didn't find the perfect banana split, but still managed some great desserts and ice-creams:
Our guides noted that there are many Italians who have settled here and so the place is heaving with ice-cream places, including some weird Asian ones - we spent a little time trying to discover the best ones: (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g187529-zfd9899-Valencia_Province_of_Valencia_Valencian_Country-Ice_Cream.html)
Going downtown
We took the local tram which, for 1.50 euros got us to the north side of the centre of Valencia:We hoped that the ancient trams might be running, but this was sadly fixed in place:
At the Pont de Fusta station, we got off and walked across the famous bridge - the Pont de Fusta:
which crosses the lovely Turia Park and ex-river, which is now turned into a park. There's a mark on the old stone wall, showing how flooding of this river instigated the idea of re-directing it, leaving its bed bare - and ready to be turned into the lung of the city.
Nearby is the Centro Contemporaneo del Carme, a converted ex-convent: https://www.consorcimuseus.gva.es/centro-del-carmen/ :
It has great cloisters, a location for interesting art:
Just round the corner from there, is a wonderful little House of Cats - you can see people in the windows of the little house, but no cat emerged:
We ran out of time to get to some of the other museums, such as the free Prehistoric and Ethnographic Museum with its courtyard with splendid trees which is particularly cool. And we missed the IVAM museum: 2E and cheaper if you are over 65. Our guides said that the quality of this museum is stunning, apparently also with a good restaurant is also good, and was one of the reasons that led them to move to Valencia.
The Market
We continued one day to the Central Market which has an elegant parrot - or maybe a fish too? - on top of its amazing central dome:It's supposedly the biggest market in Europe!
Our guides popped off to reserve seats at their favourite El Trocito del Medio restaurant, which is a mainly outdoor cafe where you can take what you’ve just bought at the market and they cook it for you, paying for corkage and drinks!
Favourite Areas
Our guides took us to some of their favourite areas - where they had explored living.We walked through El Carme, a trendy area near one of the old gates to the city:
Much closer to where we're staying, is Cabanyal with cute streets and houses - a good place for lunch, or it’s on the way to the market! It has the Mar d’Amura for flamenco in a patio garden, and a bookshop called Batisfera - which has a great selection of all types of books.
Russafa - or the Ruzafa district - is a trendy place with loads of cafes - and named after a garden that was originally near Damascus in Syria. Abd al-Rahman was from the original Umayyad dynasty, and founder and first Emir/Caliphate in Spain!
We also went to see the Post Office and also the Filmotheque (1920s style) and the Xativa - or Valencia Norte - Station, with beautiful mosaics:
This is also next to the Asian or Chinatown area, with a huge supermarket - right next to the station. The population is very visually mixed here, including for example, La Patacona, a Latin American restaurant specialised in flattened fried plantain.
And we remarked on the gender equal street crossings!
These are mainly in non-central areas where locals have voted them in! The other side of the crossing features the usual striding or still man.
Finally, we visited the big second-hand market to choose our ‘native' dress:
And finally...
... each day, it was back to our rooftop pad:
to battle the lady birds ... the black dots on the painting! When we weren't there, birds swooped in to have some fun and food.
But the tiki bar on the patio even had its own resident band:
We now head off for the short trip to Elche, our next stop, where we're staying in a palm grove.
Thanks to Maria and Mike for the inside knowledge, the tour and wonderful hospitality - we'll be back to do it all again, and see if it really looks like this!
A brilliant stay in Valencia. So much to see and do and share. Looking forward to the always elusive 'rest day'.
ReplyDeleteThank you for such an interesting introduction to Valencia. The Moorish history adds to interest in this city. That market looks incredible & the restaurant where you can have your fresh purchases cooked...brilliant idea! Definitely somewhere to visit more than once. Um...so are we going to see photographic evidence of you both in your flamenco outfits?????? There were a LOT of dotty options at that clothes market!
ReplyDeleteAh Joy, might take me a while to talk Roger into dress ups, but I will try. Valencia has certainly been a revelation and I can see why our friends are loving their new home city and apartment. It took them a good while of house hunting to land this one, as they were determined to get a top floor apartment with a roof terrace, and what an inspiring choice. We will be definitely travelling back to Valencia as soon as we can.
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