I've been to Madrid a few times, and Tim and I were in Barcelona last year. So the next city up for inspection was Valencia, Spain's third largest city. I won't compare them, they are all great places, but completely different in character. You know, like apples and oranges! I had to get that in there...
I took the bus in from the sleepy little beach town I was staying in, an easy 15 minute ride. I got off right in the middle of the old town and the first thing I see is the memorial arch in the Plaza Puerta de la Mar. It represents one of the former city gates and the cross memorializes those who lost their lives in the Spanish Civil War. I liked it, it's not as grand as some, but very pretty. Then it was off to see what I could find in Valencia.
The bullring was hard to miss, it has the classic look. They were setting up for sometiing and I couldn't get any closer. I'm against the sport in general, though I used to watch them on TV with some fascination as a kid in LA. I think I'd go once, but so far there have never been any
fights happening when I was near a bullring. The central train station has a nice facade, but I didn't go in to see the rest. Next up was the city hall, a gargantuan building sporting a couple of domes that flank two small towers and a larger clock tower. My clear favorite in this neighborhood was the old phone company building. This building has a lot going on, domes on the sides and check out the tower! Pretty perfect if you ask me.
Moving along I decided to head to the Central Market. The outside is strange, the parts don't seem to fit together. But inside! I think it's my new favorite market. The ceiling and windows bring in so much natural light, and the interior design is so pretty. This place is clean, really clean. Everything just looks so tasty, I wanted to get a wheelbarrow and haul it all out. And cheap, I wish I could buy produce like this at home. And meat,,,and nuts...and chocolate...and don't forget the Jamon!
Next up were churches. I passed by a small church, took a peek in and it was quite nice. Then I headed to the Cathedral, a very big structure. Uh oh...they were charging at the door again. I cheated and snuck a peek and didn't spend 8 Euros. Next door was the Basilica, where they were not charging, but they were taking Communion, so I took a seat in the back to admire a very beautiful church. I left a donation...seems like that's how it should be to me. I don't think it's right to keep the people that can't afford it from seeing a church...
There was a nice fountain in the square by the churches and then it was off to climb the Towers of Serranos. It was a gateway to the city, the largest of its kind in Europe. It even has a nice moat. I made the climb to the top and was rewarded with a view of the old town and it's many spires and turrets. It also looks over the old river bank of the the Turia River, but the river is no longer there. They moved it!
In the 1950's there was a terrible flood, which inundated much of the city and many lives were lost. This had always been a problem, but this time they took drastic action. They dug a new riverbed to the Mediterranean Sea and closed off the old riverbed. What to do with the old river? The city thought it the perfect place for a new freeway, but the people protested that it was their river and it should be for them. The city decided to make the entire 5 mile stretch a park for the people. There are 18 different sections, each designed differently. There are gardens, fountains, little lakes, sports fields and all sorts of thing's...even Gulliver makes an appearance as a very large play structure...very large. I walked through much of it, my favorite parts were the fountains and water features that have been added.
One part of the river that is still there are it's bridges, and they are lovely. They now add a frame to the trees and ponds, and look so elegant in their antiquity, even without the flowing river. I was not so fond of the starkly modern buildings being constructed at the far end of the river. One looks like a big helmet to me.
By the way, Valencia does have a lot of oranges, I drove through miles and miles of orchards, literally as far as the eye could see...they taste even better in Valencia.
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