Today is moving day. We’re transitioning from this hotel, Malcom and Barret, to the Mediterraneo, the one that received and is holding our suitcases. We’ll be there for the last three days of our stay here.
The plan for the day is to take a bike ride in the morning inland along the Turia River, following a series of riverside bike paths that sound more or less like a via verde route. We’ll check out from here, take our ride, and then check in at our new hotel. We haven’t decided yet whether we’ll leave our baggage here during the ride and swing back by to pick them up afterwards, or just carry them along with us. We also aren’t committing to how far we’ll ride. It’s a very cool, very windy day again, and we’ll just ride until we feel the need to turn back. It’s nice that it’s a flat ride and into the wind, so we should just sail back once we turn around.
As usual, I stay in the dining room to work on the journal over another cup of coffee while Rachael returns to the room. When I come back up, she announces that she wants to talk. She’s been thinking, wondering why we’re setting ourselves up for a difficult, probably uncomfortable ride like this. Why don’t we scrap the bike plan, and just see the city.
An obviously good idea, which I immediately agree to since I t mirrors my own thinking. We can stay in this hotel until noon and check in at the new one at 1:30, so we’ll just transition during the gap and hang out in a cafe for a while if need be. In the meantime, Rachael heads down to the hotel’s gym, and I don’t.
Since we have time, I propose that we ride the complete inner city Turia Park loop on the way to our new hotel - a flat, roughly seven mile route that will let us get a broader overview of Valencia before we start visiting it on foot. Rachael agrees; and at noon we set off, to the well wishes of Sveta the hotel manager. Our new plan lasts for roughly a mile, after which we decide we’re tired of biking into a strong, cold headwind. We scrap even the short ride we had in mind and take the most direct route to the Mediterraneo, congratulating ourselves for our foresight in dropping plans for a longer ride for the day. Four miles is quite enough, actually.
We arrive at the Mediterraneo at one, lean our bikes against its window, and I start fishing out my rucksack and passports. While I’m doing this, the manager steps out the door and greets me by my name. They’ve been expecting and awaiting us. He quickly helps us put our bikes into the garage, tells us our suitcases are waiting for us in our room, and checks us in. Home!
After lunch in our room we walk out for our first real look at the city, each going our own way after walking together as far as the city market. What a wonderful place Valencia is! We love this city. I’m actually pretty happy about the fact that tomorrow is due to be even windier, because we’ll have the whole day to explore further. There’s much to see.
In the evening, over a fine Italian meal we celebrate again. Last stop! And, with rounding, we just make it to 100,000’ elevation gain for the tour. A mountainous achievement!
The City Market is enormous - the largest fresh produce market in Europe. It was just closing for the day when we came by this afternoon, but we’ll return for a look inside tomorrow.
The Central Market is in a beautiful Art Nouveau structure, built between 1914 and 1928. It covers over 8,000 square meters and has more than 1,200 stalls.
The 15th century Quart Towers, on the north face of the historically walled city. This and the Serranos Gate are the only surviving remnants of the original walls. The city was walled in the late fourteen hundreds and they were torn down in the late 1800’s, but these two gates survived because they were used as prisons.
The view into the historical city through the Quart Towers. The walls still show damage from bombardment by the French in their siege of the city in 1808.
Avenue of the Three Crosses, along the southern border of the walled city, is tree lined with this same species for its entire length. Today at least, there is nearly as much scooter traffic as bicycles, maybe because it is so chilly and windy.
One of the city’s defining features is the Turia Gardens - an unbroken nine kilometer green belt along the original course of the now diverted Turia River.
The gate is a huge construction, a building that in recent centuries housed a prison. Its wooden doors look like they’re roughly twenty-five feet tall.
It looks like the Serranos co-working facility welcomes all species, which is nice. Seems like it could provide more paw-friendly keyboards on the laptops though. And do some of these species even have laps, anyway? Maybe that’s why the giraffe is reading a book instead.
Jen RahnI think they could be more accommodating to the unique workspace needs of the giraffe.
Any why is the crowned crane (?) taking the stairs? I do hope they allow flying in the building. Reply to this comment 4 years ago
Scott AndersonTo Jen RahnYou’re right! It s a crowned crane. It looks like it’s making its grand entrance to me, sashaying down the staircase hoping someone will notice. Reply to this comment 4 years ago
Jen RahnWhich reminds me .. have you seen many people smoking when you've been out and about in the cities?
More or less than you'd see in los Estados Unidos? Reply to this comment 4 years ago
Scott AndersonTo Jen RahnI’m not sure about absolute numbers, but they’re more noticeable because they’re not as segregated as they are back home. It’s common to have people smoking at outdoor seating at restaurants and bars. Reply to this comment 4 years ago
The Neptune Fountain, in the Plaza of the Virgin. I waited several minutes for these two and their boyfriends to quit taking photos of each other and move on, and finally decided they must belong in the picture.
Scott AndersonTo Gregory GarceauHearts back at you,Greg. Thanks for putting up with us again for the last few months. Reply to this comment 4 years ago
