To Valencia

October 24, 2023

The seven hour trip on the ferry boat back to the mainland eats up most of the day so this will be a short post. Last week on the overnight trip to Mallorca we couldn’t see much of the action. It's nice to have another shot at it in the daylight. I've sailed on catamarans and other small craft, but have never been on a big ship out in the open water.

The ship is huge, big enough to hold a fleet of trucks.

The bikes are riding along with the pups in the kennel.

From here the Mediterranean might as well be the Atlantic ocean. It's vast; nothing to see but waves and open water.

In the bar I settle in for a writing session on my quest to get up to date on the journal. The wifi on the boat doesn't really work so I just focus on getting down everything I can remember. We both catch up on some sleep too.

It's easier to catch a nap on the bench seats in the cafe. They're more comfortable than the lounge chairs in the sleeping room. Earplugs muffle the chatter well enough.

The boat docks in Valencia right on time at 5:30 and we are cut loose to find our way out of the port. It's not easy. Google maps doesn't show us any route to get out of there. On every attempt it points us back to the sea. We wander down long roads full of semi-trucks searching for an exit.

Eventually we blaze through the maze, ducking under cables, crossing railroad tracks, and doubling back from a dead end to join the cars on the main road north to the city. After a couple miles of wandering we stumble onto a red bike path and find a route to our lodging.

I'm amazed at all the cargo being disgorged from the ship.

None of this is designed with bikes in mind

Soon we start to see some striking modern buildings. They are part of the City of Arts and Sciences, a cultural and architectural complex at the eastern end of a long linear park called the Jardi del Turia that wraps around the core of the city. We'll have to spend some time here during our two day stay in Valencia. A nice bike path runs through the park. It's great to be away from the car traffic, we just have to watch out for all the pedestrians wandering across the path.

The Queen Sofia Palace of the Arts, a theater in the City of Arts and Sciences

After a couple miles we exit the park towards the apartment where we'll stay, and continue on bike paths that seem to line every street. They are easy to find and follow, and busy. The path narrows at times and I'm focused on making sure I don't clip anyone with the wide load on the back of my bike. For a while I ride behind a woman with a toddler in a child seat. The little girl cries and cries whenever Mom is pedaling, then quiets down at all the stops. I feel for that mama.

We're very happy to find the place before dark. The apartment is roomy enough for us and the bikes. It has everything we need, especially a washing machine. Almost two weeks have passed since the last laundry stop on the Basque coast. The funky aroma coming from our bags tells the tale. There's a big supermarket nearby with good stuff for dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow. All is well. Looking forward to cleaning everything up, exploring Valencia and a Cycle Blaze meetup!

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Today's ride: 8 miles (13 km)
Total: 571 miles (919 km)

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