Early start. 7 am fast train scooted along, much of the way at 200kph. First class came with hot breakfast (airline style). Scenic route, with the track literally along the seashore much of the way. As we got nearer to Valencia, groves of olives and oranges replaced the more barren landscape; to be replaced with gorgeous vegetable gardens on outskirts of the city. I took the Bus Turistic (hop on-hop off) into the historic old city centre and soon discovered that I had arrived on the feast day of St Vincent Ferrer (14th century Dominican theologian and missionary and patron of Valencia). It was a public holiday. I sat at an outdoor cafe in the Plaza de la Virgen on a beautiful warm sunny day – first time I hadn’t been cold since arriving here.
Lunch had to be paella (mine chicken and rabbit) because the Valencians claim to have invented the dish. Whilst there the procession of the saint came winding through the square. The older ladies were dressed in traditional black with those highset mantillas of black lace. Younger ladies wore brightly coloured traditional dresses and mantillas. Some of the men and boys also opted for traditional dress, but most of the older men wore morning suits: pin stripe trousers, black tails, sash and silver medallions, and puffing huge cigars as they marched! Quite a sight. Then came the fireworks: 1 pm and lots of smoke and noise.Valencia has been captured and sacked by just about everyone who went in for that sort of thing down the centuries. It started as a Roman soldier settlement scheme in 138 BC; for some 500 years it was under Moorish control, and much of the city architecture reflects that. Most of the churches are simply mosques that were converted. The city has its own famous architect, Santiago Calatrava who has shaped a lot of the modern city, though not as extensively as Gaudi in Barcelona. His Centre for the Arts and Sciences though is quite spectacular, and takes a lot of walking around!
After the expulsion of the Muslims, the central mosque became the cathedral dedicated to the Virgin. Eventually one of the bishops decided a purpose-built cathedral would be more worthy, and so next door he started work on what is now the city cathedral. But even then they hung on to the minaret as a bell tower! It is a pretty over-powering place, crammed with wonderful art work, elaborately ornate saints chapels and the obligatory bits and pieces of saints bodies on show.
In 1957 the city had a disastrous flood. So the city fathers decided to divert the river that ran through the centre of the town to go around the southern edge. What to do with the dry river bed? Well they have turned it into several km of parklands, cycle tracks, walking paths, sports facilities, and children's play areas. Wonderfully innovative! And at the western end they have constructed their Centre for the Arts and Sciences that really marks the city as a thoroughly modern.
Was pretty tired by time i climbed aboard the 7.30pm fast train for Barcelona. Enjoyed the 4 course meal they served, and shouted myself a taxi ride home from the station as I was just too weary to handle the subway and walk! A great day seeing another little bit of Spain.
As usual, you can see some of my pics here
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