Narrow Alleys... getting lost in order to find oneself stands truthful to its meaning
Very often in Valencia I found out the streets lead to other places with their own themes. It is not a very big city, but still it feels its quarters can be very different from one another, and yet, that is what makes them all the same.
Something I like a lot about this city as I liked it in Barcelona is the balconies. There are lots of them almost in every building. Go to New York and try to get an appartment with a balcony and see how much they charge you. Here I can only imagine the balcony is a given. It is a great section of the flat (apartments, as they call them here in Europe). You can decorate it with plants, put a small table and two chairs for an afternoon coffee, or just take a smook outside and feel the breeze running though the cobble stone streets, sometimes smelling like orange or lemon, and at times like sea or paella.
The all and new buildings are nice too
Here is a view of El Ayuntamiento - City Hall. During the day it looks beautiful, during the night is looks amazing. The fountain was working on this particular day, so I was lucky. There are also the other buildings around the square that add to the view worth of a painting.... which in fact I saw the day after, when a local artist was just doing that in the late morning.
Around the old town there are lots of nice architecture. The Plaza de Toros next to the North Train Station looked very good at 4:49 pm, before sunset, and on the last day there was a clear sky with a quarter of the moon overlooking the city shining over these two buildings.
The medieval towers around the old town are nice too. I looked at them, and imagine knighs and kings crossing them, with large poles holding the flags of the Valencian Kingdom. And they are so old, from around the 14th century, and are still standing. The Spanish and Valencian flags now over look the city, and in a clear day, the view of the city from atop these towers is a reward after a long day of walking.
Vino Tinto y Cafe con Leche, por favor
And here is another aspect of Valencia I liked the most, the cafes. There are cafes in almost every corner, plaza, alley, and busy streets. The feeling of a small table with just enough space for a tapa, a glass of red wine and a cafe "con o sin" leche in a clear day, with moderate temperature, under a tree and the ocassional Spanish guitar player.... priceless.
I particularly prefer the cafes in the smaller plazas. Most of the ones I visited connect more than 4 streets as if it was a star with the cafe in the middle. The streets then strecth far to other parts of the city, and at times you can see a bell tower, a statue, a fountain, a another plaza or another cafe at the distance. It is nice.
Paellita Valenciana.... better and better each time
When I was in Barcelona, little that I knew paella is only good there if prepared by a Valencian family. Here, I experienced that paella got just better and better each time. This one above was in all ways, shapes and forms the most tastefull sample of Valencian cuisine. It was prepared for a whole group of Spanish assisting a local music event, for free, and with the chance to repeat.... tasty!!!!
This one actually has a story. We were looking for a place in the outside part of the city, where there would be a local music event. Turned out the event was cancelled because of the rain, but we only found out once we got there. After a beer and a pool game, we were ready to head back to the center, and along the way found something much better than expected.
We found a communal space for local events, and the experience was unique. Inside, there were two orchestra bands playing Spanish songs, one from Valencia and the other one from Zaragoza. They played a lot of songs I remember from childhood. The songs brought back memories, and even though I had not listened to many of them in years, since I left Costa Rica, I still remembered the lyrics and sang along.
The food and drinks were also amazing. At the entrance of the small salon, there is a small bar. There, a mother and daugther were selling coffee, beer and wine. After so much coffee during the day, beer and wine were the clear options... plus there was an incentive - glass of wine 50 cents of a Euro, and beer 1 Euro, and they both were really good, not a hint of cheap stuff at all. At the end of the event, they set up the tables for a buffet style feast, with Serrano Ham, salami, cheese, and the star of the night... Paella Velenciana, the one above, and for free. It is true, the best stuff in life is FOC!
The art took on the streets
I liked the graffiti in Valencia. There are some sections full of them, and the art is very creative. I am sure people in Brooklyn would agree with me this is of high quality. Here, there are some alleys with very nice themes, all related to social issues and about life in general. Some buildings like the one above have gigantic paitings and interesting details, that if you don't pay attention, like with every piece of art, you miss the point. Simply beautiful.
Just for comparison, this one is a sample of a graffiti from Bushwick in Brooklyn, which I also like a lot (hi Maya). In Brooklyn they tend to be full of colors and along short walls. In Valencia, they seemed to me more like sketches and you can see them in short walls and tall buildings.
Four days, and this blog is too small to type it all
Valencia is a pretty nice place. I enjoyed the food, the drinks, the lemon and mandarine trees, the medieval town, the narrow alleys and its cafes. I also liked the dancing.... there is also Salsa there, and it is quite good. Just to deviate a little bit in here, the Salsa scene was interesting. At the two best clubs we went to, there were people from all ages dancing together. I usually either see the groups dancing separately, but not here.
It was a very nice experience, and for sure I need to go back to Velencia. Thanks Petra. You made this trip much better for me.
Photo album
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