January 31-March 3, 2023

I have never been to Spain before and chose Valencia to be my place of indoctrination to the people and culture.  Why Valencia?  Valencia is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most popularity in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants.  It is the capital of the province of the same name.  The wider urban area comprising the neighboring municipalities has a population of around 1.6 million, constituting one of the major urban areas on the European side of the Mediterranean Sea.  It is located on the banks of the Turia, on the east coast of the Iberian Peninsula, at the Gulf of Valencia, north of the Albufera lagoon.-Wikipedia.

I chose Valencia because it is the third largest city.  I did not want to explore the two largest cities of Madrid or Barcelona at this time.  Even off-season, I thought they may be quite busy.   

I am a solo traveler with English being my native language.  As such, wherever I travel, my opening salutation is usually along the lines of ‘Hello, my name is Tom.  This is my first visit to your country.  My knowledge of your language is limited, however, I am learning.  Would you be so kind as to help me with…………….Obviously, Google Translate is a great help.  I have found that for the most part, when you approach people in a new environment with an open heart, mind and willingness to share, in most cases, communication barriers can be managed.  In my opinion, people are as curious about us as we are about them.  So, keeping it simple can usually be met with interest and a smile. 

My flight from New York, USA (JFK) to Madrid, Spain (MAD) was timely, and a very good flight experience.  I had done all of the planning of my adventure to Spain and probably could have sought some professional guidance.  From the airport in Madrid, I was taking a high speed train from the train station, Puerta de Atocha, to Valencia with a travel time of less than two hours.  I had allowed considerable time between the airport and train station as I had no idea as to how long it would take me to get through Passport Control, Customs and Immigration, as well as baggage claim at the airport in Madrid.  As I have an EU passport, the queue was not very long.  The processing of my documents and baggage collection was both handled in a professional and efficient manner.  The next part involved getting from the airport to the train station.  I used UBER and what I thought would be a ten minute ride turned into about thirty minutes.  I had built in plenty of time in the planning.  The train station, Puerta de Atocha, is a very impressive structure.  As a first time visitor, it was nice to have plenty of time to explore the surroundings.  I was traveling Business Class with the Renfe train line.  Renfe appears to be the major provider of rail service in Spain.  I found that they have a Customer Service office in the station which is very helpful.                                                                                                                                                

 My train arrived and I was met with a friendly uniformed staff member.  She could tell I was new to the process and assisted me with getting me to the right carriage and assigned seat.  Fellow passengers were also kind enough to assist with my luggage going into the overhead space.  An onboard staff member asked me if I had a face mask.  I had one during my flight, but could not find it on my person.  As she handed me one and I noticed that everyone onboard was wearing one.  I was impressed with the requirements of the train line and respect of all passengers aboard.  Business Class passengers were also treated to a hot meal.  The presentation of the food and the efficiency with which it was served was very impressive.  The onboard staff was very thoughtful, efficient and attentive to all onboard. 

The train arrived to Valencia Joaquin Sorolla Station late in the evening.  It was impressive how those who have been here before quickly disappeared into the night.  Well, I quickly learned that UBER was not available.  One thing about UBER is that you can enter the address of your destination and so the driver will know.  Rather than trying another app, Cabify, I chose to follow the signs for Taxis.  Even for the lateness of the evening, there were plenty of taxis at the stand outside of the train station. 

With my hotel reservation in hand, I asked a driver to take me to the Zenit Hotel.  He knew of it and in less than fifteen minutes I was at the hotel.  The desk clerk was pleasant and efficient.  He found my reservation and continued to explain to me the layout of the hotel, the amenities and the hotel location relative to shops in the area.  It was a long day and I was beginning to fade as he was talking.  Then, during his dialogue, he mentioned that the ‘bullring was 200m away’.  I have no idea where the sound came from, but I heard myself say, ‘WHAT?’  Haha.  He went on to say that the bullring was just a short walk on the other side of another train station, Estacio Nord.  I took in as much information as I could, found my room and called it a night. 

Before presenting my personal stories of Valencia, I would like to share with you a brief history of Valencia followed by a link for your continued experience at your convenience 

HISTORY

 THE ORIGINS 

Valencia was founded in 138 BC, being the Roman consul Decimus Juni Brut, to install licensed soldiers, to whom he distributed land on the edge of the new city.  Archeology has brought to light evidence of the first settlement, holes for poles for cabins and tents, surely a temporary shelter that in a few years gave way to more solid buildings.  The colony prospered quickly and before long began minting its own currency. 

The city was destroyed in 75 BC during the war between Pompey and Sertorius.  In the excavation of Almoina, the dismembered remains of several soldiers have been discovered in addition to their weaponry evidence of what must have been a bad skirmish.   

From the middle of the first century, Valencia had already recovered the lost rhythm and began a long state of development, characterized by urban growth, the influx of new settlers, and the enlargement of the city through the construction of large public buildings—such as the forum or the circus—And the execution of important infrastructure works, such as a river port next to the current Torres dels Serrans of the portada d’agues, a facility that Valencians would not have again until in the middle of the 19th century. 

In the second half of the 3rd century, parallel to the rest of the Empire, Valancia went through a period of crisis that marked the beginning of a long period of decline, during which the perimeter of the city, entire neighborhoods were depopulated, and infrastructure networks were abandoned.  From the middle of the 4th century, a Christian community could exist in the city formed around the memory of Saint Vincent, martyred here in the year 304.  A century later, due to the first waves of Germanic peoples and the power vacuum left by the imperial Administration, the Church assumed the reigns of the city and the buildings of Christian worship gradually replaced the old Roman temples.  

For more of the history and culture of Valencia, please follow the link:  www.valancia.es.

The story of my adventures in Spain is not going to go in any daily chronological order.  I will present my experiences with both written descriptions and photos taken during my visit.  Having said that, how can I not begin the story without a trip to the ‘bullring’!!  Plaza de Toros de Valencia, officially Placa de bous de Valencia, is a bullring in Valencia, Spain.  It was built between 1850 and 1859 in the new classical style, inspired by civil Roman architecture such as the Colosseum in Rome or the Arena of Nimes (France).  It was built by the Valencian architect Sebastian Monleon Estelles.  Its structure is formed by a 48-sided polygon, with 384 external arches.  It follows the so-called Neo-Mudejar style-Wikipedia.  Below are photos of the exterior of the bullring.  The bullring to my knowledge is used for concerts as well as bull fights.  I believe there are only bull fights twice in a year with one being during the celebration of *La Fallas.  I chose not to go on a tour of the inside.  It was a personal decision having been onsite of a bull fight in the past.  I deeply respect the culture and history of the Spanish people, their customs and their heritage.  

Following a few nights stay at the Zenit, I chose to spend several nights in Airbnb and hotels in the Ruzafa neighborhood in Valencia.  The hip district Russafa is filled with coffee shops, American-style bakeries, cafes with terraces, late-night bars and clubs, and restaurants serving burgers or Moroccan and Turkish specialties.  The streets are dotted with small art galleries, indie clothing boutiques, and organic food shops, while stalls in the brutalist Mercat de Russafa are piled with produce.

During my wanderings through Russafa, I found one of those small neighborhood shops where they make paella.  It was amazing to see these huge pans used to cook various paella.  It was small with a few spots to eat in, but mainly catered to locals who would come by for take away.

I very much enjoyed my paella made with chicken and the shop had a variety of other homemade dishes.    

I also experienced a festival at a nearby park where several vendors had set up shop and a playground where the children played. 

There are certainly restaurants and cafes that will appeal to people from the casual to the upscale and intimate. 

Part Two.  The Old Town.  Mercado Central (Central Market) and Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady of Valencia (Valencia Cathedral)