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Post by lugg on Nov 13, 2017 19:45:38 GMT
Although I've already written the whole of this report I am fairly certain it will not be posted as such. Got me wondering how others create their threads piece by piece or create the whole before posting ? Also what people reading prefer - a gap between postings to comment or .... My sister and I went to this lovely city for a short break of 5 nights at the end of June. Located on the east coast of Spain it is the third largest city in Spain in terms of population. Personally I think it has just about everything any average tourist would want; an old historic city centre, beaches, vibrant bars and nightlife, great shopping, a central green belt/ pedestrianised park area, a great transport system with an airport within close reach of the city, really wonderful food (home of paella) plus quite austere but stunning modern architecture that contrasts beautifully with many art nouveau and much older architectural styles in the central areas. Plus it hosts a number of spectacular festivals (which we did not get to enjoy due to the timing of our visit -Las Fallas and La Tomatina for example.)I would love to be there during Las Fallas –hmmmm must get researching. Anyway judge for yourselves – I will try to do this city justice in this report particularly as I suspect and hope Amboseli will be checking and adding info as I believe it is a favourite of hers. She did a great report here anyportinastorm.proboards.com/thread/8027/valencia-las-fallasOur home for a few nights was in the part of the city called Ruzafa ( Spanish) (Russafa) ( Valencian) which we chose because it was within walking distance of the city centre and partly but it is more of a residential area with the added advantage of lots of shops, bars and restaurants . According to the web it was once a “shabby area” now revitalised. To be honest we were mostly unaware of the hipster type this article references and we did see some parts that you might describe as shabby but mostly it was a safe and vibrant area in which to be based with the added advantage of a good local market within a stone’s throw. theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/a-guide-to-ruzafa-valencias-hip-barrio/As always we chose to stay in an apartment, our normal accommodation of choice as we are not hotel fans. Map to show the location of Ruzafa, Our home for 5 nights …near to the church of San Valero www.homeaway.co.uk/p8146198#summaryView from my bed and from another window and outside of the apartment at night – a great bar San Valero from another angle Within easy walking distance of our apartment is one of the main squares in Valencia – the Plaza del Ayuntamiento or Town Hall square, the civic heart of the city. We visited this area or walked through it several times and sat here having some lunch before we left for home so it seems as good a place as any to start this report. I did think about posting the Wiki link but it makes almost no sense to read. I guess it has been translated from Spanish and lost something in translation. So let the pics do the talking and maybe I will have a look at my guidebook to remind me of its history –I do remember that many of the buildings architectural style is that of modernista/ modernism/ art nouveau The town hall in the background of the first photo and you can see it at various angles in the photos below The bat is an important symbol in Valencia and we saw in various forms as we explored the city. I read that as the King (James of Aragon) entered the city, liberating it from 500 years of Muslim rule, a bat flew from the sky and flapped in front the King, an action that was seen as a blessing. The bat instantly became the protector symbol of the City- a remembrance of the King’s might, and it also represents a practical protector of the farmers surrounding the city from insect pests. And opposite South of the plaza is the train station and the bull ring Not great pics of the beautiful station; taken on a moving open top bus as we went past Heading out of the plaza towards the central area / old city, note the absence of traffic on a Sunday, wouldn’t it be great if all cities close to most traffic on one day a week at least.
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Post by lugg on Nov 13, 2017 20:18:55 GMT
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Post by mossie on Nov 13, 2017 20:56:05 GMT
It looks like a very monumental place which needs more time devoted to it, that is not a criticism just not very well put.
As regards your question, I tend to write my reports roughly in time order because I am working through my snaps, but I like to describe what the snaps are about. That is quite a lengthy process, so I may have a break of a day or so before adding bits. I do worry that people see the first section but don't catch pieces added at a later date. I am impetuous and rush things, I often say that my middle name is "impatience".
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Post by lugg on Nov 13, 2017 21:13:29 GMT
Thanks Mossie -it sure is a monumental place . Me too re chronological order -I find it much easier . I am trying to break my mould and post this report in sections ... but not sure if it will work yet.
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Post by lugg on Nov 13, 2017 21:23:30 GMT
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Post by lugg on Nov 13, 2017 21:36:35 GMT
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Post by tod2 on Nov 14, 2017 5:16:24 GMT
What a delight Valencia is! Sun, palm trees, wide avenues and glorious buildings...the makings of a wonderful city. Your question about how one goes about constructing a report: I start selecting the best photos and then edit them. Sometimes when posting on Imageshack they don't keep the right sequence so a lengthy one by one posting sometimes occurs. I'm very much in favour of writing a short description of the photo if necessary. You have done an excellent job here. Also if the photos are numerous a break in the report is good to give people time to comment and look forward to more.
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Post by kerouac2 on Nov 14, 2017 5:43:40 GMT
The modern buildings are spectacular and provide a definite contrast to the tried and trusted historical buildings. I particularly like that open metal tower at the beginning of your report -- definitely different from what one usually sees. The mix of architectural styles seems quite harmonious to me without the clash that one can see particularly in London and Brussels.
I was appreciating how uncrowded the city is until you arrived in the central area, but even there the crowds seem manageable compared to so many places. Was traffic completely banned in the centre?
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Post by bjd on Nov 14, 2017 6:54:49 GMT
I had no idea what Valencia is like so many thanks for your report. It looks like a pleasant city although I can't help thinking that a lot of this monumental architecture was a reason for the huge hole in municipal finances for the city. Isn't Valencia the city where the mayor had an airport built that was never used?
Anyway, the park along the river looks like good use of funds, the old buildings and new coexist well. Were there very many tourists or did you get there just at the beginning of the season? As Kerouac says, it looks rather empty in places.
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Post by mossie on Nov 14, 2017 9:06:10 GMT
A fascinating place all round. i like the idea of the parabolic mirrors to cook with, but you would have to keep shifting them to follow the sun
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Post by amboseli on Nov 14, 2017 19:20:15 GMT
Ooooh ... Valencia! A favourite city of mine, indeed. We have been back there on a daytrip two weeks ago when we were vacationing for a month at the Costa Blanca. I love all your photos. And I need to go back once again, 'cause I've never visited the Aquarium. It looks like a relaxing place. Can't wait for more!
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Post by lugg on Nov 15, 2017 17:53:20 GMT
Thank you all again for your encouraging comments. Amboseli - I knew you were a fan of Valencia ! Tod - I used to edit a lot of my photos before the demise of Picasa which was my preferred site but I now use Flickr and although I've cropped a couple of pics using it, the majority are not edited as I don't like their filters etc. and just not go to grips with the other features . I have tried stand alone tools such as Lightroom but found it too complicated , when I have more time again I may try to find another editing tool. K2 The traffic closures are only on Sundays I believe. Yes Bjd the city was bankrupted by the City of Arts and Sciences. I have not read about the airport certainly Valencia has a nearby airport with good transport links to the Station and via the Metro. Mossie - especially in England it could take weeks to cook anything
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Post by lugg on Nov 15, 2017 18:19:34 GMT
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Post by lugg on Nov 15, 2017 18:52:33 GMT
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Post by bjd on Nov 15, 2017 19:12:10 GMT
Rococo is definitely the right word! It's all quite amazing but the 14th century plate stands out for its simplicity.
That bird looks like a cross between a parrot and a rooster!
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Post by lugg on Nov 15, 2017 19:17:59 GMT
Ok time to shift the focus for a final time. Food and drink. I can say that we enjoyed some great sometimes exceptional food (and drink) wherever we stopped from cheap and cheerful to quite expensive- it was uniformly good. Unfortunately some of the photos I took of the food/drink are not as good but hopefully you will get an idea. Thrilled to find these padron in one place – they had just the right amount of heat Dining at Canalla Bistro in Ruzafa is a cheaper way to try Michelin starred Valencian Ricard Camarena’s food Fake banana dessert – no banana at all in this The bars are lively and Valencians sure know how to make a great G&T which was greatly appreciated – hic Anyway I think I mentioned earlier that Valencia is home to paella so we decided to learn how to cook it in the authentic way. Here is a wiki link to more about paella in this area. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PaellaThere are umpteen tours re learning to cook authentic paella; anyway this is the one we chose and it was such great fun and got us out of the city to see something of the more rural area surrounding Valencia. We left Valencia mid-morning for a farmhouse in the surrounding countryside in order to learn how to cook authentic Valencian paella and of course this would mean we would eat it at the correct time – lunch time. We were told that authentic means that only a limited number of ingredients are acceptable and no fish or shell fish/ peas ,garlic etc. . Most cooks would use a Spanish white bean garrofón; the main protein is chicken, rabbit and snails and other additions include artichokes, green beans, rosemary, tomatoes maybe saffron or a colouring which adds no flavour called curcuma. The table is set for lunch, just need to get cooking Having never met before I think all 6 of us agreed we had had a fun and entertaining time meeting together during the cooking and eating of our lunch, 2 of us from England, 2 from Australia and 2 from Germany, all brought together by our Spanish hosts Sticking with this focus on food time to explore the main market in Valencia (Mercado Central) which together with the adjacent buildings is stunning on the outside at all times of day and night . Inside …..well…. it is just as lovely; I could post so many pics but again will limit myself, the selection of fish and fresh produce was outstanding. Horchata _ I never did get to try it ...maybe another time as I know I will go back again to this lovely city. www.visitvalencia.com/en/blog/its-horchata-time/That’s all guys.
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Post by mossie on Nov 15, 2017 20:30:03 GMT
Many thanks.
The skill and patience needed for the external and internal decoration of the Ceramics Museum were tremendous. We need artistry like that today, but there is never time or money to do the job properly.
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Post by amboseli on Nov 15, 2017 22:58:12 GMT
Thanks for taking me back to the Museo Nacional de Ceramica. Your pictures are amazing. We visited during our very first stay in Valencia, some eight years ago. And I can never resist to the Mercado. Brought home some excellent jamón ibérico.
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Post by fumobici on Nov 16, 2017 2:15:54 GMT
A fascinating place all round. i like the idea of the parabolic mirrors to cook with, but you would have to keep shifting them to follow the sun When I was a boy we had a telescope with what was called an "ecliptical mount" that compensated for the tilt of the Earth and it would track anything it was aimed at as the Earth rotates with the simple spin of a rotating knob. You could get a little electric motor to turn the mount at exactly the speed necessary to compensate for the Earth's rotation although we didn't have one. As this was back in the days of steam-powered dinosaurs, I imagine the motor and gear mechanism would be a snap today and it would keep your parabolic reflector dead on the sun as it crosses the sky.
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Post by fumobici on Nov 16, 2017 2:43:21 GMT
This report is wonderful, as are the photos. I've still never gone to Spain, in spite of being told repeatedly and by people whose judgment I respect telling me I *must*. I maaaaybe could this spring... hmmmmm. Maybe a few days in Valencia or Barca and then a ferry over to Genova...
The city is soooo clean and well-maintained and well landscaped that looking at the first few photos I almost thought it looked like a Las Vegas recreation of some old world place than the actual thing! In Italy things would be very different let me tell you, though that has its own special charm as well. I do love the all the care and work evident in how they have polished what was there to a gloss and added new elements. To my eye, old stuff looks better juxtaposed with modern stuff and vice versa.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 17, 2017 2:14:27 GMT
Oh, Lugg ~ this is SPECTACULAR! I am traveling & trying to view it on bad internet with the bought card minutes ticking away. So some of the pictures haven't even loaded, but I am so looking forward to enjoying this later at leisure. From what I've seen so far, I have a great deal more wonderful things to see -- thank you!
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Post by lugg on Nov 17, 2017 18:47:45 GMT
Thanks again. Hope your travels are going well Bixa ? Fumobici - I think that Spain has a lot to offer and there are some great areas and cities and some not so great. I cannot compare it to Italy as I've only been there a few times. It's a long way though between the two by ferry / train maybe a flight would be more do-able ? I prefer Valencia to Barcelona personally ( although obviously the Gaudi buildings are spectacular) and it equals Cadiz which I have a real fondness for but which probably has less to offer.
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Post by nycgirl on Nov 19, 2017 13:44:55 GMT
This is a wonderful glimpse of what looks like a beautiful and underrated city. You captured some wonderful architectural details and I like the bit of history you included. Glad you sneaked some pictures of the exhibition set-up. Those giant head sculptures sitting on the water look quite striking. Oh, and your paella looks delicious.
I mentioned on the other thread that I'm staying in Valencia for a couple of nights this winter. This report is particularly useful for me as I try to put together a list of places I want to see and things I want to eat and drink in my short amount of time. The mercado is a must-see for me and I'd like to try Horchata. It looks very refreshing.
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Post by tod2 on Nov 20, 2017 12:46:02 GMT
Really superb Lugg. I loved the photos of the paella session! I have to have shellfish in mine, as well as chicken. The reddish look - was only from that small bowl of tomato pulp? Was the chicken cooked until tender or still a bit chewy?
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Post by lugg on Nov 20, 2017 20:03:24 GMT
Thank you Tod and NYCgirl NYC girl - I hope you have a fab time and glad that you found this thread useful, it sure is a lovely city ( sorry cant find the other thread you posted on re this ) Tod - cooking was great fun and yes I have always had a mixture of meat and shellfish before. The colour is yes from the tomatoes but also from the addition of either saffron or in this case we used Curcuma -I asked whether turmeric would be a substitute but was told no ---so went on to buy some curcuma in the Mercado to bring home. I've since googled it and I think actually curcuma and turmeric are the same thing lost in translation maybe.
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Post by kerouac2 on Nov 27, 2017 22:13:21 GMT
The final photos were just as amazing as the earlier ones.
And I am convinced that food and market photos appeal to all of us, including the Philistines.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 28, 2017 5:28:30 GMT
I don't know where to begin! The glimpses I've had of this thread made me want to see it so badly, and I finally had time to sit down and go through it slowly. So beautiful & so enjoyable! Now I'm dying to see Valencia. It's a real architectural treasure, isn't it? But with each new section, you show us that Valencia has more and yet more to offer. I very much like and admire your arrangement of everything. It seems easier to make a chronological thread, since there is so much shuffling to do for a "sectional" thread, so I very much appreciate how you've unfolded the wonders of Valencia. I don't think I ever knew that Valencia had its own Spanish dialect, so one more fascinating thing to learn. After looking at everything and finding it all so compelling, I'm wondering how much time you'd recommend for a visit to Valencia. Each part seems worthy of more than one day. Thank you so much for this marvelous report on a gorgeous city that's now on my must-see list! I think actually curcuma and turmeric are the same thing You are absolutely right. The botanical name for turmeric is Curcuma longa.
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Post by lugg on Dec 1, 2017 19:29:42 GMT
Thanks Bixa glad you enjoyed it and for confirming curcuma and turmeric are one and the same. Definitely more than a day ....to be honest I suspect I could spend a month here and never tire of it. I think t do it justice 3 days minimum.
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Post by lugg on Dec 1, 2017 19:30:28 GMT
Thanks K2 - agreed re food and markets
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