It rained and the museum was closed, but we had to go see la Ciudat d'Ciencia i Bellas Artes, a new complex of a science museum, auditorium, aquarium, and IMAX a good walk south of the old part of Valencia. We took a bus back!!
The heaviest bell in Spain and Portugal, located on top of the Miguelete Tower of the Cathedral of Valencia.
View of one of Valencia's many pretty plazas and fountains from the Miguelete tower. I love Spanish cities simply for the architectural diversity: modern office buildings beside roman-inspired churches and gothic cathedrals, next to the many and continually beautiful expressionist buildings, facing out onto plazas with lovely fountains and sculptures...
The Serrano Towers, one of two remaining gates which used to form part of the wall surrounding the city. However, when the city wanted to expand, rather than continue to use the gates as portals to the old part of the city, they decided to destroy the wall and all the gates but two. Having hollow backs meant that invading forces, should they take the gate, could not shelter themselves inside and use it as a tool against the city. The towers were for defense and defense only.
World-famous Valencian oranges! Valencia is famous for its oranges, its paella (a Spanish rice dish flavored with saffron and traditionally made with rabbit and pig), and its horchata (a drink made from pressed tiger nuts, milk, and sugar) - and oranges, rice, and tiger nuts were all brought to Valencia by the Arabs!!
Tile is a rather mudéjar contribution to Spanish art, and seeing as Valencia was once a jewel of Arab Spain (although the Christians later destroyed about everything), it abounds. This depiction of the making of horchata decorated the HorcaterÃa Santa Catalina, the oldest and best horchata place in the city. Across the street were some Christmas carolers (since Three Kings Day hadn't happened yet, Christmas was still in full swing), adding even more ambiance!
A stained-glass window of particular beauty in the Valencia cathedral. Also in the cathedral is the left (or right?) arm of San Vincente de Paul, and the holy grail. What?, you exclaim, why didn't Dan Brown just send everyone to Valencia instead of all the Lourve and Da Vinci stuff? Because the real story is boring: the guy who had the holy grail needed money, so he asked the Valencian church for a loan. They agreed, but wanted the cup as collateral. The guy later defaulted on his loan and so here it stayed. (And I totally stole all that information, including the Dan Brown line, from our wonderful tour leader from Valencia Non-Stop. Free tours for those in albergues...)
Another lovely view of the cathedral.
A nighttime panorama of Valencia from the Serrano Towers.
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