Bit of a Love Actually moment at the airport as we hurtled our way along endless walkways and travellators to a gate due to close in 1 minute. Not in pursuit of a love interest, we were just wanting to make our flight, which we did... just. Received lots of glares from staff and fellow passengers as we boarded the plane, although on the bright side, we had only been seated about 5 minutes before we were making our way to the runway (not that I'd recommend it. Stress probably out-weighed the slight bonus). Better late than never!
A smooth flight passed in next to no time before we were landing in Valencia. No wall of heat as we disembarked, but bright sun and something in the air that told us we were abroad.
Our apartment was only a short taxi ride from the airport, and we then found a coffee in a local café while we waited for check-in.
Unpacked in our respective rooms, we headed straight out to explore our surroundings and make the most of the day! It wasn't long before we came across a bakery for some lunch al fresco. Driven on by chills after food (al fresco seating was in the shade, and the streets of Valencia do seem rather to form wind tunnels), we carried on into the Old Town to see what points of interest we could find. Lots of wandering in the direction of pretty looking buildings and streets ended up taking us looping this way and that.
Eventually we decided we needed to formulate some kind of plan, so having wandered into the Turia Gardens (a lovely green space set in the former river bed of the Turia River, diverted after flooding in the 1950s), we stopped at a café to peruse the map over hot drinks and churros.
Keen, as always, to climb a tower for a view to get our bearings, we ascended the 207 steps to the top of Torre del Micalet in the Valencia Cathedral. We were met with mountains in one direction, the sea in another, and a real mix of buildings both new and old (many of the old with the blue tiled domes that we'd spotted here and there on our wanderings).
Sun shining by this point, we spent a while basking in the warmth and the view before the chime of a rather large (thus loud) bell had us pinned against the safety railings, bringing us rudely back to reality and the arrival of 7pm. Back at the bottom, we retraced our steps to familiarity, now in search of tapas and sangria.
We found a bar slightly off the beaten track and popular with locals, where we enjoyed a selection including aubergine with honey, Padron peppers (always a firm favourite), mini chorizo, anchovies in vinegar, and ibérico croquets.
Back to the apartment via the supermarket where we stocked up on breakfast bits, we formulated some kind of a plan for Day Two before bed.
Returning back to the apartment for our second evening, we've still not got our bearings. Valencia is a city full of diagonals, and no route seems straight forward! Sunshine forecast with very little cloud, we decided to head to the beach for a day. A slightly restless night meant most of us allowed ourselves a lie-in, so our day had a relaxed start.
We opted for a beach a few km South of the city at El Saler. Supposedly, the route was fairly straightforward. One bus (the 25) from the City Centre. Upon arrival at the bus stop, the sign informed us that our wait for the next bus was 16 minutes. We stood, we waited, the time didn't change. After at least 16 minutes of waiting, the sign had instead gone up to read 21 minutes. We took this as our cue to give up, and hailed a taxi instead.
After a slight detour (El Saler is apparently also the name of a shopping area in the city), we arrived at the beach. Home of the paella, we had to try some! We ordered the chicken on recommendation, and cod croquets while we waited. Sitting in the sun, sipping more sangria, we felt truly in 'holiday mode'.
Following our leisurely lunch, we headed along a pine-lined path (the smell was heavenly) to the beach. Shoes off on the edge like we were entering someone's house, the sand was pleasantly warm and felt good between the toes. The sea was a gorgeous light to dark blue from the shallows to the depths, and there were several container ships on the horizon.
Of course, I headed straight for the water. 'Refreshing', was my verdict. Along the sand we walked and talked, sitting for a while at the base of a dune listening to the waves crashing, watching the world go by. Ready again for food (when on holiday), we decided to head back into the city.
Thought we'd give the bus another go, and were pleased this time to find as we reached the stop that there was only a 4 minute wait for the next one. Our hearts sank, however, as on its approach we read 'COMPLET' on the front of the bus. On it drove, and the sign at the stop changed to 33 minutes. Time passed pleasantly enough though, and we were soon on the next bus.
Wanting to explore some more of the Turia Gardens, we alighted to walk through and on in search of food. Still very much on British time, we struggled for a while to find anywhere open with more than drinks on offer. Eventually though, we found somewhere with an interesting menu where we stopped and I enjoyed diced chicken in a peanut sauce on black spaghetti.
While at dinner, we made a plan to go on a walking tour for Day Three, then headed back for an early night before alarms in the morning.
Our walking tour was due to begin at 10am, so full of a hearty breakfast we made our way to the meeting point. In Plaça de la Verge, we looked out for obvious signs of a tour, but to no avail. Soon identifying other lost-looking tourists, we gathered together and waited.
Tour guides came and went, but not for the company that we were all very sure we'd booked with, Valencia & Go. When eventually our guide arrived, she informed us that two were down to one, so she'd had to reschedule our tour for the afternoon.
With a couple of hours to kill we sat a while in a café in the square with a drink and a view to find somewhere to go nearby. We settled on The Serranos Gate (once one of twelve gates that formed part of the ancient city walls), only a short walk from where we would be meeting the guide once again. A few less steps to climb, and with lower levels for stopping a while, we enjoyed the panoramic views.
Back at the bottom, we wandered a while along pretty streets, stopping for small snacks to tide us over until lunch after the tour. I opted for a pastry with walnuts and raisins served on an edible paper plate (I did have to check the 'edible' part with our guide when we re-joined her).
Our walking tour took us mostly around the old city, and it was good to find out a little more about buildings which we'd now encountered a few times on our wanderings. Our tour ended with a taste of the nuts used in Spanish Horchata (a tiger nut, I believe), and as were then right outside the Horchateria, we chose to pop in for refreshment and a seat before we carried on with our day.
Via the train station which we scouted out in order to leave our bags on our final day, we made our way to L'umbracle, which we'd seen from the bus the previous day. Another amble through the Turia Gardens brought us to the modern part of the city. Here we stayed a while, admiring 80's architecture, sniffing roses, and taking great delight in people watching.
Clouds starting to gather, we hopped back on the bus into the Old Town. Despite its not truly being a traditional Valencian drink, we were still keen to try Agua de Valencia, a dangerous mix of orange juice, bubbles, gin, and vodka. We'd been recommended a particular square of bars by our guide earlier in the day, so found our way back there for an aperitif. Soon feeling that lovely 'warm glow', we went yet again in search of food.
Re-tracing our steps (seemed to be the only reliable way to find our way around), we found our way back to the restaurant where we had enjoyed tapas on our first night. This evening's selection included smoked sardine fillet, fried cheese, Russian salad, garlic prawns, roasted red peppers, and spicy chicken wings.
The journey back to the apartment was still aided by a map, but was finally beginning to feel a little more familiar. Upon reaching the apartment, we enjoyed a few cups of tea and a several games of Dobble before bed.
Check-out was at 11am, so we had a relatively relaxed start to our day. All ready to go, we pulled our cases along to the station where we'd sussed out the Left Luggage the day before. While there, we decided to investigate the old First Class waiting room which was beautifully decorated in traditional ceramic tiling.
Maundy Thursday meant a Holy Day for Valencia, so lots of places usually with an entrance fee were free for the day. We managed to visit the Silk Exchange before lunch, as recommended by our guide the previous day who we actually bumped into as we entered.
Having wandered around the different rooms once bustling with bankers and tradespeople, we found ourselves a light lunch of sandwiches in a café with indoor seating (hard to find in a city usually bathed in sunshine) as the rain was looming, and it was a little chilly with the sun behind the clouds.
After lunch we went in search of another recommendation; the church of Saint Nicolas. Here we took an audio tour around the chapels, taking plenty of time to admire the stunning architecture and decoration inside.
Back outside, the rain had arrived. As well as free entry, Maundy Thursday also meant that many places closed at 3pm, so were somewhat limited for time. In want of entertainment, but also somewhere to stay dry, we decided to go for the ultimate team-building experience (could have been rather a risk at the end of a holiday) and try an Escape Room.
The Exit was a short walk away, and we were pleased to find that they had no bookings for the day, so we were able to try their Prison Break Escape Room. Found a nearby café for fuel while they set the room up for us, then headed back to try our luck (or perhaps that should be skill). Padlock combinations and hidden keys a-plenty, we finally made our break for freedom with just under a minute to spare then made our way back to the station with one final café stop (and lots of admiring of street art) along the way.
The airport was a short taxi ride from the station, so we arrived in plenty of time. Quite in contrast to Gatwick, we were able to walk the full length of the airport twice, order food and drinks, and enjoy them with ample time to spare before our flight.
No bridge or bus to our plane, when we finally came to board the rain was torrential, and the mad dash across the concourse was a wet one. We were greeted by a complementary paper towel, which was a new experience for me.
It was agreed all round that a few days in Valencia was just what we needed. Plenty to do, and despite rain at the end, we were very lucky with the weather. Friendly people, good prices, it's definitely a good place to be for a short break. Now the countdown begins to the next holiday!
