2017-08-01 La Marina Real Juan Carlos 1, Valencia, Spain
Today we take a taxi into Plaza de la Reina, the old centre of ValenciaThe Micalet Belltower which adorns the Cathedral of Valencia in the main square, Plaza de la Reina and stands 51 m high. Work was first started on the iconic belltower in 1381On our personal tour of the city centre, we enter the Valencia Cathedral through the main entrance, known as Els Ferros ( the irons, due to the railing around the entrance of the cathedral )The cathedral has a nave and two aisles and construction was believed to have begun in 1262. It was built on the site of a mosque, which was itself a former Roman temple
The magnificent Chancel of the cathedral
Amongst the interesting marvels housed here in the cathedral, is the mummified arm of St Vincent Martyr dated from the 3rd CenturyWe then enter the Chapel of the Holy Chalice which houses the genuine Holy Grail. Historians all over the world point all their evidence to this item as being the authentic Cup used in the Last Supper. How amazing!!!!
Next we visit the Cathedral MuseumThe museum holds a painting of the last supper which shows the same chalice as seen in the Chapel of the Holy ChaliceLooking back to the Micalet Belltower over the crowds of tourists visiting the Plaza de la ReinaWe next head towards the tower of the Church of Santa Catalina
Amazing jambon rolls displayed here for saleThe city centre is very busy despite the humid and hot weatherNot bringing the bikes with us today gave us the opportunity to have a good walk around the city centre and get a feel for the cityEvery city square either large or small has several cafes and eateriesWe pass several interesting shops, which were all closed due to the European siesta timeFortunately for the tourists there are many places to have a late lunch or an early dinner!!This was a great little arcade with a couple of amazing pendant lightsThere are many enticing charcuteries all over ValenciaThe fabulous fountain at Plaza del AyuntamientoBusy city trafficThe entrance to the Town HallThe large open space of the Plaza del Ayuntamiento
The Post and Telegraph BuildingThe North Station which was designed by a Valencian architect was built between 1906 and 1917 in an Art Nouveau style
Nearby is the Bullring of Valencia which was built between 1850 and 1860 in more classical linesClose to the station is a very good Asian Supermarket where we were able to stock up on some of our favourite products which are hard to find in some places in Europe
Renting bikes is very popular with visitors to the city as Valencia is flat, is easy to get around and has more bike lanes than most cities !!There are so many interesting buildings to see in ValenciaWe pass the Plaza Porta de la MarAmazing old trees in the local parkTime for a refreshing drink at a small street side bar/restaurantAnother pleasant street side restaurantAnother church, the Iglesia de San EstebanWe pass a small quaint eatery in one of the back streetsWe came across this small restaurant called Numa, which had only been open for a month, so we decided to try it for dinnerWe were first greeted and welcomed by a delightful young lady holding a menu on the street and then by another friendly and helpful English speaking Estonian girl as we entered the restaurantWe ordered a favourite of ours, the tomato and tuna belly salad ( served beautifully in a ceramic bowl ). Ric did not give me time to take a photo before serving!!A nice bottle of red wine was ordered for us by RicWe then had some fabulous oysters and then the tempura vegetables which were really light and deliciousThe next course we ordered was the aubergine croquettes, served in a basket, again were really deliciousA serving of cod in a light batter was presented to us by the chef to try and give our opinion. We enjoyed the new dish very much.We certainly enjoyed the cod on a sweet pepper base too, which we had orderedAgain how could we not sample one of Numa’s amazing desserts
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