Valencia was our last stop on this first cruise. Ironically it's going to be the first stop on our next cruise. However we have five nights in Barcelona sandwiched between the two.
Throughout Europe there is a blend of the old and historic sections of towns that sometimes date back over 2000 years and the new coexisting together.
This contrast of old and new is never more apparent than it is in Valencia. There is the old very gothic city center with narrow alleyways and huge cathedrals which is contrasted by very futuristic architecture of the museums and aquarium.
I guess you could think of it as the Flintstones vs. the Jetsons.
As has been the case throughout the cruise the temperatures have been somewhat chilly although it was a little warmer and sunny today making it a perfect for a bike ride.
We started in the historic city center renting the bikes from a shop I was pretty sure we'd never be able to find again.
A few blocks from our starting point we hit familiar territory. There is a bike path we had ridden on a previous visit. The unique thing about this path is that it is actually a dried up river bed that runs through the heart of the city.
From what I understand there was a massive flood in the 1950's after which the city diverted the river to eliminate future issues. This left a riverbed that has become an amazing park in the center of the third largest city in Spain.
We rode from the old (historic) section past the modern architectural marvels out to a beach that was fairly lively with Sunday afternoon walkers, runners and bikers.
We took the riverbed path back to town. Shockingly we were able to find the bike shop and returned the bikes without injuring ourselves or harming any Spaniards' along the way.
We rewarded ourselves for our physical and navigational feats with lunch at a restaurant that the friendly guy at the bike shop recommended. The name of the place was Rall. I have no earthly idea what Rall means but their speciality is Paella which originated in Valencia and is popular all over Spain. It's yellow rice flavored with saffron and most commonly covered with seafood, although there were chicken, rabbit and vegetarian options on the menu.
Being somewhat traditionalists we opted for the seafood version which included fish, shrimp, mussels, crab and who knows what else.
It was served in a deep dish pan about the size of a very large pizza. When our server brought it out it looked great and also big enough to feed a decent sized army. It took some effort but we finished it off and have the before and after pictures to prove it. This gastronomic feast was not without danger. Beth jabbed herself on the hand not once but twice try to crack open a crab leg. I guess you could call it the crabs last act of defiance.
Not sure what we'll do next Sunday when we're back in Valencia but Paella just might be on the menu.....assuming Beth's wounds heal properly!
 |
| Paella Anyone? |
 |
| Killed it |
 |
| Museum & Aquarium Area |
 |
| Museum & Aquarium |
 |
