Valencia

---

---

For experienced cruisers, the best part is visiting ports along the route (besides the naps). Our first port of call was Valencia on Spain's SE coast, in the Baleriac Sea. It is one of Spain's biggest towns but we are only there for the day so we confine ourselves to the old town and take the cruise shuttle into the center of the city. We all troop in together (2 huge tour buses), cameras clicking away, making typical tourist sounds of aahs and wows.

The center of their ancient city kept flooding so they diverted the Turia River and transformed the river bed into a long, central park and filled it with playgrounds, gathering spaces, beautiful gardens and paths. It definitely puts Portland’s Forest Park to shame. We cross a bridge to enter through one of the gates where in a town infamous for it’s old structures, the gothic Torres de Sorrenos built in the 14^th century, is a relative newcomer.

A beautiful, warm day leads us to wander in and out of courtyards and squares snapping photos all the way. Finding us at the Mercado, Peter & I spend hours it seems drooling over the choices of fish, let alone everything else from apples to zucchini. The hours get away from us but we meet Nancy & Pete and plop ourselves down in an unremarkable café to try the local fried fish and paella.

Thanks to Peter’s Spanglish, we catch a cab down to the docks and find where the fishermen bring in all that fresh fish. We walk the docks and talk with a few early returning boats, back from a day’s fishing. A quick stop in the local café before returning to the big ship, led us to meet Angelo, the owner who explained the fish auction about to take place. Fishermen load their fresh catch on a conveyor belt that passes in front of buyers from local restaurants, hotels and distributors (and cruise ships) where they cast bids to get the best deals. Angelo of course manages to take the cream of the sea then walks 20’ to his coolers!



Too soon we have to go back to the ship but the sunset leaving Valencia was one of the best of the whole trip!

---