Discovering Valencia

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Today was a mix of aimless wandering through the historic centre of Valencia and in part trying to hit a couple of specific spots. Valencia has definitely left an impression on me. I would move here. It is pretty and clean. There are subways and buses to get around (although I've done every thing on foot!). The people are incredibly friendly. There are beautiful parks and there is a beach a stone's throw from here. The architecture is incredible ... a mix of old and new within one street. And paella EVERYWHERE. Lovely, lovely, lovely.

My aimless wandering first took me to the Central Market. I just love these types of markets and wish that I could take some of this stuff home. It is an assault on all of the senses. There was Serrano ham as far as the eye could see. There were oranges, of course. There was a huge section dedicated to fish vendors. I am not a huge seafood person but this could convert me. There were gorgeous shrimps just ready to be thrown into a paella somewhere!!

I continued my aimlessness and then arrived at the cathedral. There was a small entrance fee but it allowed you the use of an audioguide. I like those ... they always point out small details that I may not have noticed on my own. You know ... like the fact that one of the statues had a human skull encased in it. I won't even get into the intact arm of St. Vincent ... I thought seeing the skeleton of St. Ambrose was bad!! Nothing perks up a morning like seeing a severed arm!!

The main attraction for many in this cathedral is the fact that there are two original Goya paintings. Not being very knowledgeable in art, I cannot honestly say that I know his work so that part was a little lost on me. There is also a small museum which then takes you to the Chapel of the Holy Grail. The room is incredibly dark and the air is filled with the smell of incense . I was having sensory flashbacks ... my house smells like an ashram on a regular basis ... so love the smell of incense. The chapel of course holds the holy grail, that is, the chalice that Christ would have sipped from during the Last Supper. I am slightly sceptical ...

Outside of the cathedral, there is a lovely plaza and vendors had gathered to ply their wares. There was some seriously beautiful pottery. Reminded me of things I had seen in Toledo. I am holding off until a little bit later in my Spain trek to pick a couple of things up ... space is becoming limited. I am carrying a pantry in my suitcase after all!!

My next stop would be the Museo de Bellas Artes. This is an enormous museum and surprisingly has no entrance fee. As always, there are some pieces that stand out more than others. The pieces were primarly religious themes. I always get a kick out of sections that are dedicated to kids. At one of the museums (in Arles I think ...) they had asked kids to draw some of the things they had seen. I love seeing their interpretation of things ... they see things so differently than we do as adults. This time, the museum had held a photography contest. The photos were taken within the museum. I actually took the same photo as the kid that won!!! It's the painting on the green wall that has the red velvet and wood bench/sofa in front of it. His was actually better ... he didn't have pesky reflections in his!!!

The museum also had a temporary exhibition ... a photography exhibit at that! It was photographs of the "patrimonio", that is, photos throughout Spain. Loved it. I think that I need to add this to my list of things to do in my lifetime ... have a photo exhibited in a museum. You never know, I always say!!

Right beside the museum is a beautiful park and botanical gardens. I just walked around aimlessly enjoying the park. There is just something about a space filled with trees, flowers and fountains. It's energizing. And from there ... my aimless wandering continued with no purpose. Just taking photos, popping into boutiques and falling prey to the lure of a Tazo Chai Latte at Starbucks. Well at least I know that I pronounce it properly ....

I have been making progress in my Spanish ... learning new words every day!! Won't have a chance to speak it when I go home but regardless I just love the language and I love learning new words and being able to use it whenever I can. Not everything has to have a purpose, right?

Tomorrow ... Madrid. I am looking forward to seeing it again. There are a couple of things that I will repeat but I will also try to discover a few new things as well.

Hasta pronto!!

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