Wandering the streets of Valencia

  Valencia, Spain
Monday, September 5, 2005

This is my 3rd trip to Valencia.
The first two times (in Dec 04 and Feb 05) were to visit Pablo Aimar, a football player we (or rather Mizuno) sponsored.


I had a very different impression the first two times, staying at a 4 star hotel in the "posh" area of the city. This time, as a backpacker, I have been staying deep in the heart of the city in the winding streets close to the central market.


The two days I have spent here have mainly involved wandering the streets, exploring the different shops and smells and especially the market. The market (and the euros I have been going through rapidly lately!) even inspired me to cook.


Home Backpackers where I have been staying is huge (too large for my liking) and set into the side of a church.

One of the best things about it is the huge kitchen, fully equipped. So after buying rice and fresh veges and meats I set about cooking enough to last me the next 2 days!

The backpackers is filled with (very) young Australians, with the odd German, American and Kiwi. Last night a group of about 10 of us sat drinking on the terrace, when an Australian (professional AFL player as I later found out!) called Damian announced it was his 30th birthday, so we had to take him out for a drink or 5. We danced and partied all night. I came home at 3.30 - the rest stayed out until 5am. Damian woke me this morning with a bruised face. Apparantely on the way back he had been mugged and attacked, his wallet stolen. Spain is a dangerous place!

In spite of this, I am still loving Spain. I am catching a ferry tonight at midnight to Mallorca, so today I have spent wandering the city. I made it out to the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciencies (City of Arts and Sciences) - a huge 350,000m2 complex made up of the Science Museum ´Principe Filipe´, Promenade ´L´Umbracle´, Imax Planiterium ´l´Hemisferic´, Oceanology complex, and an arts hall still under construction.

Fantastic architecture. Saniago Calatrava is the same architect who made the Athens Olympics main Olympic complex.

Love to you all.