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| New city show center |
If it's Monday, it must be Valencia. YOU know. The place known for oranges. Only they don't pick the oranges on the streets because they are bitter orange! So what do they do with the oranges? Well, the story goes: they ship them to Great Britian to be made into orange marmalade, which IS kinda bitter! Oh well. I like orange marmalade.
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| Old City |
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| Stone carver moon job |
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| New city Center |
In any case, for our shore trip today, we chose, from a short list, "A Panoramic View of Valencia". We picked it primarily because we'd been to Valencia a few years ago and we didn't want to walk and walk anymore-- and "panorama" sorta means from the windows of a bus. Only it doesn't. It REALLY doesn't. Yes, we did get on the bus. And we did look out the window. But very quickly, we were off the bus and tramping through Valencia for a "panoramic view of Valencia by foot", which is kind of an oxymoron, if you think about it. So we walked and walked, being sprinkled on ever so lightly from the coming rainstorm. And we went through another cathedral. What's Europe without cathedrals? We can tell you first hand, there is no Europe without cathedrals. In fact, those early Europeans must have been a hugely religious crowd of people. Because they were always in their churches and cathedrals. And they had altars in their houses. And there are even altars by the roadside. God, Jesus and Mother Mary were like "rock stars" of the early centuries!
Well, this cathedral had a few handy dandy interesting things. First of all, it was dedicated to Mother Mary and even today, young pregnant women come and do 8 rounds of praying to all the stations in this mammoth church and leave beautiful bouquets at Mother Mary's pray station. They are asking for help with their pregnancies and deliveries -- and we did see a LOT of pregnant women swirling about. Each time they go around they ring a little bell. Kinda cute. Also, for Betsy who loves reliquaries, they also have a reliquary of some saint -- it is glassed in and is supposed to be his arm inside the reliquary. That should make our daughter happy.
Well, after an hour and a half in the stuffy humid cathedral, we burst out and headed for the first outdoor cafe across the square, where we gulped two "coca lites", which we call Diet Coke in the states and snuck, in plain view, two gelatos. I know. Bad to do. But it's vacation! In any case, we watched people until it was time to head back to the bus, down a cobblestone street (again!) past shops upon shops of souvenirs and things like candy.
We also had a "panoramic" tour of their "grocery" store, which is a big covered market which has been there for centuries. It was very interesting, even if it wasn't from the window of a bus! Hams, skinned rabbits, cheeses, vegetables, breads, each with their own stands inside the building. And residents of Valencia go to the meat stand to pick up their daily pigeon for dinner -- or serrano ham for dinner -- or squash for dinner -- or cheese. Well, you get the idea. It would have been much fun to have a kitchen to go back to and try to cook a truly Spanish meal. We even saw long legs with hooves attached from some animal they were trying to sell!
"Panoramic view" by foot turned out to be fine. But feet, legs, hips, backs --- well, they are ready for a rest!!
Well, after an hour and a half in the stuffy humid cathedral, we burst out and headed for the first outdoor cafe across the square, where we gulped two "coca lites", which we call Diet Coke in the states and snuck, in plain view, two gelatos. I know. Bad to do. But it's vacation! In any case, we watched people until it was time to head back to the bus, down a cobblestone street (again!) past shops upon shops of souvenirs and things like candy. 
We also had a "panoramic" tour of their "grocery" store, which is a big covered market which has been there for centuries. It was very interesting, even if it wasn't from the window of a bus! Hams, skinned rabbits, cheeses, vegetables, breads, each with their own stands inside the building. And residents of Valencia go to the meat stand to pick up their daily pigeon for dinner -- or serrano ham for dinner -- or squash for dinner -- or cheese. Well, you get the idea. It would have been much fun to have a kitchen to go back to and try to cook a truly Spanish meal. We even saw long legs with hooves attached from some animal they were trying to sell!
Top two photos are Calatrava buildings. Can't identify of what, but that's his style, for sure.
ReplyDeleteRemember hometown boy of Valencia who tried to do for Milwaukee what Gehry did for Bilbao. The Calatrava addition of the Milwaukee Art Musuem is a wow! A prominent Chuhily hangs in its foyer. Also one even bigger in the Kohl Center of UW Madison. In case, you not familiar this is the hockey/basketball area at our ol' alma mater. Why? Chuhily studied at our ol' alma mater.(M.S. in Sculpture) And you've probably seen the Chuhily at the Bellagio in Las Vegas....wow, I am drifting...You're were in Valencia....and I think we're in Las Vegas...when we're actually in Cleveland while Claire and kids are spending last week here before move to New Milford, CT. I act like I am mother of the only kid in the world who has moved from one city (not her hometown) to another. Well, at 30, I guess she's old enough.
Back to Valencia. Those oranges are on the trees through out all of Andalucia...Sevilla, Cordoba, etc. Look beautiful but kinda make you smack when you eat them...You got it right again...they are only for marmalade ..Interesting...in Spanish it's "mermelada"
I think you two know how to travel. When you are your own masters. Sick of the scene, you know when to change course and have your own fun. Great idea!
And paella...not in Valencia...or in 7 Portes in Barcelona?
I think the gelato was a reasonable spontaneous moment - think of it as refueling the "panoramic tour" transportation - namely yourselves! :)
ReplyDeleteSomeday, I am going to write a coffee table book called "Betsy's Big Book of Reliquaries."
ReplyDeleteWhich saint was it? How did they get the arm? Was the reliquary in the shape of an arm or was it just one of those tiny-coffin-looking ones?