We started the morning of 8 April 2010 flight with Ryanair to Bergamo (landed, of course, ahead of
Valencia) and we came back on April 10 night, the last flight with Ryanair (arriving in Bergamo at 23:50). Spending 187 euro for flights.
Arrived at
Valencia we bought, with 32 euro, two
Valencia Card 48 hours (there are three versions, 24, 48 or 72 hours). The card entitles unlimited use of public transport, free access to many museums and at least 15% discount on the others (including the city of science).
Less than 15 minutes by subway and get to the center. Get off at Colon, the closest to our hotel, the SH Ingles, Via Marques Des Dos Aguas, a few steps from the cathedral and the historic city center. With 230 euro we've been to two in two nights in a spacious standard room with breakfast included and plenty of tickets for the city of science (Oceanografic, Museo de las Ciencias, and Hemispheric). Only the price of tickets for two, would be approx. 64 euro.
Leave the luggage at the hotel we dedicate the afternoon to visit the old town. The climate is spring and the blue sky. The first impression is that
Valencia is a city livable and clean, with a fascinating old town.
We visit the cathedral (which holds, it is said, the holy grail), with its bell tower (the Miguelete) and the nearby Plaza de la Virgen. For a walk around the picturesque Barrio del Carmen, the neighborhood north of the center. The main places of interest are the Torres de Serranos (which offers a beautiful view), Plaza del Carmen, Plaza de Tossal, the area of the Mercado Central (we visit the morning of the last day), that is, the Lonja building that housed the commodities exchange and home to an incredible room with columns (UNESCO World Heritage site).
We head, then, in the scenic dell'Ayuntamiento Plaza which houses the Town Hall and the Post Office building where it is worth entering to see the beautiful dome.
Sipping a typical and excellent orxata (a cool drink as white as milk, juice-based chufa of the tuber of a plant. You can buy it in a number of stalls around the city) back to the hotel and after a quick shower we decided to go dine in the sea. With a few metro stops and two tram, you get to Playa de Las Arenas, the promenade of
Valencia. We walk enjoying the sea breeze and then choose one of the many restaurants overlooking the waterfront. We dine on paella Valenciana. We spend 40 euro.
We spend the whole day to visit the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, the incredible and ultra modern cultural center built in the empty bed of the river Turia (the river was diverted in the 60 to avoid the continuous flooding of the city). The complex, to pure white by the dazzle, is largely the work of architect Santiago Calatrava and is worth the trip just to admire it from outside. It's beautiful.
There are three main attractions:
• Oceanografic, the aquarium's biggest and most varied species of animals all over Europe;
• Museo de las Ciencias: fully interactive;
• Hemispheric: film archive that prioetta 45 minutes in IMAX format
Then there is the beautiful structure dell'Umbracule (free) which houses a short walk.
We visit them all. Needless to describe the experience as any guide describes in detail everything you need to know. Personally, given the choice, I would skip the Hemispheric. The movies we have seen what the secret of Egyptian mummies, are frankly less spectacular than one might expect.
Return to the hotel no earlier than a sunset stroll in the old city because we have to pull up at least 21 for dinner (before almost all the restaurants are closed). We have dinner in a restaurant just around the corner from the hotel, next to the building (beautiful) which houses the museum of ceramics). It's called the Utielana, is frequented by locals and eat good things, from fried fish to paella Tortillas. Good and cheap: 30 euro in two.
Up early to the vibrant and colorful Mercado Central (Milan because there is something similar?). It is well worth a walk through this old building which houses stalls of fruits, vegetables, fish, meat and more.
We move to the sea. A few minutes by metro tram and arrive at Playa de la Malvarrosa that continues in Playa de las Arenas and up to the modern port that is famous for having hosted two editions of the America's Cup, and because it hosts the Formula One circuit.
We spend the whole morning and part of the afternoon sun and watch the lucky ones that Valencian spend their weekends on the sea. This, then, it seems to be the first weekend Caldino and someone tries a quick bath. The beach is huge and very lively. There is also a race kites. The air is warm and pleasant wind. Lunch with an excellent stir-fry and then we walk towards the port. We visit the facilities of the America's Cup and in the distance we see the formula one circuit where you are in a Porsche race.
We return late in the afternoon in the center. We walk a little 'in the streets of the old city, visiting the places that we had not seen the last, to have dinner and ice cream to 20.00, after collecting the luggage we left the hotel we move to the airport. The Ryanair flight, of course, the airports of Bergamo in advance of 15 minutes.