RED RIDING HOOD

From a conference in Barcelona and visiting a friend, I was sent on a bus to meet another one 🙂 She picked me up at the bus station, brought her home and made the best paella valenciana ever! The best one!

I arrived to Estacion del Norte in the city centre next to the Plaza de Toros de Valencia. 

At Plaza de Tores you can find the Collosseum aaand yes, you can nowadays watch the corrida there (the bull fights) – but rather don’t. 🙂

Since the day was half gone, my friend wanted to impress me with the sunset light show to City of Art and Sciences. It is a complex of modern buildings and an entertainment-based cultural and architectural complex . Very popular as one of 12 Treasures of Spain.

As the sun was setting down, the photos became prettier and prettier. 🙂

The City of Arts and Sciences is situated on river Turia, which was drained and rerouted after a catastrophic flood in 1957. The old riverbed was turned into a picturesque sunken park.

Valencia is the third largest city in Spain, after Madrid and Barcelona. Founded as a roman colony, and occupied by Moroccan and Arab Moors  in 8th century. You can see it in the architecture and art at some places in the city.

In 14th century kings of Aragon arrived but then in 18th century Philip V of Spain abolished the privileges as punishment to the kingdom of Valencia for aligning with the Habsburg side in the War of the Spanish Succession.

From these times are the Towers of Serrans – one of the twelve gates that was guarding the Christian city walls of Valencia. Built in Valencian Gothic style, this gate was used by kings to enter the city.

Where today is a Cathedral, (at Plaza de la Virgen) a Roman temple stood on this site, then a mosque, before the cathedral was built between (13th century), mixing Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque features. The legend says that inside possibly the original Holy Grail lays.

We didn’t go inside, but we climbed on it and enjoyed the view.  🙂

In the middle of the city’s old town is 13th century bell tower named after main clock bell el Micalet. 

The last day we saved to go on the beach of Malvarosa. We took some food and beers and a kite (because it was windy day in March).

Valencia is also famous by its oranges of Valencia. Everywhere I looked around, especially on my way from Barcelona to Valencia, I could see the fileds planted with orange trees.