VALENCIA SHINES AND DAZZLES
A day of cathedrals and markets, planetariums and theaters, and paella and horchata
It's all my fault! I took it upon myself to become an unofficially self-proclaimed Tourism Ambassador of Goodwill for Valencia, as I continuously preached on the must-sees and must-dos, all throughout our cruise on the Mediterranean. So in exchange for a free day at the rather often-visited ciudad de Barcelona—whose beguiling charms grows on you with every trip—my traveling buddies succumbed to its lore and magnetism and decided to visit Spain's third most important city, with Madrid and Barcelona completing the triumvirate.
At the break of dawn, we boarded a fast train. And in a couple of hours and a bit, we were warmly welcomed with smiles, besos y abrazos by my sister Anafe, a resident for over 40 years, as well as my nephew and godson Alfonso, and my grandniece Ana.
A CITY OF HOLY SITES AND SIGHTS
The initial stop for the Valencia first-timers on an extended day excursion was the impressive Catedral de Valencia, and we immediately headed to the Capilla de
Santo Caliz, where the believed-to-be Holy Grail of the
Last Supper of Christ and his Apostles is venerated. The see-through tabernacle or more like a vault—at least what it seemed to me—was exaggeratedly illuminated. Imagine powerful stadium spotlights on several performers, now solely concentrated on one solitary spot.
Though stories abound either laced with fantasy, superstition, or devotion, it never fails to attract genuine pilgrims together with some curious onlookers. No supernatural occurrences have been accredited to the agate cup, but it has been used by the visiting popes, the last being Pope Benedict XVI.
We then glided to the Capilla de la Resurreccion, which hosts the mummified arm of San Vicente Ferrer, a deacon credited for spreading and defending the faith on which he suffered martyrdom. He is one of the nation’s most-loved saints.
We then crossed a narrow passageway with a Renaissance arch to the Basilica de la Virgen de los Desamparados— the place of worship of the child Jesus carrying a cross and a lily on the other hand. We witnessed the image revolve, seen from various angles. No miracle here, but thanks to modern day technology.
Surrounded by the most recognizable landmarks was the nearby Plaza de la Virgen, where its iconic fountain of the Roman god of the sea Neptune reigned, attended by eight naked nymphets. Several cafes y terrazas enveloped the area—the perfect venue to see and be seen. Come March, it serves as the terminus of the procession in celebration of the Las Fallas, a one-of-a-kind fiesta in the country.
Around the center of the city and beyond, in pocket plazas, even street intersections—make it any unobstructed open space—carpenters and craftsmen, artists and apprentices laboriously work on wood and cardboard, but mostly with papier-mâché to create several-stories-high ninots— oversized puppets to you and me. On the very last day on the feast day of San Jose, the fallas—the failures—are burnt in earnest into bonfires amidst cheers and jeers, applause and whistles, frenzy and fun.
Astonishment and bewilderment instantly overcame us, as we entered the Iglesia de San Nicolas de Bari y San Pedro Martir— the totally gilded main altar of elegance with its equally decorated ornate six chapels and the open-mouth sensation, upon seeing the sweeping frescos. Aptly regarded as the Sistine Chapel of Valencia, it is a jewel of a gem absolutely not to be missed.
SHARING A BOUNTIFUL FEAST
As lunch was set for two in the afternoon—remember we were in Spain—we gladly surveyed the local markets, as we always do on trips, namely, the Mercato Central and the Plaza Redonda. The former open-air marketplace which boasts of art nouveau, Gothic, and Baroque influences, had the grandest selection of hard-to-find quesos y jamones. The latter, with its unusual shape and structure, had an ancient fountain on a circular park with traditional arts and crafts pop-ups, heirloom lace and delicate embroidery shops, and exquisite ceramics and pottery stalls.
The saying, size is not everything, rings true once again. You see, in the chaotic what-to-purchase-and-whatto-take-home shopping madness, we somehow all noticed La Estretcha, arguably Europe's narrowest building with only a single room on each floor, all of
107 centimeters wide.
With our spirits unburdened and our bodies famished, we were soon on our way to El Perello, a slow-paced maritime pueblo by the Mediterranean coast, approximately a 20-kilometer drive.
Our destination was Restaurante Bon Aire, an honest-to-goodness mom and pop bistro, proud of their authentic comida casera, where lunch was served, arranged by my extended family. Before long, a parade of aperitivos
crowded over the table. We had puntillas, crispy fried baby squid, angulas, eels swimming in olive oil with herbs and spices, a squad of pulpo, octopus cooked in various ways, and bandejados de jamones. And pan, muy buen pan!
The star of our feast was the paella, a specialty of Valencia, which even found its way to be considered as one of España's all-time must-have national dishes.
Not to be shortchanged, my brother-in-law Maxi, born and bred in Cuenca, known for their casas colgadas or hanging houses, requested for a roster of four variations.
We joyfully feasted como parientes— after all we were— on the classic, original Paella Valenciana, composed of white rice, chicken, rabbit, snails, and green beans, made extra special with saffron and rosemary.
The other choices included Arroz Meloso, made up of creamy rice and the Bacalao con Ajos Tiernos, infused with catfish.
My favorite—and I suspect of my traveling buddies as well—was the Arroz al Señoret, which is a bountiful catch of different seafood, all previously carefully peeled and shelled, truly fitting to be enjoyed by discerning señores y señoras, señoritos y señoritas.
All that, con mucho viño— alleluia! And let's just leave it at that!
AWE-INSPIRING ART AND ARCHITECTURE
We resumed our well-thought-out itinerary of leisurely ambles, to the latest pride of Valencia: the Ciudad de las
Artes y Ciencias— City of Arts and Sciences.
Former an old channel of the Rio Turia, it suffered a devastating flood in the fifties and had to be restored. The final outcome was a scenic landscape of sunken gardens, now passable by pedestrians and cyclists, and a massive 350,000-square meter complex of entertainment options with large installations and sculptures.
For lovers of the arts, the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia organizes shows for globally acclaimed performing artists of ballet, operas, musicals, zarzuelas, and live concerts.
Resembling a skeleton of a gigantic whale is the Principe Felipe Science Museum, with its motto "Not touching is prohibited"—yes, you read it right. The comprehensive showroom has interactive exhibitions on science and technology. And for the curious—heavens bless them—there are workshops to satisfy their inquisitiveness.
We can never forget the impact of the eye-shaped L'Hemisferic. Popularly known as The Planetarium or the Eye of Knowledge, it is the desirable hall for unusual shows as it possesses laser light performances and IMAX movies.
To complete the tour of the new world, the masterpiece of the controversial Santiago Calatrava, a prolific architect and engineer, we embarked on a paseo through L'Umbracle, filled with flora and fauna indigenous to the city, such as lavender, honeysuckle, bougainvillea, and the palm tree.
As the sun set, we made one more stop—an idyllic chalet in the middle of a campo owned by Vicente, a friend from a once-upon-a-time era, where we partook of horchata— a cinnamon flavored milky drink, and trays of fartons— elongated pastries glazed with sugar.
After what seemed like a 30-hour day, it was the turn of the then-first timers of Valencia, who did all the talking on the train ride home, filled with statements such as "Why did it take us so long to visit a slice of Spain that is truly beyond forgetting?"
Future Valencia Tourism Ambassadors of Goodwill? A Definite no. Future Valencianos Misioneros on a Mission.