Destination
Valencia
Nick Snaith reported on
a weekend break in the Spanish city of Valencia
(Filed:
10/02/2005)
Twenty years ago Valencia was something of a poor relation
amongst Spanish cities. Madrid had capital status, Barcelona had
the Olympics, Seville had the Expo, but Valencia, apart from the
old town, had little to bring in the tourists. So the city went
on an ambitious building programme. Huge projects like local
architect Santiago Calatrava’s City of Arts and Sciences has
completely changed the face of the city. But while the historic
city centre and the futuristic may attract your interest, any
Valencian will tell you that getting to grips with the lifestyle
will make your stay more memorable.
Year-round sunshine
Valencia is a beach city, with sand a four kilometre journey
from the city centre (about five pounds for a taxi, otherwise a
Euro each way by tram). There are over ten miles of beaches
around Valencia and Malvarosa is the most popular, and the
easiest one to reach. Valencia gets over 300 days of sunshine a
year, and Nick felt that if you go, you won't be disappointed as
the beach is so long and so wide, that you're almost guaranteed
a space.
A bar to suit everyone
Back in the city centre, Nick was staying at the Ad Hoc
Monumental Hotel, which he thought had plenty of character for
its three stars, with high ceilings, air-conditioning and a
great location, just two minutes from the city centre but tucked
down a side street.
Like other Spanish cities, Valencia’s bars hadn’t even begun
to fill up by the time pubs in the UK are generally closing. But
a night out in Valencia should by all accounts be something
special. Spaniards say this is the city that really knows how to
party. Majo, Nick's guide for the evening, attributed it to the
unpretentious attitude of the locals.
Most of Valencia’s best haunts are packed into a small area.
And there’s a bar to suit everyone, from the eclectic to the
mainstream. And just as Majo had predicted, all ages and
interests mixed together and got on with enjoying another good
night out.
Paddy fields in Spain?
If you’re feeling a little rough after a night on the town,
Nick reckoned that a trip into the countryside around Valencia
would clear your head. A 20 minute drive from the city centre
will take you to the fertile farmlands that are the historic
source of the city’s prosperity. But they don’t just grow the
oranges, lemons, onions and grapes you might expect. South of
the city you will find acres of paddy fields.
Rice is central to the local diet: Valencia is the home of
paella. For the real McCoy, head for the rural communities just
outside Valencia, where it’s cooked traditionally. Nick met
Manolo who's been cooking paella for almost 60 years, and had a
go at making a pan of his own.
To try another Valencian speciality, Nick reckoned that
travellers should head for a horchateria. Horchata is a drink
made of crushed tiger nuts, mixed with sugar and water. It's
usually drunk with a sweet bread called a farton, used for
dipping. Horchateria Daniel has quite a pedigree, as the
original Daniel crushed his nuts for none other than Salvador
Dali.
Verdict: Like the horchata, Nick found that Valencia wasn't
what he expected: not as cosmopolitan as other Spanish cities
but very Spanish in its own way. With brilliant night life and
great beaches, it's a city that's definitely worth a visit.
The original
article is at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/holiday/destinations/spain_valencia/
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