Please find more photos here ⬇️.
When I awoke, I was not feeling 100%. I had a niggly cough and headache which I could attribute to us flying through the air in an aluminium tube for two and a half hours.
However, it was a beautiful morning and we needed supplies, so, once we were ready, we headed to a local Carrefour express. This was very handy for basic provisions and I was surprised how cheap things are over in Spain. Not that I wanted Heineken for breakfast but I had to photograph the price tag, some €4.35 for six bottles!
After taking our supplies back to the apartment, we headed down Carrer de Sant Vicent Màrtir to find somewhere for breakfast. We found an on-street cafeteria that did the trick. It was popular with the locals and was cheap. We had a toasted sandwich and a warm drink that set us up for the day.
Today, I wanted to explore the nearby area and also make sure that I ticked some must-see places off the list. Our first stop was to collect a map from the Oficina de Turisme València, on Carrer de La Pau. We then headed back towards the Plaça de La Reina.
We wandered around the busy areas and also the quieter back streets, just taking in the surroundings. One of the main places I wanted to visit was the Central Market. Situated on the Plaza del Mercado, it’s a beautiful building that was constructed in the early 20th century, in a modernist style. It has a large glass dome with a weather vane on the top. There are over 1200 stalls here, selling local produce such as fresh and cooked meats, cheese, spices and vegetables. Another thing I noticed here were the prices, much cheaper than in the UK….
https://www.mercadocentralvalencia.es
After leaving the market, we wandered around the heavily graffitied back streets before stopping at La Maruja for a glass of vino tinto. The temperature was now mid to late 20s so what better excuse to escape the heat of the midday sun.
Once we’d finished our wine, we went to the Torres de Serrano in the Barrio del Carmen. This is a 14th century construction that was part of the ancient walled city of Valencia. It acted as a defence tower but, later on, as a prison for noblemen. It cost only €2 for a ticket into the towers and doesn’t take that long to get around. There is a warning at the entrance telling you that you have to climb 132 steps to the top. However, this small effort offers a great reward at the top, as we saw fantastic views of Valencia.
https://www.visitvalencia.com/en/what-to-see-valencia/historical-centre/del-carmen-neighborhood
Once we’d cautiously headed back down the stone steps we headed back towards the general direction of our apartment. We stumbled upon a tapas and wine bar, called Sagardi, on the Carrer de Sant Vicent Màrtir. The restaurant prides itself on its traditional Basque cuisine. The concept of the place was to pick your own tapas (pinxtos) from the vast choice on the counter. Each one had a cocktail stick stuck in it. As the waiter explained, they counted however many cocktail sticks were left on your plate, and this is what you were charged for. It was a nice relaxing atmosphere and it allowed us to chill out for a bit.
https://gruposagardi.com/en/restaurant/sagardi-cocineros-vascos/
Leaving the tapas bar, we headed south down Sant Vicent toward the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. From studying O level Spanish, I knew that this was where the town hall was situated.
https://www.plaza-ayuntamiento.com
Here is a spacious open square with gardens and fountains. As well as this, we found the Central Post Office, which has been recently renovated.
https://www.lovevalencia.com/en/lugares/valencia-post-office-building
After a short rest at our apartment, we freshened up and headed back out. Our plan for eating wasn’t really a plan, we just wanted something quite straightforward. We decided to head down the back streets around Plaça de La Reina to see what took our fancy. It wasn’t long before we found La Coveta, a small restaurant close to the entrance of the Plaça Redona.
https://taska-hogan-la-coveta.business.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral
Salad and seafood tapas were the order of the day before we headed back to the apartment.
jctraveller 
Leave a comment