There is some confusion this morning, because the ship newspaper said that there was a shuttle from the ship to the terminal. Reception and the tour guys know nothing about it- they’ve always docked at the terminal. So, we’re a little confused.
We know Valencia is about 6 KM from the ship, and we want to buy the Valencia card (VLC) for 10E each, which gives us free entry into tons of museums and monuments, plus free transportation into the city. The ship is offering a shuttle into town for $12US each. We’ve decided if we can’t get transportation with the Valencia card, we’ll just buy the shuttle pass outside (the VCL description is a bit confusing as well – saying they have a free shuttle if the ship isn’t offering a shuttle – but it doesn’t say what happens when the ship does offer a shuttle).
We are docked at the terminal, so the shuttle comment was just wrong in the paper. That’s a positive, but we get baboofed getting in line to get off the ship. We were outside originally, but then came back inside because there was staff at the door. Then we noticed the line outside was growing so we asked if we could get out the doors, instead of standing outside, and the answer was yes. Except when the doors opened, they told us we had to get at the back of the line. Oh, come on! Sigh.
So we traipse down into the terminal behind tons of other people, and go stand in a long line at the tourist booth to get our cards. Our line was made longer by these 2 women who took for-freaking-ever to do whatever they were doing with the tour agent. They were buying something – and then they were confused over the credit card charge and I don’t know what all. They finally left, and we made our way to the front of the line to buy our VLC cards. We’re the easy customers! Give us the damn cards and maps and we’re outta there!
Turns out the card gives us access to all public transportation – and there is a bus direct from the port. The bus costs 3E roundtrip – so already the card costs only 7E and we get 2 tapas, 1 wine and 1 beer free. Plus the free museums? This is the deal! We’re on the bus in 15 minutes – got seats before it gets totally crowded and packed – and we’re gone by 9:00. Yay!
The bus drops us off right in the middle of town at Plaza Reina (as opposed to the ship shuttle which drops off at the tower gates at the top of town). We sit for a cappuccino and reconnoiter our day. There is a big festival here today – at 2 – in a big city square at the south of town. It’s something to do with firecrackers and is supposed to be very crowded. We figure we’ll check it out first this morning, to see if we’re interested, then head back up here to the older section of town for lunch, museums and then catch the bus.
So, off we go, navigating through town – which is actually easier without the stupid tourism map than with. That map is awful – it’s all symbols and huge and you have to keep turning it over to see the legend and it’s really irritating the heck out of me – and we’ve only been here 10 minutes! This will be a long day!
We do get to the firecracker square – where they are also building a huge Styrofoam lion (what they do with that – we’ve no clue, since it is about 30 feet tall).
But the lion must be a city symbol, because we see it everywhere, in signs and logos – and on this government building.
The festival is going on here for days – and there are all sorts of components and parts. We keep walking, trying to get our bearings and find some of the free tapas restaurants, but the map is defeating us. but, as we walk, we pass by tents being set up for events, large silly figurines we think might be floats? and all sorts of other festival looking structures.
We turn to the GPS on Ed’s phone to help us make sense of all the directions, and to try to head back up into the old section of town in search of the ceramic museum and another free museum. But we actually stumble on the Central Market instead. Great mistake! This place is huge – and clean – and gorgeous. So much better than La Boqueria in Barcelona. The building is gorgeous with a lovely façade and beautiful domed ceiling. Plus acres and acres of vendors.
We wander the aisles, drooling over all the fresh meat, vegetables and seafood. Oh – how we’d love to shop here – we’d go crazy. Instead, we settle for a cup of the gorgeous strawberries we’ve seen all over the place. We settle outside on the steps, in the sun, and munch away very happily.
Next, we do actually find la La Lonja de Mercaderes museum. It is supposed to be one of the best examples of civil gothic style in Valencia, begun in 1483. It was used as a commercial hall with three sections – 1) the Contracts Hall for commercial transactions and a bank, 2) the tower (which has a great spiral staircase but is roped off and can’t be used), and 3) the incredible Pavilion of the Consulate of the Sea on the upstairs level that has the ornate Renaissance style roof from the original Town Hall in the 15th Century.
Probably the best part of this place is the view from the upstairs platform outside the Sea room. There is a great perspective on a lot of the old Gothic buildings here.
Back on the ground, we strike out in search of the ceramic museum again. That damn map keeps defeating me – of course – I’m reading the symbols wrong, so what I think is the ceramic museum is actually the Central Market. Oh boy. Not good. We finally figure it out and effortlessly find the stupid museum. I’ve read that it is not to be missed, and if only for the outside of the building – that is true. The home of the Marques Dos Aquas, the façade is carved alabaster with an atlas on each side of the entrance, which alludes to the two rivers in the the Marquis’ title. It is just stunning to look at, quite the work of art.
Inside – we get a 50% discount (which equates to 3E) and we go and explore all the different displays and rooms in the Marques Dos Aquas palatial home. The first display is a room with the Marques’ carriages, built in the 18th Century and exquisite.
Then there are tons of different rooms, the red room (with the original chairs bearing the Marquis coat of arms), the “illustrious men” room, the dome room, the chapel, the bedroom, all with different porcelain and ceramics, and furniture from different periods. The collection isn’t all that extensive, but it is an interesting peek into life at the time of the Marques.
Especially the porcelain room with an all porcelain cabinet and an intriguing table with porcelain inlay.
Then there is the ballroom and the large central staircase. Really impressive.
A nice find – now that we found it!
After we’re done, we go in search of the other tapas restaurant down in this area. We figure we can snack and then head back to the historic section and finish our touring up there. But this restaurant is closed up tight. So, Plan B, we go in search of El Ingles Cortes, the department store that will give us free wine and tapas. The first store we find doesn’t have a restaurant, but the sales clerk gives us directions to the store that does. 5 minutes walk and up to the 6th floor, we find the restaurant and hand over our free wine and tapas coupons. We also order a beer for Ed, and we actually convince the waitress that we understand we have to pay for the beer (yeah, I’m speaking Spanish now, I can do this!).
The wine is excellent, the tapas really good even though it’s sardines and some sort of Spanish potato salad. Hey – it’s free!
We are at the opposite end of town from where we catch the bus – ad the festival is gearing up. We decide we want no part of the firecrackers and make our way against the mass of crowds flowing into the festival area, up to the old historic center and somewhat of a more quieter atmosphere.
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