First glimpse of Valencia in decades

I had been undecided whether to walk or get public transport to my hotel. Google Maps said it was just over an hour's walk, which is a decent trek. But I'd been sitting for six hours. The fact that I walked out into pretty crowded streets and couldn't see places to buy tickets, I plumped for the walking.

And so glad I did. Though my shoulders might disagree, as they were carrying the backpack. Firstly because, while I'm not looking at individual places or anything and thinking 'I remember that' my senses were very much taking a journey back four decades. The smells of the little fireworks kids get to throw at the grown really pulled me back. The smell of people smoking (seems to still be plenty of that!) and drinking beers at the many bars and cafés along the streets. Even the Valencia flags strung up like bunting along many of the streets.

A couple of these photos show me crossing the river. Except it's not a river. It wasn't when I lived here. Now it's an amazingly lush park with lots of things in that I am totally going to go walk on while I'm here. When we lived here, it was a dusty empty river bed, with a tiny stream of seage running right down the centre! Thankfully didn't have an olfactory memory there!

I'm putting the Fallas related pics in a different footprint.

I am really happy to be here (and my hotel's not bad, and right by the sea* - though no sea view) and looking forward to spending the next two days soaking up Fallas and also taking some little trips down memory lane. I remembered the name of the street where we lived, so will head down there. Can't remember where my school was, but I also think I remember someone telling me it was knocked down and now something else, so that's OK. Mostly I think it will be visiting the old street and just soaking up the atmosphere and getting a feel for what Valencia is today.

* I don't remember thinking of us as living near the sea when we were here. I remember some friends taking us to dinner one night at a pizzeria near the beach (and I got an ice cream served inside a scooped-out orange). And I remember us going camping by the beach at Easter (but I'm sure that wouldn't have been somewhere that close) and me and my dad getting severely sunburnt. Although, actually maybe that happened on a day trip to the beach and the Easter trip was separate.Read more