Spanish stroll

The first picture says it all: the two stamps in my passport are the first for two years, and a side-effect of Brexit before which they were superfluous. Regulations require proof of full vaccination and a Spanish health control form but with the most techie-savvy of my three companions completing this on our behalf, we're good to go.

We've chosen Valencia because a friend of one of my companions lives quite near there and we're due to visit him in the coming days. Valencia stands up as a major attraction in its own right. As Spain's third-largest city, it's bursting with culture and vivacity. An important Roman port, it later became a border town between the Spanish and Moorish regimes and was recaptured in the 13th century.

The obligatory "room with a view" is the subject of the second picture, showing an ancient university building in early morning light. No. 3 is Plaza Ayuntamiento (City Hall), the scene of peaceful demonstrations and sometimes fiestas nearly every day. Nearby is an example of the fantastic Modernista architectural style, dating from around 1900, a fine mish-mash of Renaissance, Baroque and who knows what else.

Needless to say, walking made us thirsty, so we had to slip into a hole-in-the wall restaurant. Set lunch was a vegetable paella from the "menu del dia" and a bottle shown in no. 6, named after Valencia's river.Leer más