Spain 5/7

Adios Barcelona, Hola Valencia. We have time for one final leisurely cafe con leche, or cafe con hielo at the excellent Cafe Ernesto just around the corner and next to the market. I buy a couple of bocadilla (my new favourite food) and a couple of paraguayas to sustain us on the train, we collect our bags and walk to the station. It is sad for us to say goodbye to Kate and Stig, who have been so very generous to us over the last week, but I am sure they welcome the next few days to themselves before the next lot arrive. We are very very grateful to them, and will miss them as much as we have in Melbourne. Trains in Spain (so far anyway) are comfortable, cool - which is all important - and leave on time. We made sure this time we get onto the platform earlier than last time so that we can get aboard and stow our luggage on the racks at the end of the carriage. And away we go. I have heard that Valencia is not the most interesting place in Spain, but we are going anyway. Anywhere we go has to be interesting in part just because it is somehwere new and that has its own interest. Rob is keen to go a particular art museum and I just want to walk around. The hotel is near the station so we check in and head straight out for the centre of town looking for 'menu de dia'. We find somewhere promising (which means it has Gazpacho) and settle in. We are in a side street off one of the main pedestrain thoroughfares through the old city. All roads seem to lead to the Plaza which houses the post office building with its beautiful facade and clock tower. It is hot here, hotter than Barcelona, but not quite so humid. So of course - SIESTA! Then we take a stroll down along the river and see some of the places we think we will explore tomorrow, enjoy a beer and walk back through some of th 10km of gardens along what was the river bed. We pass some sort of festival and it seems to be something along the lines of "miss valencia" but we cannot tell. I had read that an event was happening in these gardens at 9.30 and was glad I asked someone about it. It turned out to be a card playing tournament, and a game that is special to Valencia. Not quite what I thought it might be. We stop for a quick bite and then done in by the heat we head back to our "High Tech Hotel" and its high tech shower and air conditioning. I am not kidding about the shower, it took a little while to work it out. Top tap manages the water source, either overhead shower, handheld shower, bath tap or 6 massage jets facing you. Middle tap for pressure, and bottom tap for temperature. Quite a lot to manage altogether. When I got it worked out I had a lovely hot shower with a burst of massage jets. Then blessed sleep on very firm mattress. Buenos noches, mi amigos.