Letsgoloolala with Lily Anne
Learning about the inside things
One of my favourite sites is La Lonja de seda (Silk Market), declared a Human Heritage site by UNESCO. Watch out for a little snail that decorates the building (one of the inside things except that it’s on an outside wall).
I learned soon after my arrival about the Water Tribunal or Tribunal de las aquas. This event takes place every Thursday morning usually out of doors where disputes are settled between farmers who bring their grievances to the tribunal over inappropriate use of water. The decisions are made by a group of eight farmers democratically elected every two years with a judge overseeing business. The conflicts are settled without any notes being taken and the decisions are final. All are dressed in the same typical rural fashion popular when the tribunal began over a thousand years ago. This custom has been declared an intangible human site by Unesco. Some say its takes place at midday but I would recommend arriving well in advance of midday.
It’s worth having a stroll around all of El Carmen area. The locals recommend this general area to chill out. You’ll see really interesting graffiti and other art constellations close to the art college. The social scene includes the Jimmy Glass Jazz bar, Radio City, and some small theatres.
The now dry riverbed that runs through the city is called The Túria. It is a hive of sporting activities. I have danced there and cycled, paying attention to the need people have for space, especially runners, other cyclists and kids and adults on almost any environmentally friendly device on wheels including segways, roller blades, skates and scooters.
If you start walking or take a bus at Los Serranos towers (a prison for noblemen no less from 1586 until 1857) you will eventually come to the famous modern architecture of Santiago Calatrava known as The City of Arts and Sciences. Once down there you will see L’Umbracle, a raised garden and La Peineta Bridge. The Palau de las Artes is my favourite of the Calatrava designs. I think it’s worth going on a guided tour and bringing home a book, available throughout the city with photos of all the amazing gardens, bridges and architecture old and modern. There are outdoor free music events in summer at the City of Arts and Sciences e.g. I heard the students of Boston Berklee university perform there in June in the company of another Lilly.
Playa del Malavarossa
Malavarossa beach was irresistable if you like to swim in the sea. Even getting there was fun, travelling mostly by metro and tram. Patacona tends to be popular also but you’re more likely to hear Spanish in Malavarossa and more likely to hear English spoken in Patacona. Most places where I swam in Spain have a fantastic view of sea and mountains at the same time. One significant challenge that I had arriving solo was security for my belongings. In time I managed to get to know the staff at Glasol and particular Azucena, who very kindly made life by the sea a lot simpler for this sole traveller. My first day at the beach I was in luck. It was the annual Festival of the Cometas (held in May).The kite competitions are well worth seeing and at other times the sport continues to light up the area. Cabanyal is close by and is interesting by day or night.
Rusafa
This is a bohemian area I frequented to the south of the city. It has cafes bars boutiques and second hand shops. Calle Denía is where I found La Escuela dance school and signed up for swing dancing with Victor and Ana and later tango with Olaya Aramo. I told Olaya about the success of the popular Waterford resident, a Scotsman Jim Mc Manus who represented Ireland in tango aged 99. Jim is now 100 and highly recommends dancing as the key to a long and happy life. Victor and Ana were instrumental in initiating outdoor dancing in the Túria also, by just setting up a small tent for music, bags shoes plus refreshments to keep us hydrated.
Rusafa also has a variety of bookstores and cafes combined including Ubik in Calle. Carrer del Literat Azorín. They have book reviews on the first Tues of the month and Literature including poetry is also a topic at La Escuela. Restaurants abound in Valencia. I always ask the locals for their recommendations. A street that had a lot of appeal for me was Carrer Vicente el Martyr. On my way to the October Centre of Contemporary Culture, a very pleasant barman whom I asked for directions complimented me on my Spanish accent. This was now the second leg of my four month stay. My friends Vicente and Beatriz were highly amused. They told me that normally no-one uses the full title including ‘el Martyr’ which I do believe was the word that caught this gentleman’s attention but then I can be a bit of a martyr for compliments. I had walked the full length of that street with my mobile gone dead in search of Valentin, friend of Vicente whom I was meeting on my first Sunday in the city at Moondance salsa venue.
Author Lily Anne