I warn you: A LONG POST COMING!
Usually when I go to a new city or place, I make a plan or a list of the things I want to see (monuments, places etc) and the things I want to do there. For example, when we went to Barcelona with my sister in March, our list included at least visiting the Camp Nou, Park Güell (=finding the mosaics that I missed when I was there a few years ago...), Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's buildings, Barri Gòtic, going to as many shopping centers as possible (thanks to M), the Aquarium, seeing the Fountain show, etc.
In Málaga, there were at least Castillo de Gibralfaro, Alcazaba, Picasso museum, Jardin Botánico-Histórico, Cathedral and Plaza Mayor (and maybe the most important for J: KFC or Burger king) in the list. We missed only a 2-hour cruise we had planned to go to - and IKEA!
The point is that when I came to Valencia, I hadn't planned anything - I didn't actually even know the places or monuments that you should see when you come to Valencia. Usually I check the information about the destinations before going, but not this time. I don't even know why I didn't search for more information before I came here? Maybe I just counted on the fact that I will get to know everything when I'm actually here. And yes, of course it's partly true; I've found and I've seen many places by just going around. But still, one day I started to think which places/things are the "must-see"s of Valencia and I came up with some popular ones (Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, Bioparc, Plaza de Toros, ...) but I ended up reading a tourist guide and Internet hints. That's when I realized that there are so many things I haven't seen yet - even though I've been here for four months! The top things that tourists go and see when they spend a week (or even less than a week) here - and I haven't managed to go and see them in four months. Pathetic...
Well, it's been a few weeks since I realized that. Yesterday that fact hit me again, as O sent me an email and asked if I have seen the Holy Grail that is kept in Valencia. I hadn't even heard about that; I searched some information and found out that it's kept in the Valencia Cathedral. And yes, that is one of the places I haven't visited.. UNTIL TODAY. Today I decided to take a break from school work and fill my cultural responsibility of visiting the Valencia Cathedral. I met a friend in the city center and we went to the Cathedral, to the bell-tower (El Micalet; the stairs to the top - I almost died..) and visited a few tourist shops nearby (I finally found proper Valencia-postcards!!). There were also some performances going on at the Plaza de la Virgen (see the video at the end of the post!). Here are some pictures (you can see them bigger, just by clicking), enjoy. At least we had a nice day as tourists in Valencia!
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| The museum-part of the Cathedral |
O: there is the Holy Grail!
And finally, a few videos:
i almost got a heart attack when the bell began to ring..!
and that's what we saw at the Plaza de la Virgen, good timing! and i don't know if you can see it, but the second performers, they were very young!
