A Visit To Valencia

Arriving in the third largest city in Spain, we took a morning tour of attractions from the past and the present. From the past, there were many early 20th century buildings, such as the Mercado Central (Food Market), the bull ring, town hall, banks, etc. These were built in an ornate Beaux-Arts style, full of Baroque flourishes. Even older are some of the churches, varying from the Cathedral to the Basilica Real. The Basilica is a Baroque church with an oval interior, decorated in the elaborate style of the 17th century. The cathedral is a combination of Gothic nave and elaborate Baroque façade and interior side chapels. A large, Medieval painting hangs over the main altar. Though our tour through the center of the city was rushed, the tour guide spent more time in the early 21st century City of Arts and Sciences, which includes six buildings designed by a great master of contemporary architecture, Santiago Calatrava. This architect designs with a visionary use of space and materials, and the most impressive buildings were the Palau de les Arts and the Museo de las Ciencias. The tour stayed too long at the later museum, which had little in the way of very original scientific displays. We returned to the ship for lunch and relaxation in the afternoon. --Dan