It is time for a new installment of highs and lows. In the categories of best Bell tower with an active bell; City wall tower; City wall; Bell tower with a legend; Sea level; and Archaeological excavation, here are my thoughts for Valencia, Spain:
Bell tower – with active bell: This month, like in Croatia, we had a BINGO challenge. Apparently, a prize of a spa appointment is a strong motivator for me. This meant that I not only hiked up the 207 stairs to the top of the city’s main cathedral’s bell tower, I did so at a time when I could record the magnificent bell in action right next to me. The bell tower is named El Micalet (meaning Little Michael, as it was consecrated on St. Michael’s Day in 1418) and the bell that rings the hours is the largest bell in the tower, and is also named Miguel. I can attest that its ring is not only loud, but has a solid vibration too. It was a good strategy to visit at 1PM versus noon!
City wall tower: Very little of Valencia’s old city wall remains, but a main gate with twin towers still welcomes visitors from the north. It is Porta de Serrans. It has the classic double vestibule, to trap any unsavoury visitors so the guards could pour boiling oil on them. There is no single staircase all the way up, but rather a ‘choose your own adventure’ with a decision on each flight of where you want to go next. The view from the top of either tower is a full 360 degrees. Tip: the entry ticket is minimal, but it is completely free to visit on Sundays.
City wall: While Valencia still has city wall towers, the winner this month for best city wall itself has to be Muralles de Albarracin. The small town of Albarracin is about an hour north of Valencia, and was built where a river protects it on three sides. The fourth side needed a wall, but it was also along a mountain ridge. Akin to the Great Wall of China, what looms in the distance as you approach, is a meandering, fortification that follows the contour of the ridge. The way up to the wall started as a cobblestoned path out of the village square, but it soon faded into a dirt walking trail, very exposed to the winds. The wall was equally impressive up close, showing the attention to detail of the ambitious project. The view away from the wall was spectacular – looking down to the town, the river, and the entire valley below.
Bell tower with a legend: Also north of Valencia, is the city of Teruel. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for all of the Mudéjar architecture. This is a style that our guide described as ‘giving an image of Gothic architecture to a Moorish builder to imitate.’ Indeed, it is fascinating to see the shapes of gothic arches made in decorative, multi-colored patterns. One of the primary examples of the Mudéjar style is the Torre De El Salvador which is an active bell tower, with stunning views from the top. The city has many legends, including one about the tower – that two tower builders fell in love with the same woman, and when her father offered her hand to the one who finished a quality tower first, they raced. When one said he was done, the father rejected it for leaning to one side (which is indeed quite visible), and the other man finished Torre De El Salvador and married the daughter. The ending of the legend gets a little dark, by saying that the loser threw himself off his tower – but records suggest that the two towers couldn’t have been built at the same time, so I’m considering the legend as a clever, very early PR strategy.
Sea level: Riding the public bus #25, I left the city center of Valencia, and began to explore the communities to the south, along the Mediterranean coast. In my quest for BINGO, I found El Saler beach. It is a beautifully designed beach – by which I mean the parking area can accommodate a huge number of vehicles, with easy access to endless picnic areas and playgrounds, while still being entirely hidden by dunes and trees. I progressed along the open boardwalk as it transitioned to a dedicated walking path, and 45 minutes later, I turned away from the sea, to cross through a small community and the main road, to see an expansive freshwater lagoon known as Parque Natural de La Albufera. The wind was strong which I later realized was why there weren’t any boats at the piers, but a crowd still grew at this popular spot to see the sunset.
Archaeological excavation: While I was at El Micalet noted above, I did a tour of the Cathedral too. I did a double take at one point, listening to the audio guide talk about how a particular statue brings good luck to expectant mothers who walk a circuit within the sanctuary nine times – and a pregnant woman walked by at a non-tourist pace, chatting with her friend! The tour eventually got me to a door for the adjacent Valencia Cathedral Museum, and once inside I realized that it had a basement level. But this was not a basement. This was an archaeological excavation, that started with my standing in an old cistern. But then I stood among debris from various structures and roadways. And then, with some posted warnings, I turned to see a skull – and was in a catacomb. With no exterior light or sound, and very little sense of how deep underground I was, it was an eerie yet serene place to be. [I eventually left that space, only to soon find myself in an elaborate chapel with ‘the’ Holy Grail on display behind protective glass – lots of surprises in this place!]
I enjoyed exploring in and around Valencia. I felt very comfortable in my wanderings, and would not be surprised to find myself back there again. Ciao for now!