BajaBlanca - 3-25-2015 at 08:07 PM
There is no trip report as we have not even left yet but we are headed to Europe for 3 months and one week of that will be spent in VALENCIA, SPAIN.
has anyone been? what to do? what not to do there?
looking forward to ideas.
elgatoloco - 3-25-2015 at 08:29 PM
Paella
Architecture
Museums
Central Market
BajaBlanca - 3-25-2015 at 08:52 PM
paella arch museums and that central market is definitely on the list!
AKgringo - 3-25-2015 at 09:14 PM
I don't know if this helps, but I remember hearing that the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.
Have a great trip!
Edit....For non geezers on this forum, the rain in Spain line is from 'My Fair Lady'
[Edited on 3-26-2015 by AKgringo]
willardguy - 3-25-2015 at 09:26 PM
share a nespresso with penelope cruz 
durrelllrobert - 3-26-2015 at 09:36 AM
I spent 6 weeks driving all over spain including Valencia. However i spent most of the time at Costa del Sol and also took the ferry from Gibraltar
to Tangiers Morocco. That's an interesting trip if you have the time.
BajaBlanca - 3-26-2015 at 02:18 PM
we are thinking of renting a car and heading slowly towards Madrid ....
msteve1014 - 3-26-2015 at 03:50 PM
If you go to Gibraltar, Jerez is close, and has a moto gp race on the 6th I think. The Spaniards are wild for motorcycles. It will be quite the party.
TMW - 3-26-2015 at 03:56 PM
I have a friend here in Bakersfield who is from Spain. He and his wife return there to see family etc every couple of years. I have emailed him and
asked about the city where you will be going. As soon as I hear from him I'll pass it on to you.
BajaBlanca - 3-26-2015 at 05:52 PM
thanx! I have been studying the map and this weekend will be devoted to reading up on the internet.
elgatoloco - 3-26-2015 at 06:15 PM
When we were in Spain we spent time in Valencia and up the coast to Barcelona then flew to Madrid to visit friends see the sights there and rented a
car and made a big loop south from Madrid and made stops in Toledo, Granada, Malaga, Marbella, Ronda, Sevilla then over to the Algarve up thru Lisboa
and back to Madrid. It was a fun trip and we found the roads to be in excellent condition. People were helpful and friendly and the food was
enjoyable. We hope to go back and see the northern part in next few years.
TMW - 3-27-2015 at 09:43 AM
Sorry Blanca, my friend said he did not know much about the city and local area. He has never been there nor has any family there. He has heard that
it was a very nice place.
Martyman - 3-27-2015 at 10:07 AM
Don't know Valencia but Toledo, Sevilla, El Escorial and Granada (The Alhambra) are all worth visiting.
When I went I was expecting something like Mexico but it is not. More euro like Italia or France. People were not as friendly in Spain as they are in
Mexico.
The Costa Del Sol is very nice but stay away from large resorts like Marbella
pelone - 3-27-2015 at 01:35 PM
A great entertainment and recreation opportunity awaits you. Wear baggy trousers with large pockets, place a euro in one of the front pockets then
visit one of the popular tourist sites such as a well known cathedral, museum, or historically significant place. Casually hangout while appreciating
the said cathedral, museum or historically significant place and time (using your wrist watch, not your pocket watch) the shortest interval between
acts of pick-pocketing. It is tremendous fun! I really enjoyed the lines of patter and the creative distracting methods used to lessen my awareness
as I gave a boost to the local economy. It also serves to jump-start meaningful dialog about countries of origin, rates of un-employment and attitudes
concerning a unified Europe.
elgatoloco - 3-27-2015 at 04:04 PM
BajaBlanca - 3-27-2015 at 08:47 PM
pelone - thanx for the heads up! and thanks to all the rest for the info too.
The map is now open on the coffee table 24/7 as we look and dream.
My high school friend has a house in Marbella - to visit or not to visit is the question
It looks really beautiful looking out from her garden.
Hook - 3-27-2015 at 09:36 PM
We're going to Spain and Portugal for five weeks in Sept/Oct. So, I will be watching this thread.
But, based on the few guide books I have (Lonely Planet and Rick Steves) and the websites I've read, Valencia is not grabbing me. My rough plan is
spending four nights in La Rioja, three nights in San Sebastian, two nights in Torla (hiking the Pyrenees), four nights in Barcelona, before heading
south towards Valencia. But rather than head along the coast, we are going inland towards Teruel and Albarracin. Daroca is another city that is
getting our interest. We will probably do paella in Alicante, on our way to Granada, the Costa del Sol and the south of Portugal. Yeah, I know it's
not paella in Valencia, but............
From what I have read, the must-see small towns in the north east and the central eastern part of Spain are Daroca, Albarracin, Ainsa, Sos del Rey
Catolico and Santo Domingo de la Calzada. In Rioja we will be mostly in Briones and Laguardia, except for the harvest fest in Logrono.
I have not done much research on the Costa del Sol yet. Any help, there, appreciated.