My usual citybreak in Spain is Barcelona, further down the coast lies Valencia the setting for my latest sojourn outside the UK.

You can scour the streets but don’t even recognise what could be a bar or a restaurant as shutters are down, heavy ornate doors are closed, it is only when the clock strikes that these doors are thrust open, tables spill out into the street and the city awakens.

I arrive late morning and hop on the metro into the city centre, a mere 20 minute journey.  I estimate a 10 minute walk to my apartment and have the route etched into my memory from analysing maps, I hate walking around a city with a guide-book so use my photographic memory to its fullest.

Apartment Balcony

Valencia is a city for walking, which is inevitable since the metro does not go into the old town, every corner you turn reveals a stunning building or a hidden square.  People hang political messages from their balconies, here’s one I saw whereby they publicly announce their hatred of scissors.  Damned scissors.

We circumnavigated the city to get our bearings and stopped for the occasional cerveza and tapas.  We found a cafe/bar which my friends queried if it was gay.  I drew their attention to the Audrey Hepburn posters adorning the walls as evidence it was, along with the dressed headless mannequin and a camp lampshade.

There was someone in this bin:

I pressed the shutter too late as she leapt back out

Some mannequins look like Freddie Mercury.

The next day we stumbled upon a cafe which looked cute, we stopped for a drink.  My friends queries if this was a lesbian cafe, I drew their attention to the posters advertising yoga for confirmation it was.

A guitar player arrived to regale us with a Spanish flamenco tune until his guitar strung snapped cutting his act prematurely.  It was pleasant while it lasted.

We decided to eat here, what followed was some of the best Spanish food I have ever eaten.

Succulent hot, spicy chorizo with fresh bread to soak up its picant juices.  Fresh, crisp calamari, and a refreshing and well-flavoured salad.  Grilled toasts topped with tomato and anchovies, plump croquettas bursting with chicken in a creamy bechamel, all delicious.

Not sure my friends wanted their photos on here so I changed them to Statler and Waldorf:

Building

Another Building

This is their post office…

This is the train station..

This is the bull ring…

…it was hosting Oktoberfest, in April, in Spain

There was a small fight going on, I told him to act like a bull.  Let me ask you – what kind of bull has it’s horms floating around in mid air?  Idiot.

The street art was interesting…

I liked the cars crashing onto my friends head…

It’s better than stone cladding…

I’d go back, it’s a great city.