I'll spend two nights in Alicante City, then one night in Benidorm, then, lastly, 4 nights in Valencia City. Here, I'll recount nightly (or nearly nightly, depending on internet access) what I did that day. The detail won't be meticulous mainly so that I can dedicate the next day's touring. There's also a good possibility I'll be posting some photos along the way.

Mediterranean Sea, HERE I COME! I understand it's WARM there now, in the low 20sºC or low-to-mid 70sºF. I'm packing one pair of shorts and my sandals for a walk along the beach - when and if I have time. Wish me luck!

The train ride was fine, no problems, and left ontime at 12:20pm. The movie was the George Clooney movie, "Good Night and Good Luck." I didn't watch the (GREAT!) movie because I have "homework to do". So I did my homework and then, at 2pm had my 2nd sandwich (un "mixto", ham and cheese") and couldn't keep my eyes open and took a "nodding nap", with my chin first hitting one shoulder and then the other. Our "carriage" was just next to the "bar car" and wow, that place was overflowing with people looking for lunch all at the same time.

The train arrived right at 4pm. I went to the RENFE office there, took my number, and waited 20 minutes to then find out that the "cercanias" train ticket purchases didn't require a number. So I got up to the counter and asked to buy a ticket to Benidorm for Sunday and the nice woman told me I had to go to another train station near the beach to buy that. Hnmmmm.. Okay. I'll do that tomorrow morning then since I'm so close.

I got in a taxi outside the train station and the driver was a little "miffed" that he'd been waiting 50 minutes for a fare and it's (me!) only going to the old part of town, a whopping 3.5 Euro far. He complained the whole way, questioning his career choice. I had to laugh - inside myself.

The driver dropped me off at the Plaza del Ayuntamiento (like their "Plaza Mayor") and he asked me if I was going to the Hostal Les Monges Palace - what a coincidence, I thought, but later realized there were/are almost no other hostels in this part of town, only a few.

Checked into the hostel and was immediately impressed, BEFORE entering AND after. VERY nice place, stylish yet traditional at the same time. Nice place. Got my key to my second floor room (#16) which is, I was told, a single room - and yet there are two single beds here pushed together - and a nice balcony facing the pedestrian street of Calle de San Agustin. And from the balcony I can see one of the towers of the Plaza del Ayuntamiento.

I essentially dropped my stuff in the room, emptied most of the things from my carry-all bag, and went out to the street. Now it's about 5pm. I make my way west to the Rambla de Mendez Nunez where I stop into the tourist office for any and all information they can give me. They recommended I go, tomorrow after 9am, to their main tourist office down near the beach.

From the tourist office I walked down to the water,essentially to the "Explanada de Espana", the pedestrian walkway (much like "Las Ramblas" in Barcelona), going towards Playa del Postiguet and then crossing the busy Avenida Jovellanos by way of a curly-Q pedestrian bridge to the "Ascensor Castillo Santa Barbara". You first enter what seems like a mile-long tunnel, going deep under the hillside towards the elevator. BUT FIRST, you have to buy a ticket at an odd kind of vending machine. I put coins into it 3 times before I finally understood what to do. Got the ticket, gave it to the woman elevator attendant, and along with 5 other madrileños we went to the top where we exited the elevator and onto the HIGH-UP (125 meters, I think the woman said) castle grounds. The castle itself really isn't much to look at but some walls and "turrets" are well preserved. The views are really great too so that was worth the 2.40 Euro ticket for the elevator. It's FREE to enter the castle grounds if you want to WALK up/down the path. I chose to save time and my valuable energy and take that elevator. Took lots of photos from up top there. I felt a bit rushed as the I got UP to the top at about 5:45pm and the last elevator DOWN was at 6:45pm. Apparently, summertime hours allows for later visits.

View of/from Alicante's Castillo de Santa Bárbara

Came back down the elevator and then went back across the busy road to the beach promenade "Paseo de Gomes". The sun was totally down now and the pinkish clouds remained over the water as well as a full moon and still lots of volleyball games going on and sand sculpting and old folks walking along the promenade. I took my time getting back into the city, taking lots of photos of beach and palm trees in this nice post-sunset light. Got into town and took more photos of the marina and "The Surfer" sculpture as well as photos of the illuminated castle so high up over the city - a nice view.

By now I'm nearly totally spent so I stopped into a bar on the OTHER side of the Plaza Puerta del Mar for a very tall glass of refreshing beer. Wow, I'm tired. I walk towards my hostel and decide to do some pre-scoping for dinner places. I walk up/down the Calle Mayor which I'd read was a good place for a high concentration of restaurants and tapas bars - that was certainly true. I asked around, place by place, and found it hard finding one which would sell/serve paella to ONE PERSON. Ugh. Alone again. I did find one that MIGHT make it if it wasn't very busy. Hmph.

So I go back to the hostel, take more photos of the nice illuminated facade, and go upstairs to shower, check email, and rest only a bit before getting dressed (more nicely for night time meals) and leaving for dinner at about 10pm. I'd read about a place in the guidebook (a Spanish guidebook) about a place on the Explanada de España, 8 called "La Goleta" (no website). They had a nice looking outdoor, covered terraza and since it was such a nice night (me in my short sleeves and no jacket and comfortable) I decided to eat outside. I was shocked to see that I was the ONLY person eating there and I arrived at 10:20pm ... ON A FRIDAY NIGHT! I was the only person the entire time I was there! Still, I was happy to be there and, of course, had very personal, one-on-one service. I'd ordered the mussels to being with. Then, I HAD TO ORDER the Paella/Arroz Alicantina which is a chicken and seafood and rice dish - VERY GOOD. I'd also ordered a half-bottle of local white wine, very fruity and VERY good!" The bread was .75 Euros, the "mejillones marinera" (about 11 of them) were 6.50 Euros, the paella was 9.50 Euros, the bottle of wine was 7 Euros - TOTAL: 25.41 Euros. Not bad. I was thrilled when they told me upon arrival that they WOULD make a single serving for me and wow was it all good. I was so stuffed full but made it a point to take a look INSIDE the restaurant inside the building - it was empty too! What's up here! Is it a holiday or something? Very few people in the street, few people at the castle, and now no one at the restaurant. How odd.

Arroz Alicantina at Alicante's La Goleta restaurant

I HAD to try to walk off some of that food so I walked down the Explanada, very slowly, taking note of the Burger King, MacDonald's terrazas, as well as pizzeria and Kabop terrazas. How odd! MacDonalds has a covered terraza?

Now I'm back at the hostel, have hung my clothes outside on the terraza/balcony on the provide line and clothes pins, I've written in my journal, and now for some MUCH MUCH MUCH needed sleep. Can't sleep TOO late tomorrow, though, as there's so much to do/see. Will write more tomorrow night. Looks like I'll be sleeping with the balcony windows open tonight. Ahhhh... This is the life. (plus Joan Jett singing "I Love Rock And Roll" on the piped-in music. Freaky!)

Good Night and Good Luck!

So I headed back along the beach, taking photos of volleyball games, sunbathers, and more sand sculptures, stopping at one of the dozen terrazas for a coffee. After that, I headed back to the Marina and along the Explanada de España towards the Rambla de Menéndez Núñez and then up, criss-crossing back and forth through the Casco Antiguo.

Explanada de España in Alicante

I finally arrived at the famed Plaza del Carmen only to find it and most of the surrounding buildings TOTALLY under construction/renovation. What a disappointment. So continuing on, I started making my way through the Barrio Santa Cruz which reminded me A LOT of the Albayzin in Granada. LOTS of similarities, lots of ups and downs, nearly totally pedestrian, lots of terrazas and flower pots, lots of great views. I even went up the path/ramp entrance to the castle a short distance near the "Ermita de Santa Cruz".

Alicante's Barrio Santa Cruz

Next, since I was close, I went to the Modernista-style "Mercado Central". Unfortunately, I'd arrived at 3pm (YET to have anything to eat today) and they were closing so I did a quick walk-through but the place was empty and most of the stalls closed so I missed my opportunity on that one.

From the market I went west on the Avenida Alfonso X El Sabio" and then 'down' into the "Casco Antiguo" once again, visiting the Plaza Nueva and stopped nearby on the Calle de San Idelfonso, 6 at Restaurante Capri - ordered and ate a Bocadillo de Lomo (2 Euros), gambas al ajillo (3.50 Euros), a large beer (2 Euros), flan for dessert (2.50 Euros), and then coffee (1.20). Total: 13 Euros. The now-shaded terraza was a welcome stop, at about 3:30pm - FINALLY LUNCH! I'm walking around all day in short sleeves and sweating under the sun and 75ºF temperatures. The terraza was decent, and a view of the nearby Plaza Nueva. Now I'm refreshed, rejuvenated, ready for more!

Now I head back west through the old neighborhood, along the Calle de Colón (among many) to the main boulevard of Avenida Federico Soto and head south along the promenade a short distance, cutting back across into the Old Quarter at the Plaza de Calvo del Sotelo and along the Calle San Francisco, making myu way to the Plaza Gabriel Miró where they have lots of large trees with odd trunks and roots - looks like a Banyon Tree to me or something similar. I saw like trees at the (plaza) Portal del Elche along the Rambla.

Back and forth through more small streets in the old quarter around my hostel until I arrive and tour some of the other rooms and suites here. Quite nice! After the tour I get back to the room for a MUCH NEEDED SHOWER and do some "homework".

Hostal Les Monges in Alicante

For dinner, I might simply walk up towards the Barrio Santa Cruz in search of some of the many popular tapas bars. The guide book makes the area at night seem quite lively. I'll let you know tonight or tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow, I'll check out here early morning, around 8am, and will catch the bus (or train) to Benidorm.

11:20pm update: Just got back from dinner. I asked the front desk attendant if there were a number of tapas bars in the old Barrio Santa Cruz and he said he only knew of one. Hmph. He recommended I tried the Calle de Labradores and a particular Meson Labradores. I took his recommendation and went to the aforementioned Meson Labradores on the Calle Labradores but it was full, HOT, and no terraza. I kept looking. The Calle Labradores did have a number of terraza bars/restaurants as did the intersecting pedestrian street of Calle San Pascual. I decided on the Meson de San Pascual. When I arrived I was the ONLY person at the terraza - AGAIN - but by the time I left the place was full. I ordered and consumed a large beer, calamares a la romana (good & 4.00 Euros), patatas a lo pobre (3.00 Euros), and Pinchos Moruno (4.00 Euros). The last one was so delicious, being meat-on-a-stick with a tasty, slightly spicy sauce. All totaled, 16.90 Euros. They don't take credit cards. The food was good and was happy with my choices as they were listed under "Specialties of the Kitchen". I did feel a little lonely, though, sitting there by myself with all these couples, families, and groups of friends around me. Oh well. That's the down-side of traveling for a living, I guess. Gotta get up early. Time for bed.

This morning started in a bit of a rush although I gave myself 2.5 hours to make it to the bus. Got up, showered, shaved, and... dressed and went downstairs to try Hostal Les Monges continental breakfast for 5 Euros. I'd thought to go out for breakfast but thought I'd save time having breakfast at "home" and I did. I had a croissant with jam, doughnut, coffee from a machine, and they also had bread, cheese, and ham as well as orange juice. They worked up the invoice for my stay and was told the night before that they charge 5 Euros per day for the Wi-Fi internet access in the rooms. Wow. So I paid 10 Euros for my 2 days access - but I needed it anyway.

Got myself packed, checked out, and went to the Plaza Puerta del Mar to catch a taxi at the taxi stand. The woman driver took me to the bus station and charged me the minimum fare, 4 Euros, since it was a relatively short trip - the fare meter almost read 4 Euros anyway. Got my ticket at the ALSA BUS counter and paid a freakish 3.50 Euros for the 1-hour bus ride to Benidorm's Avenida de Europa station - just 2 blocks from my hotel! The ride was quick, smooth, and we had a Mediterranean view almost the whole way. Arrived at 11:20am - 10 minutes early.

After getting off the bus I went to the Alsa ticket counter and bought tomorrow morning's ticket to Valencia. It was more expensive, about 12 Euros for the nearly 2-hour bus ride, leaving at 10:30am.

I was well prepared, had my Google Maps map printed out with the location of the hotel and found it right away but not until after 10 minutes of clack-clack-clack noises from my hard-plastic wheels. I've GOT to get that bag changed for one with rubber wheels.

Checked into my 4-Star Hotel Diplomatic on Calle Gerona, 9 at about 11:50am. The outside of the building leaves you shocked that it can be a 4-star hotel but from inside you see why. It's quite nice. I understand it was very recently renovated and you can tell it was but there's something that makes you think of 1960s Hotel Grandeur. Anyway, I paid my 46 Euros and was a little miffed to hear there's no internet in the rooms - free or otherwise. They do have one computer station in the lobby but I can't FTP to my server using that. Too bad. This'll have to wait until tomorrow when I check in to my hostel in Valencia - which DOES have free (?) wireless internet. Let's see.

The hotel lobby's nice, large, and they have a very large restaurant and bar and a cafeteria too. I took my keycard up to the 5th floor and found my room alllll the way at the opposite end of the building. Fine. I walked in and found my small room with the individual bed, just as I'd requested (why pay for a double if you're only one person and only staying ONE night?). The room was very modern, desk and chair, new TV, light fixtures, and the bathroom was quite small but had an average sized shower. And one of the BEST things about the room is the large terraza/terrace!!!! I'm writing you on it NOW! I only have a view of other apartment buildings around me but the neighborhood is nice enough and quiet, almost no traffic on this Sunday. I'm glad I'm on the 6th floor.

The FIRST thing I did was go half a block to one of the dozens chinese stores (they're everywhere!) which sells knick-knacks, souvenirs, lots of clothes, bags and suitcases. But I was dying for a pair of SHORTS! I thought I'd have to wear these long pants all day but it's hot, I'm sweating, and EVERYONE ELSE IS WEARING SHORTS! So I bought a pair (5 Euros ?!?!?!?!) with lots of pockets and took them back to the room, tried them on, fine, and WASHED my other pair of pants (3-days of sweat in those things) and hung them on the provided drying rack on the terraza. NICE!

Time to hit the beach! Now a little more comfortable, I made my way to the beachside boulevard (pedestrian and a few local residents and special-access vehicles), called "Avinguda d'Alcoi" - which made me think of "Avenida de Alcohol" because of the string of ENGLISH/IRISH bars, AMERICAN BARS, and other bars and restaurants, one after another, the parade of eating and drinking establishments seemed to go on as far as the eye could see - and they did! What was the Avinguda d'Alcoi became the Avenida Mare de Deu del Sofratge" as it neared the old quarter. I was looking for the tourist office and found it - BUT IT WAS CLOSED because it's Sunday. Hmph. Bad luck once again - should've guessed that one.

Making the most of my good daylight (now about 1:15pm) I decided to go directly to the Castillo Mirador - there's no longer a castle there, by the way, but there is a divine tiled platform near-ish the water's surface, you descend nicely railed steps to get there. It's called Mirador de Benidorm and it very picturesque, showing up in all the brochures and postcards of Benidorm. From the Mirador you have a very nice view of both the Playa de Levante (beach) and the Playa Poniente.

Mirador de Benidorm with the Isla de Benidorm in the distance

After many photos I stop for lunch at a terraza there on the Placa del Castell and tried the bocadillo de Pinchos Morunos since I had them last night and loved them so much - errr.. not as good here - I also ordered a racion de patatas bravas (I like to try the bravas everywhere to see how they differ). The bravas was a LARGE serving in a ceramic dish and absolutely COVERED with the spicy orange sauce. Some places you get a little sauce over the top but there were more like a SOUP of patatas bravas. Goood. Add a good, large beer and a scene of the Mediterranean and you have a recipe for a good lunch.

Lunch at a terraza restaurant at Benidorm's Placa del Castell

After lunch I weave back and forth, up and down through the Old Quarter of Benidorm. This is most certainly the most interesting part of Benidorm although there's little more than English/Irish bars and restaurants here too, lots of signage in English, lots of TVs showing rugby and such. Still, the streets are interesting.

Now I'm walking along the promenade along the Playa Poniente. It's nice but not as nice as the Playa Levante side. Plus, the buildings lining this street are mainly apartment buildings and much of the road is under construction too. Still, you don't get the feel of "Party Beach Central" like you do on the Playa Levante side. I walked a good 3/4 of a mile and then turned back, crossing through the old quarter, and then back to the Playa Levante promenade. As I continue, the road is renamed Avenguda de Madrid (interesting!) and I walk it until the very very VERY rocky end.

The sun is near to setting over the far end of the beach, near La Cala. I keep asking restaurant waiters if they'll serve a paella for ONE person while walking but they all say no, a minimum 2 persons for paella. Oh well. Guess I'll wait until Valencia and hope I have more luck there.

I hang around awhile, taking some photos of the beachscape and the sunset in the distance from the rocky point and decide to walk back towards the sunset. I do, and then take one of the wooden (literally) BOARD WALKS out into the beach. One, I find, comes rather close to the water and it's a great location to take beach photos of the sunset over the Mirador de Benidorm whilst NOT getting sand in my shoes. Wow. What a sunset. There were JUST enough thin, whispy clouds to make it interesting.

Sunset on Benidorm's Playa de Levante

JUST THEN, as if by romantic magic, my significant other calls me from Madrid and we "share" the sunset together as I describe it to her in poetic detail. I wish she was here with me - although I know she'd be bored stiff stopping every two minutes while I take photos of Benidorm and her saying, "But you already have 10 photos of that!" hehehe... While true, you can take 10 photos of the same thing and still not have ONE good one from the bunch.

I continue walking along the promenade and decide to get back to the FOUR STAR HOTEL Diplomatic and walk very very slowly, taking many many more photos of the now post-sunset, revealing reds and pinks in the low clouds above the horizon. I'm getting cold now and my nearly-sweat-soaked shirt is now making me less comfortable as I 'swim' in its stickiness.

BACK AT THE HOTEL. First things first. A SHOWER! Aaaaah that feels good. Then, after that, put on nothing but boxer shorts and a white T-shirt while sitting on the terraza and writing the FIRST part of today's journal. After a bit I get rather cold and go inside, my days clothes now hanging on the terraza's drying rack and the pants I washed earlier are still just a little damp. I'll leave them out all night AND HOPE they're dry by morning - although 'they say' you shouldn't do that as they might become MORE damp with the night air. We'll see about that.

Got dressed nicely in real pants, real leather shoes, and a long-sleeved shirt to go to dinner. I just figure I'll stumble upon something. The Spanish guide book listed a number in the downtown but the more DOWNTOWN they were the more often they were Italian restaurants. Who wants to eat Italian food in Benidorm, Spain? Apparently, a lot of people.

I stop at one Playa Levante restaurant, it has a good, wholesome Spanish name and looks very nice so I sit down at the outdoors terraza and as the waiter how the Fish Fritada (fried fish medley). He asked me if I wanted to eat well. I said yes. He then recommended the beef. I said, "But I want fish!" He said, "The fish isn't good here. It's been frozen." I thanked him for his honestly and left. Ugh. Plus, he had an attitude.

FINALLY found and decided on another restaurant on the Playa Levante, called "Internacional C". It's a glass enclosed terraza and so I went in, first asking the waitress if the fish here was frozen. She said no so I sat down at a window table, joining the other 3 occupied tables in the restaurant. So I ordered the lobster soup to start (5.75 Euros). While it tasted good, I could barely tell if those few, small specs of meat were lobster or not. I assumed it was. Then came the fish fritada (15.75 Euros). I'm not a big fish fan but had ordered it in Granada City and loved it so thought I'd try here too - it wasn't nearly as good AND WE'RE HERE ON THE MEDITERRNEAN COAST!!!! How can that be?? Anyway, the meal was fine overall, nothing to brag about. So for 27 Euros total (no dessert and two beers and bread) I walked away feeling just okay. My dilemma earlier was simply finding a SPANISH restaurant! I'd seen American Cafes, "Real British Food", even some Hollandaise and Norwegian restaurants but a small few Spanish ones - almost none! Guess for real Spanish food in Benidorm one has to go "inland" a bit further and away from the beaches where all the tourists congregate. Maybe next time.

On the walk back to the hotel I came upon a Las Fallas parade with all the woman dressed up in their Traditional Valenciano dresses and the men dressed in their traditional suits, all accompanied by a live brass and drum band playing pasodobles. I took some photos during their rest-period.

I'm back at the hotel now, it's midnight, and I'm writing today's last journal entry on the terraza and it's nice and cool. Tomorrow morning I leave for Valencia City at about 10:30am. Saw a "Pancake House" on the way back to the hotel tonight. Might try that for breakfast. hehehe....

I went STRAIGHT to the beach and stopped at a pasteleria (pastry shop) called "Cafeteria Nuria" and took a boardwalk-side table, all alone in the open-air place, and had coffee and toast with jam. It was just perfect and a perfect view of the beach, the Mediterranean, and Isla de Benidorm under a cloudless sky. After breakfast I took a 15 minute walk up and down the promenade in the direction of my hotel's street and then went "home".

I really didn't want to leave this place, the hotel was very very nice, the room was cheap, and it was close to the beach. I can recommend this Hotel Diplomatic (4-Stars) for a single traveler in the OFF season. HI season rates for singles AND doubles undoubtedly much higher. Check their website. Plus, it's far enough away from the beach (about 2-blocks) to avoid the majority of foot traffic.

Got packed and ready and literally ran down the hall towards the elevators at 10:00am - 20 minutes 'til the bus leaves. I have to WAIT for the elevator, it comes, I get downstairs and "nose" my way to the front of the desk line and "exclaim" that my bus was leaving in 10 minutes and if I could simply leave the keycard and leave. YES! I'm outa there, clack-clack-clacking down the sidewalk with my hard plastic wheeled bag. ARGH. I've GOT TO change this thing. All head's turn when they hear me coming and with all the "gridded" sidewalks throughout Spain it gets quite annoying.

Got to the Alsa bus stop with 5 minutes to spare and there are plenty of people waiting. Hmmm... 10:20am comes and goes. 10:30am. 10:40am - HERE COMES THE BUS!

I've got my assigned seat, an aisle as requested, and make myself comfortable next to a college-age girl, non-United Statesen and non-Spanish but she spoke some Spanish and borrowed my Lonely Planet "Best Of Valencia" guidebook while I napped. I TRIED to concentrate but couldn't keep my eyes open.

We made good time and arrived ahead of schedule anyway. Arrived at the LARGE Valencia Bus Station ("Estación Central de Autobuses") located up against the upper portion of the OLD ("dry") Túria River. I clack-clack-clacked my way to the nearby Túria metro station located right next to the El Corte Inglés, bought a one-pass metro ticket (1.40 Euros!) and changed metro trains a couple times (one time to the wrong train and went the wrong way and had to backtrack) in order to get to the Xátiva metro station next to the Estación del Nord train station and stopped in there with all my bags to take some photos since I was close. What a beautiful train station!

I took this direction in order to make it to the Valencia Tourist Office before they closed at (presumably) 2pm. I knew it was located around the nearby Plaza del Ayuntamiento but didn't know just where. So there I am, one shoulder bag, one laptop bag also over the shoulder, and one roller bag. It would've been easier to manage had there not been thousands of people in the street waiting for some Las Fallas-related event. I asked a policewoman where it was and she was sure, giving me semi-poor directions and not knowing if they were open at this hour. Fine. Screw it. I'm going to my hostel.

Back to the metro and decided to ask the metro ticket counter attendant if there was a 3-day tourist pass for unlimited use of metro, bus, and tram. She said yes, and sold me the 3-day pass for 8 Euros. GREAT! Later I realized the 3-day pass I'd read about was 12 Euros and was also good for discounts to some things - had I been able to find the tourist office I would've known this already. Bummer.

Back on metro and heading to the hostel. I get to the Benimaclet station where I know I have to change to the Line 4 metro. I see the sign for "Transbordo Linea 4" and it's leading outside. Outside? So I follow the sign, get topside, and find THE TRAM track and tram landing with people waiting. I'm there with all my back and put my 3-day pass into the machine for "verification". BEEP! Fine. The tram comes in the direction I think I want to go - "Les Arenas" Beach! I get off at that stop at about 2:20pm, it's the last one in the line before it loops back upon itself going back towards the city.

Thank god I had Google Maps printed with the direction and location of my Hostal El Globo on Avenida de Neptuno but I walk and walk and walk a distance until I find it - UNDER CONSTRUCTION!! There are stacks of bricks on the landing at the sidewalk and workers doing their thing.

The attendant/owner gives me the key and I find my room - but it seems the hostel is completely empty. Well, it is on the beach and it's not quite beach season. Plus, it's quite a distance from downtown, about a 19-minute tram line to the edge of the Old Quarter - to the "Ponte de Fusta" stop". The room is cleam, large, has a modern, large bathroom, small-ish stall shower, new everything. This must be one of the recently renovated rooms while the others are being renovated. It has TV, Air Conditioning/Heat, two beds, phone, closet furniture, small desk and chair. And now...... drumroll please!!! I walk to the curtains with anticipation of my beach view..... Open the curtains... the metal blind is all the way down. Oh. So I pull down on the cable to raise the floor-to-ceiling-length blind.. up... up.... up.... And there's scaffolding immediately in front of my wall-sized window! ARGH!!! Still, through the metal I have a nice view but can hear the working working over or under me, speaking in Eastern European voices. I close the curtains again and unpack. I'm starving!

Now it's nearly 3pm and I'm starving, not having eaten anything since breakfast. Earlier, upon arriving at the hostel I noticed a line of restaurants so decided I'd check them out so I walk to the end of the "strip" and then to the backside, noticing A LOT of construction alongside the far end of the Avenida de Neptuno, presumably as part of the 2007 America's Cup complex as it is right next to the Port of Valencia where the 2007 America's Cup is being staged. I'd read that Valencia City and the Comunidad Valenciana had invested 400 Million Euros in the construction and renovation of the complex.

So I walk up and down the path, passing about 10 restaurants, most of which with terrazas, some are inside, but most show very nicely-dressed persons - not the place for me; shorts and tennis shoes. I finally decide on the Restaurante Hostal Petit Miramar - where I'm spending two nights starting Wednesday, March 6th. I get there at just the right time, a table opens up on the terraza. What luck! I sit down after asking the waiter if it's okay.

I asked if they'd serve a paella for one person. Again, no - minimum 2-persons. Hmph. Okay. I order the "Suquete de Rape" (14.00 Euros) which was two fillets of "Rape" (Hake??) in a nice sauce as well as a starter of fish soup (5.95 Euros). The first rape filet was good but the second one seemed rather raw. I asked the waiter and he said it was supposed to be that way but offered to cook it more if I wanted. I declined but thanked him and then ordered the flan 2.40 Euros), made fresh. Total: 24.72 Euros. I suffered a bit through the flan because the sun had dropped behind the building and I, now in the shade, was shivering from the cold - me in my shorts and short sleeved shirt.

Back to the hostel room. I'm tired and sweaty. Time for a shower so I do, do some work, slip into bed for a too-long nap, wake up and grab the books in search of an appropriate place for dinner. I find a number of possibles, comparing one book's recommendation with that of others. I finally decide on La Taberna de Marisa on Calle Caballeros, 47. It's located right on the Plaza Esparto. So I get the Tram at Les Arenas and take the nearly empty tram to the edge of the old city, getting off at Ponte de Fusa and cross the Puente de Serranos bridge and see the beautifully illuminated twin towers, "Torres de Serrano", stopping often to take several photos. I pass through the middle the towers, passing through the gate and find myself on Calle de Serrano. Now to find the restaurant. I swear to myself that for the next travel outing like this I'll take with me a mobile GPS unit. This searching high-and-low for restaurants IN THE DARK in sometimes-poorly-marked streets (or in the dark) it can be very very frustrating. Next time, GPS. I wonder if they work well in the old quarters of Spain/Europe. I wonder how long they hold a charge by battery.

Bueno. So I go upstairs of Taberna de Marisa and ask if they have a table available. They have ONE - next to the kitchen. UGH. So I take the table and the whole while there are waiters brushing by me the whole meal - but I really wasn't bothered much. That's the way it is. I ordered the house specialty (one of them), the Revueltos Taberna (13.80 Euros) which are fried potatoes on the bottom of the plate, 3 fried eggs on top, and then jamón serrano slices on top. Mmmmm.. So good. I also ordered a "pintxo" (small portion) of the morcilla (2) (2.50 Euros). What a meal. All with 2 beers, it was just perfect, possibly the best meal I'd had yet. Total price: 20.97 Euros. The waiters, mostly eastern Europeans, I think, were nice, young, all dressed in black t-shirts and black pants. The service, at least for me and my table of ONE, was a little slow I thought but the place was packed, several tables of 6 or 8 persons but the tavern only has, probably, about 8 tables total.

I pay by credit card, waiting almost 15 minutes for them to come get it after asking for the check, somewhat nervously tapping my card on the wooden top in clear view of the often passing waiters. Finally, she comes, takes it, and comes back about 10 minutes later with the receipt to be signed. Hmph.

I make my way down the Calle de Caballeros to the Calle Serranos and cross through the now-no-illuminated Torres de Serrano and over the Puente de Serrano and back to the Tram station Ponte de Fusa. Hmmm.. I look at the placard carefully and it says the last tram is at 12:04am. Hmmm.. Hope that's correct. I have 10 minutes to find out. IT'S ON TIME!! The ride is faster this time, almost 18 minutes, and I get back to the hostel room and watch some TV before going to sleep.

After breakfast and after packing my day-bag, I get on the Tram by about 10am and walk through the same Torres de Serrano, making my way through the old city to the Plaza Ayuntamiento and go ALL around the plaza, marveling at the Las Fallas floats being constructed in the middle of the fenced-in area of the Plaza. Can't find the Tourist Office once again so I go into the post office and ask a guard standing there and she tells me it's not far, just down Calle Barcas and immediately next to the Teatro Principal de Valencia. I FOUND IT! I go in and get all the usual stuff PLUS a lot of stuff only given to people who work in the travel & tourism sector. Woo Hoo! I'm set.

From the Valencia Tourist Office I start walking around the surrounding streets and come upon a number of hostels. I ring their portal buzzers and ask them all if they have a website and all (2) say no except one. So I go up to Hostal Moratin (nothing at website yet). The older owner is SO VERY NICE, kind, patient, and gives me a tour of most all of the hostel, giving me lots of details. He's REALLY happy to have me here! He mentioned that I should contact his son in the near future since he wasn't there during my visit. The owner seemed surprisingly aware that the internet was "where it's at" when speaking of advertisement of their hostel - something I've rarely found here in Valencia. When asking most owners if they have a website most of them look at me like I was from Mars. So far, I've only found about 6 hostels which do have websites here in Valencia - a surprising few. Even the older owner of Hostal Moratín confirmed that there were few hostels in Valencia. To me, that's so odd.

I study the area around the Plaza del Ayuntamiento and start fanning out in the old part, winding back and forth, looking for hostels and not finding any more, and taking lots of photos of the more interesting, narrow streets and colorful old buildings, stopping only once to have a mid-day coffee and a "pincho de tortilla" on toast.

Finding myself at the Mercado Central, I take photos from outside as well as inside, of the seafood and ham shops, taking photos of the very interesting "modernista" architecture. Part of the building, however, is under renovation.

Mercado Central in Valencia

Now I'm winding around the streets of Ciutat Vela and Barrio Santa Cruz, searching for one of my hoped-for restaurants. One was closed ON TUESDAYS - ARGH! Another required a reservation but I could sit in the bar area. Nah. And the third, Bar Pilar, on Calle Moro Zeit, 13, was not only open but also had a SINGLE table available. Now, it's 3:10pm and the place is still full - OF SPANIARDS!! WHOOPEE!! I deduced this was an AUTHENTIC easting experience and it was! I'd fallen in love. The place was founded in 1917, had only 6 tables (but you could stand/eat/drink at the bar), and they specialized in "Clóchinas" - Valencian mussels. But seeing as how "clóchinas" were only harvested in the summer, I chose the standard mussels in a spicy brown broth. I found out, after the fact, that you had to break the bivalves at the hinge and scoop the mussel into your mouth from the shell which you'd fill with the broth. Not knowing this at the time, I grabbed a toothpick on the table. After finishing, I saw some Spaniard businessmen at the next table doing it in the way it SHOULD be done. I asked the waiter and he confirmed my suspicions. The mussels were the started, for the main course I chose a bocadillo de calamares. Wow. Delicious. For dessert I had the homemade flan - again! Really, I'd fallen in love with this place not only for the great food but the authenticity of the place and the clientèle - and *I* was the only tourist there at the time. I'd seen this bar listed in at least 2 guide books so I was surprised by this detail.

Mejillones / Mussels at Bar El Pilar in Valencia

Full and a little sleepy, I took my time continuing on over to the Plaza de la Virgen and the streets surrounding it, then back up over to Calle Serranos once again, back to the Tram by 6:30pm, and back to the hostel by 7pm and started working right away writing the journal (for yesterday) - until about 10pm.

Plaza de la Virgen in Valencia

At 10pm it was time for dinner. Since there were a mighty FOUR restaurants along this strip of restaurants and hostels listed in my Spanish guidebook I wrote down their names and went looking for them. One was closed. Another was closed on TUESDAYS(today!), and the third and fourth were both open. I chose "La Marcelina" on the Avenida de Neptuno, 8, facing the Playa Levante. They specialize on seafood so I decided on the chopitos (6.70 Euros) to start and the gambas al ajillo (11.50 Euros) for the main course. After ordering the waiter gave me a brief look like, "Really? That's what you're going to eat for dinner?" I'm still not sure why other than maybe it was TOO MUCH seafood and not a 'proper' mix of seafood?? I really don't know. He had a bit of an attitude after that. The chopitos were excellent an the gambas al ajillo weren't bad either. The flan (2.50 Euros) was homemade (my second flan of the day!). Total for dinner: 26.27 Euros. While sitting at the table I was looking over my guidebook and read that the OTHER would-be restaurant choices - JUST NEXT DOOR, La Pepica, was someplace Hemingway visited when here. Oh well. Maybe next time.

Time for bed. Hope I can move into my nearly-next-door hostel tomorrow morning after breakfast and get an early start on the day. Cross your fingers! Plus, THEY have free (?) Wi-Fi internet access unlike where I'm staying now, which explains why this journal entry is late coming to you. Sorry about that!

Time for breakfast. I walk a few doors down to the Hostal Petit Miramar to where I'm moving in an hour or so and also where I'm having breakfast once again - and only because I'm going to be a client. They don't serve breakfast to the public.

The breakfast was good as always, toast, butter and jam, a mini-croissant, coffee, orange juice, and a little conversation with one of the employees of the hostel. The topic of THIS day was the incredible wind!!! WOW! All over Spain it's blowing like crazy and equally as much right here. My goodness. What wind!

With breakfast done I go back to Hostal El Globo, pack up my things (things are not fitting in my suitcase as well as before for some reason), and check out, going down the street at 10am to whom now seem to be my old friends at Hostal Petit Miramar. Nice people. VERY friendly. And the reception area is large and a nice seating area. I know because I've been using it to connect to the internet - seems the connection in my room (room 109) is non-existent at this far end of the building - the end FACING THE BEACH, AGAIN! hehehe... Nice. In fact, I write you now with the windows open and nothing but the sound of the waves literally CRASHING against the beach due to strong winds. But the hostel has nice common areas, the very large restaurant and terraza at which they serve (to the public) lunch and dinner and breakfast only to the guests. MY room is pretty average sized, a bit smaller than the one I just had at Hostal El Globo, and this one is much more dated, with 2 older, single, sagging, and rather short mattresses (although comfortable). There is a new piece of rolling furniture with shelves and hangers. The bathroom is okay, average size for a hostel. The bedside table, desk, and chairs look like they're from the 1960s or 70s, and there's a ceiling fan but no air conditioning. Modern phone and TV here too. The room is clean now and cleaned daily - the cleaning lady was quite nice and gave me an extra roll of toilet paper when I asked.

So now that I sort-of have internet access I decide to do some work this morning before venturing out, answering some emails, uploading the last 3-day's journal entries, checking the message board, and then, finally, by about noon, I go to the tram, then change to the metro, getting off at the ALAMEDA stop alongside the dry Turin River and cross the bridge to the Plaza Puerta de la Mar. This gate reminds me a lot of the Puerta de Alcala gate in Madrid.

I'm coming this way today not only to see this impressive gate but also because it's on the way to the Mercado de Colón. I take a couple wrong turns with map in hand(like a good tourist), getting frustrated with not knowing if I need to take XYZ street to the right or to the left. These moments of frustration nearly cement my decision to buy a portable GPS devise with earpiece so you can simply walk along and listen to the woman's voice say, "Now take a left on XYZ street".

Here I am at the Mercado de Colón! Nice! I take several pictures in the windy conditions but luckily there are almost no clouds in the sky today. The structure of the market is quite visually impressive but the innards, the upscale flower shops and modern-looking terraza cafés don't impress ME much. I could only imagine how it used to be as a real working market. The other day's visit to the Mercado Central was really interesting.

Mercado de Colón in Valencia

I'm very near what once was the old city walls - although they really don't exist anymore other than in a few places here and there. So I take the Calle de Colón along the circular path of once was the location of the old city walls, all knocked down relatively recently in 1865 to make way for expansion but not until AFTER Napolean's invading forces were turned back. This stretch, Calle de Colón is really quite nice as it passes the Plaza de Toros and then the moderistic Estación del Norte train station. The wide street then becomes Calle Xativa, and then, finally, Guillem de Castro before it reaches the dry Turia Riverbed. There's a definite 'change' in style on the Calle Guillem de Castro, turning a bit slummier, I saw a few prostitutes and their pimps along the street trying to get the attention of passersby.

The wind was really terrible, blowing dust all around, constantly getting in my eyes. Plus, all the building renovation projects don't help either. I reach the Torres de Quart. These too are under refurbishment but not completely covered in scaffolding, allowing good photos at certain angles.

Now I'm starving and cut IN on the old western edge of the city, just above the Torres de Quart. This area is, well, not so nice either but the further IN you go the better it gets. I'm hungry and nearly 3pm. I've already decided on a place to eat...

Testing my luck, I try, again, Ca'n Bermell on Calle Santo Tomás, 18 in the Ciudad Vella (or Ciutat Vela). Yesterday I'd gone but was turned away from the dining room because I didn't have a reservation. Today, I say to the waitress who recognized me from the day before, "Hi! I don't have a reservation today either but hoped I'd be lucky - AND I WAS! Got a single table near the door to the bar, sat down staring at two large wine barrels up against the far wall (photo!). The waitress came by and told me they had FIDEUA today for the special so I ordered that (11.83 Euros) as the main dish. But for startes I had a plate of jamón serrano (6.77 Euros) and navajas (9.59 Euros for 6). Add the Crema Catalana (4.23 Euros), drinks, bread, and coffee at the end the total was 42.38 Euros - not cheap. The Fideua left me just a little disappointed. It was not all that warm, a little dry, but was tasty. I imagined that since this was today's special they'd had a big pot of it in the back and it'd been sitting for awhile since I'd been served at around 3:45pm. Still, it was all good, particularly the jamón serrano and navajas. The all Spanish staff was very very nice and the whitehaired chef came table to table to see how things were. By the time I left, 4:30pm, we had to go out the side door because they'd already pulled down the metal, restaurant-front blinds.

Full belly. Much to do still. Thank goodness it's still perfectly sunny but also very windy. I make my way back to the Calle Serranos through the tiniest, most interesting street between one and the other, and find myself at the Torres de Serrano once again. What to do? GO UP! I pay my 2 Euros and climb the steps to the recently renovated, spotlessly clean and smooth connect twin towers and take a number of photos of my with wind-blown hair. I'm also up there all alone for 20 minutes before the next single person comes along (into whom I see at the restaurant that night). Good views from up there but can see what look like sandstorms along the dry Turin Riverbed.

The sun's getting low now, it's 5:30pm, and make my way to the Plaza de la Virgen using the "back roads", back and forth once again. This is a good time for photos as the top of the Valencia Cathedral is BRIGHTLY illuminated with the near-to-setting sun. And there's the tall, proud "El Miguelito" tower calling my name! "Climb Me! Climb Me!" You'll have to wait 'til another day, buddy.

I pass the Cathedral and get to the Plaza de la Reina and watch the street cleaner pick up dozens of fallen oranges in the grassy areas. She must've filled two garbage bags full. I wanted to ask what happened to all those oranges but didn't have the chance. I imagined they were sadly thrown into the garbage.

It's 6pm and I'm right there at the Valencia Bus Turistic bus stop - STOP ONE (or the starting point) - so I decide to just do it. I pay my 12 Euros, get on, go upstairs, and I'm the only one on the bus but I was joined by 2 others, all of us madly taking photos. The top is covered with a red tarp and not-so-clean crystal windows are temporarily installed, all presumably for the windy conditions. Too bad. We make the 1.5 hour loop with the setting sun and see a number of things with the headphone-provided-audio-instruction. We saw most of the things I'd already seen but hadn't yet seen the ultra modern and NEW Palacio de las Artes and L'Hemisferic. Too bad we saw it through spotted glass.

We get back to the ending/starting point of the tour in the Plaza de la Reina and was a bit disappointed about the Valencia Bus Touristic. The audio instruction was rather minimal - I think I counted about 10 or 12 items mentioned in not-so-much-detail. There are only 4 stops along the route. The bus frequency is every 30 minutes so even if you got off to take photos for 5 minutes you'd have to wait another 25 minutes until the next one came along. Then there was the spotted glass and tarped top. This part I can understand, of course. The 12 Euros ticket is good for 24 hours. I'd thought to take the ticket with me the next day, using it primarily as "free" transportation but forgot it in the room. All totaled: Not sure it's worth the cost/time but if you only have one day in Valencia it might be a good investment.

Back in the Plaza de la Reina I took a number of Cathedral/Miguelito night photos which seemed to turn out well so I was happy with that. Same goes for the next photos I took of the fountain in the Plaza de la Virgen. It crossed my mind to simply stay here and have tapas and go home afterwards but I wanted to write in the journal before it was too late.

I connected to the internet back in the hostel after getting back on the tram and the time passed quickly, not writing nary a word for the journal. And now it's time for dinner! (10pm) I'd decided to try Restaurante La Pepica a few doors down from my hostel on Avenida Neptuno since it was listed in all the guidebooks and, apparently, "Hemingway Ate Here". Got dressed up and walked into the LARGE restaurant. The friendly waiter took me to a table in the middle of a large collection of mainly tourists.

While I knew "La Pepica" was a place for fish and paella, I was a bit tired of that kind of food and went for BEEF and ordered the Solomillo steak (17.31 Euros) with a Valencian Salad (5.38 Euros) for starters. What a GREAT salad with lettuce, boiled egg, green and black olives, tomoatoes, carrots, and tuna. So tasty. The solomillo steak was even MORE delicious, so tender, juicy, and "grilled to perfection". I'd ordered the "puding" (4.46 Euros) and it too was good. All exceeded my expectations tonight. Meal Total: 35.93 Euros. And I saw the woman whom I'd seen earlier at the Serrano Towers - although she didn't acknowledge me even after I smiled at her.

When I left La Pepica, at about 11:20pm, I was nearly the last person there. But before going I stopped to look at all the photos on the wall and the biggest one, of course, was that of Ernest Hemingway with an article about something he'd said about the place. There were also photos of "El Miguelito" the bullfighter, Miguel Bose the singer, and others whom I've already forgotten and/or didn't recognize.

Good Night and Good Luck!

Shave, shower, dress, and downstairs to have breakfast (included in the price of the hostel). The waiter/employee seems to take me for a long-known friend now and that's very comforting, welcoming. I sit down with my laptop in hand, I'm all alone here today, until a table of older Australians comes in and sits down. We chit-chat about things they've seen in Spain and they've been all over. They'd just been to Alicante and Benidorm too and preferred Alicante for a more "Spanish Flavor". Nice folks, they were.

Back to the reception area and sit down on a comfortable chair and start in on the internet with my laptop, check email and the message board, and finish up by 10:30am and get my daybag prepared.

Back down to the reception area and ready to go. The reception folks, very helpful and kind, tell me approximately where to get the NUMBER 19 bus which goes by the Palacio de las Artes and L'Hemisferic which I'd seen the afternoon before from the Valencia Bus Touristic. So I make my way by the maddening construction, all the preparations for the 2007 America's Cup along the Marine area, looking carefully at my map, turn to see the #19 bus stop. Perfect! I pay my 1.15 Euros for a single ticket since my 3-day pass had already expired, sit down, and within a short period of time, while looking at my map, I realize we're going in the WRONG way. That is to say, *I'M* going in the wrong direction! ARGH!!!! So I get off, cross over a block and get the same friggin' bus #19 going the OTHER, CORRECT direction. From the map it certainly seemed that the first bus COULD be going the right way for me. Oh well. I pay another friggin' 1.15 Euros for a ticket and get off on Avenida de Francia, just past the Palacio de las Artes, and take a number of from-a-distance photos with the sun nice and high on a cloudless sky - but LOTS of wind!

I cross the Puente de Monteolivete bridge, taking more photos, and walk around the complex, taking, wow, dozens of photos of the blue pools of water with the reflecting sun, the modern structures around me, and go down into the "pit" of the L'Hemisferic and enter the cafeteria area for a coffee and the (nice!) bathroom. With this time I decide not to go inside any of the buildings in the complex although they're listed as a MUST DO while in Valencia. I decide I can't spare what little time I have left.

City of Arts and Sciences / Palacio de las Artes y L'Hemisferic in Valencia

I leave, take more photos, and get back on the #19 bus to the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, timing it just right to make it to the plaza at 1:40pm in time for the 2pm fireworks display (just VERY LOUD noise-makers) and secure a good spot about 3 people from the guard rail with a view of the fenced-in-plaza where the fireworks are ready to go. The surrounding plaza is FILLED with people and at 2pm exactly started a 5-7 minutes BLAST OUT! Wow! For the last 20 seconds I had my fingers very deeply stuffed in my earholes to avoid permanent hearing loss.

City Hall building on the Plaza del Ayuntamiento before Valencia's mascletà

It's all over and the crowd clears out. The streets are still temporarily closed so it's easy to walk. Now it's about 2:30pm and make my way towards the Plaza de la Virgen once again, looking for another restaurant in the guidebook.

After winding around and backtracking once or twice I finally found the little restaurant "Bodegó de la Sarieta" on Calle Juristas, 4, just beside the west side of the Cathedral (down a small street). The place is really cute, small dining area next to the antique and tiled bar area. The waiter asks I'd like this table-for-one next to the bar (next to the entry to the dining room) and I said I'd rather the dining room. Nice! Cloth tablecloths and napkins, REAL handpainted tiles on the walls, wood tables and wood-and-cord chairs. The all Spanish wait staff is very nice and friendly.

The "Menú del Día" is enormous - but expensive at 17 Euros (drink not included, hmph!). SO Many choices. They brought a (surprising) free tapa of gazpacho and black olives covered in a spicy-ish red tomato sauce served on colorful ceramic plates. From the menu I chose the "Albondigas de Bacalao" for the first course. These were long and thin - not like any albondigases I'd ever seen. But they were absolutely, incredibly, amazingly delicous. For the second course (I had to do it one last time) I chose the Paella with rabbit, chicken, and greens. It was served in your typical paella pan with handles and set on a woven matt. The paella was pretty good but I was already full. BUT NOT TOO FULL for the "pudin" for dessert - so good, tasty, light, and with a nice design of rasberry jam swirl design around/over it. Lastly was the coffee. All Totaled: 22.30 Euros. Good place. Tasty.

Croquetas de Bacalao in Bodegó de la Sarieta in Valencia

Paella de Conejo, Pollo, y Verduras in Bodegó de la Sarieta in Valencia

So what should I do next on this bursting full stomach? I know! I'll climb the 207-step El Miguelito tower of the cathedral which is right next door! So I did.

ValenciaMan atop "El Miguelito" tower in Valencia

Paid my 2 Euros to torture myself for about 13 minutes, stopping from time to time to rest my STOMACH and to let people pass while coming down the spiraling staircase - which got tighter and narrower as you reach the top. But the view from there was great. This is a must. The 2 Euros is the price to only climb the tower. To go into/tour the cathedral is different and carries a different price - but I chose only the tower. Great views from up there with the lowering sun. I was up top there, RIGHT next to the enormous bell as the huge hammer struck it 5-times at 5 o'clock. I hung around there at the top of Valencia's "El Miguelito" for about 45 minutes, just "taking it all in", realizing this was a good choice, purely by chance, for a last thing to do in Valencia. When I went down the spiraling staircase and past the ticket booth I saw the same woman I'd seen the night before at La Pepica Restaurant and also at the Serrano Towers. Not even a nod. hehehe... Well, I don't think she saw me this time. I walk out of the cathedral, turn right, and pass the group of Australians with whom I'd had breakfast at the hostel. Earlier, before lunch, (I forgot to mention it), the Hostal El Globo stopped me on the street after the fireworks to say hello. Odd coincidences in such a big city.

Now it's about 5:30pm and i make my way to the Plaza del Ayuntamiento and sit down at the Café y Té terraza for a Café con Leche with the sun going down behind the City Hall and me wearing my glasses. The terraza is full, people are waiting for tables, but I'm enjoying it all. This is my last real day in Valencia. I leave tomorrow at 2pm by train.

Remembering that the bus #19 left from the Plaza del Ayuntamiento I finished my coffee and went "door-to-door" of all the bus stops looking for the one for #19. AND HERE COMES THE BUS - but it's across the street! I wait.. wait... wait... OKAY! NO TRAFFIC! RUNNNNNNNN!!! I get there, jump on, pay my 1.15 Euros and sit down on an empty bus - and it leaves 5 minutes later. Ha! The ride is easy but I'm watching street signs and my map, making sure I'm going the proper direction. Whew! I am! Past the Palacio de las Artes once again, passing the construction around the Marina, and I get off near there, walking the last 5 minutes to my hostel, passing earth movers, jack hammers, big scrapers and trucks, workers, dust flying, and I make it to my hostel just after the sun sets. Get into my room, open up the windows, and listen to that surf pound the beach as I recount my time here in Valencia.

I didn't have the energy to bus/tram back into the city - although I probably should have. No matter. I've had some very good lunches and one dinner downtown already, all detailed in this ValenciaMan Journal.

Just got back from dinner at Restaurante La Perla right here, 4 doors down, at Avenida de Neptuno, 24. The place is fine, rather basic as compared to the other two places I've tried along here. All cloth napkins and tablecloths, wooden tables and wooden/wicker chairs. The place appears to be trying hard to look nice but it falls short, has a number of amateur-ish oil paintings on the walls of ocean views. I had two waiters, the older one was a bit grumpy seeming but the younger one was nice - both Spanish. I'd ordered the Valencian Salad again (6.00 Euros) having liked it a lot last night at La Pepica. Tonight's, at La Perla, wasn't nearly as good but not bad. I'd also ordered the "Merluza a la Plancha" (14.00 Euros) or Grilled Merluza - sorry, I still don't know the English equivalents for any of the fish dishes, only really knowing them by their Spanish names. I was never a "Fish Fan" until coming to Spain and now I'm much moreso. The merluza was quite good, tender, and tasty. It was served with friend potatoes. I had no stomach acreage for dessert and left half of my salad, a small part of my fish, and half of my potatoes. All Totaled: 25.41 Euros.

Now I'm back at the room and about to go down to the lobby/reception area to upload this journal entry and check email, etcetera. Tomorrow, as mentioned earlier, my train leaves for Madrid from Valencia's Estación del Norte at about 2pm so I'll spend the morning here, walking the beach, relaxing, and might try to see what I can see of the marina area and that which exists for the 2007 America's Cup. Goodnight!

I'd promised myself to at least TOUCH the Mediterranean waters and to walk on the beach once and I'm wavering... It's cold! I've GOT to do it. First to get my wild hairs calmed down and go to breakfast.

(the rest was written Saturday morning in Madrid, 1-day after returning home)

Breakfast was good as usual and carried on a rather long-ish conversation about the weather. The waiter made a comment about how in Valencia when someone leaves the door open they say, "What, you left the door open? Are you from Madrid?" I told him I lived in Madrid and his smile turned upside down for a second. hehehe.. I told him I don't leave the door open but do leave open the windows - but maybe that's I'm not a true Madrileño. He laughed.

After breakfast I went out the door and headed for the beach. I DID IT! With carefully choreographed precision (ha!) I sat on the beach wall, took off my shoes and socks and put them in the green handle bag (from the bakery) and knotted it at the top, rolled up my pants to just below the knee, and started walking through the soft sand, heading directly into the sun and in the direction of the practicing sailboats in the distance.

So there I was, now walking along the Mediterranean coast in the sun. MY GOODNESS, THE WATER'S FREEZING COLD!!!!! That's okay. I'm wearing a jacket and won't be there too long. Now it's almost 10am and checkout is at noon. Walking, walking, walking through the packed sand at the water's edge, the waves are really crashing, surprising me of the potential height of Mediterranean waves! I thought it might be more like a calm Lake Erie (one of the "Great Lakes" in the USA) but no. The water comes in fast and gets my pants wet while I'm leaning over to pick up some pretty shells; some all white but others are speckled brown and yellow. Silly me. Once again I'm surprised to find so many shells in from the Mediterranean.

There are a few people running along the beach, some walking, some carrying cameras (like me). With my feet now like blocks of ice I decide to walk in the soft, warm sand (but cold immediately underneath the surface) until my feet dry and then make my way back to the promenade and sit down on the concrete benches. How nice. My face is pointed squarely into the low sun, sailboats in the distance, the row of palm trees gently swaying over my head in a very slight breeze, and here I am on a Mediterranean beach. Does it really get any better than this?

Dust off the sand from my feet - do it well, now, because you don't want any lingering grains finding their way into your suitcase - put on my socks and shoes, and walk back another 20 minutes to the hostel. My goodness! It's 11am and checkout's at noon. This is the part I hate; rushing to make checkout. Jump in the shower and shower WITH THE WINDOW OPEN and facing the water, just a few passersby in the near distance but I don't think they can see me (from the lower chest, up), and start folding all my clothes, clean and otherwise, so that it'll all fit into my suitcase. IT DOES! Seems I've done a better job this time. I'll wear my jeans - I've ONLY worn them, what, 3 days during the coldest part of my trip.

I hear rustling in the halls and get anxious - SURELY it's the cleaning lady and she's going to knock once quickly and then storm the room finding me nekked and folding shirts. The room window is wide open and the sun's on the wall over my bed. The bathroom window's open too. The room shines with a glow you only find on the beach (or at least you'd think that WHEN you're at the beach). The waves are crashing and... man-oh-man... I have to leave this behind?

Packed. It's 11:55am. Whew! Close the windows and lower the metal blind. Ho-hum. This is kind of sad. (although I won't miss the room much) Down the hall to the elevator with my shoulder bag, my laptop bag over my shoulder, and my clackety-clack rolling suitcase. Made it! 11:59am! But as I found out later, doubt if they'd made a fuss about my being late as others left at 12:20pm and they didn't say a word. I checked out and sat on the lounge area to read the newspaper. My goodness. I have nearly 2.5 hours to kill before my train leaves.

It's now 12:45pm and figure it's time to go. I say goodbye to the very nice staff and out the door, walk a short distance, and whamo! There's a taxi. PERFECT TIMING! Get in, "A la Estación del Norte, por favor". "¿La de Renfe?" "Sí." I thought it odd that my description of "The North Station" wasn't sufficient. I wonder why? Maybe the locals don't call it by its full name? Anyway, he was very talkative after I initiated conversation about the nearby construction project around the Marina area and the 2007 America's Cup. He said they were sure to finish ontime. He asked about my business, I told him, and then that opened up the door about tourism in Valencia and how the city had changed in the last few years. I said THAT'S why I was here in Valencia.

The taxi ride took awhile with a bit of traffic. Me, being a bit too conscientious about taxi drivers in a new city, secretly had my map open and was following his route to be sure of the direction. He did well.

We talked about the mascletà taking place in about an hour and that I'd seen it for myself. He said, "You either LOVE the mascletà or you hate it. How true. I had my fingers firmly pressed into my ears at the height of the blow-out but it was fun.

When we arrived at the station, I paid, he got out to remove my suitcase from the trunk/"boot", looked me in the eyes (this is a 60-year old man, by the way), put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Have a good trip back to Madrid." How nice! Then he was gone. hehehee... I crossed the street and noticed the long line of people next to the station, waiting to buy tickets at the bullring where today was the SECOND day of 13-days Fallas bullfights. I was tempted to go yesterday but it was so windy that I thought it might not be a pleasant experience what with being over a circular sand pit (i.e. the center of the bullring).

Now it's almost 1pm and there are hordes of young people mainly coming OUT of the train station. I'd assumed they'd come on the cercanías train to witness the mascletà at 2pm. I'm hungry! Went to the cafeteria at the far side end of the train station and ordered a "lomo con queso" sandwich, Doritos, and a Fanta limón. I took a table at the wall, looking out the large windows to the side of the train station. There are SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE walking by, practically a parade of tight-jeans-wearing teens and tight-jeans-wearing 20-and-30-somethings too, all sporting their fashionable casual-wear and sunglasses.

I'd bought another sandwhich and chips to go for the 3.5 hour train ride, assuming I'd get hungry. Now it's almost 2pm and go into the main train station. There are 2 long lines for the 3 "vias" (of the total of 7, I think) with trains on them. Mine goes to Murcia and Madrid. Guess this is the right one!

I'm on the train, my aisle seat in Car number 4. A tight-jeans-wearing college-aged girl sits next to me and casually looks over her university medical textbook for about 5 minutes but *I* have the pleasure of listening to her loud-playing I-Pod music the whole way to Madrid. She's tan, tall, thin, and wearing some very cool sunglasses - which she never removes.

The train trip is smooth, the movie is "The Lady in the Water" (what a terrible movie! And I'm a Paul Giamatti fan!) and so instead I watch 3 episodes of "The Andy Griffith Show" on DVD on my laptop. Ahh... that's good, wholesome entertainment.

I realize we're almost in Madrid when we slowly pass the BEAUTIFUL, old Aranjuez train station. WOW, that's a work of architectural art. Before I know it, not 15 minutes later we're IN MADRID! It's cloudy here and kind of cold but I'm happy to be home. My significant other's nearby, SOMEWHERE, at Atocha train station, both of us a little annoyed after numerous cellphone calls with "Where are you? I'm here!" And I'm all like, "I'm here! Where are you?!" And she's all like, "*I'M HERE! WHERE ARE YOU?!?*" And I'm all like... and on and on... hehehe... She's double-parked NEAR the parking lot with the police waving her on with a "You can't stop here!" FINALLY we find each other, the anxiety quickly leaves us and we give each other a big hug. (long exhale) Ahhh.... I'm home.

Final comments about my 7-day trip through "La Comunidad de Valencia":

Alicante City: Alicante was my favorite of the three "whistle stops". It seems so very Spanish, is very pretty, lots of palm trees, a nice beach, a VERY nice old quarter, especially the pedestrian, flower-pot-filled "Barrio del Carmen" high up against the foothills to the Santa Bárbara Castle/Fort. The marina area is nice and the tall, palm-tree-lined "Explanade" is something to experience. A good deal a lodging to choose from but very few Alicante hostels.

Benidorm: Benidorm is a beach-life-lover's paradise. And if you don't speak a word of Spanish - don't worry. English (the language and the people) is EVERYWHERE. Benidorm really does have magnificent beaches, seemingly hundreds of beachfront bars and restaurants, a wonderful beachside promenade lined with palm trees. The old quarter has some charm as does the "Mirador de Benidorm". No lack of lodging in Benidorm - LOTS of hotels but almost no Benidorm hostels.

Valencia City: Valencia is definitely "Old School" Spain. Lots of culture to be found here. The old quarter surrounding the cathedral, Barrio del Carmen, and Plaza del Ayuntamiento is quite nice. Many 500-hundred-year-old towers, elegant buildings, and restaurants serving paella to be found at every turn. The beaches, nice and wide but fewer palm trees, are about 30-40 minutes away from the old center by way of public transportation and then walking. A good number of hotels but almost no hostels in the old downtown - several along the Playa Levante beach though.