In which Sid leads a tour of modernist buildings and the duo get a nice early night, on New Year’s Eve.
Valencia was growing very quickly in the 19th century and early 20th. They needed new market buildings, railway stations, post offices, blocks of flats and homes for entrepreneurs. Many were built in Modernista style, Spanish Art Nouveau. The road into the city leads past some very modern buildings down by the docks, but we are after some older modern buildings, if you follow.
The tour starts with the central market, built on an iron frame in 1928, it is still a very busy market where real people buy real food. Not much corn syrup; lots of fruit, veg and jamon. A fine central dome. Love it.
The town hall (1915) and post office face one another across the Plaza Ayuntiamento.
A short walk away is the Estacion del Norte (1909 to 1917) where our favourite find is the mosaic of putti pulling a lever to change the railway points, illuminated by our lady of the railway lamp.
We have posted in a large version of the putti; it is also worth zooming in to the picture of the ticket hall which is mosaic’d everywhere, including the roof.
Next up is the Plaza de Toros. The bull fighting season runs from March to October so nothing to see in December, but the scene seems to be in decline at any time of the year. What to do with all these arenas? Maybe we can bring back speedway because Spaniards love scooters and Moto GP. Or gladiators?
And another market, more open and though covered with lovely cornucopias of fruitful harvests now full of things for tourists like us. Well, not quite like Sid and Doris who are impervious to the chi chi thingies’ attractions.
We press on instead to Casa Ferrer which is built in a clear Art Nouveau style. As you can see from the picture, built in 1908 with a rose theme.
We have noticed a certain bat-ish theme to many of these buildings, and after we are confronted with bats even on manhole covers and the football stadium, we decide some detective work is necessary.
It turns out that the bat is a mascot of the town. [An explanation is here – D.] Apparently there are more bats in one cave near here than in all of France. There are 22 species in the Valencia region alone. And no beavers, so one up to the guest rodent!
Home to write up what we have seen so far, in our oddly-mirrored room, and to decide what to do about dinner. It shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise to us, given that today is Friday December the 31st, but tonight is New Year’s Eve. The hotel is suggesting a nice restaurant that will do a ‘not too formal’ dinner for E125 plus drinks. Probably dragged out until Auld Lang Syne time. Not likely.
Instead we start in a tourist tapas bar. They are so mean and unSpanish you have to ask for the bread and oil. The ambience is Turkish Chip Shop. Sid calls for a change of scene and the duo head for a better class of restaurant, offering to leave at almost no notice if their booked guests turn up before tables are free. We sit with wine and coffee enjoying the floor show as the local gels are well turned out. There is not much eye candy for Doris but there is Rioja (or indeed some pretty sexy sherry) and a tour round the town’s Christmas lights.
Happy New Year.
