Valencia and .... oranges 8-10 Jn 2014

Until we reached Valencia, we didn't associate it with oranges. But once we reached the streets and parks, we realized there were orange trees everywhere and then it clicked - I used to buy Valencian oranges even in the supermarkets back home.

Posing below the orange trees

Oranges are so abundant that they are used 
as paper weights to hold down the
tissue paper in restaurants

But Valencia is more than oranges. It's really a very pretty old and new town, lovely to explore on foot, by bike or by bus. The Yeong family plus explored Valencia by bicycle and we thoroughly enjoyed it! You have to get down from the town roads to the park's cycling paths below. These paths were previously in the old sunken riverbed of the Turia River that made its way to the sea. You can get across the entire city by foot or bike using these paths without meeting a single traffic light or junction! Why?  All the junctions and traffic lights are above on the car roads. All along the bicycle paths, you would come across mooring sites for boats ( because it was the river Turia) and many arched bridges crossed above the river bed.

Cute dolls climb ladder in bicycle rental shop

The Yeong family is set to cross Valencia by bicycle
with two oranges plucked from the trees

The only tree where we could pluck the oranges because there 
was a staircase behind the tree. Sue Jan climbed up and grinned 
because she could just stretch out her  hand to finally pluck an orange.

From the busy roads into the park area through the gates

There were nice bicycle ramps in Turia Park that allowed us
 to play Mak Rempit on bicycle in great safety

Pretty girl in pretty arch of grape vines

When we first reached Valencia by train, we were enthralled by the prettiness of the train station.

The ceiling had this pretty tile design. The trademark 
broken tiles design is seen everywhere in Spain

Sue Ann with the old train station in the background

Then we were delighted by our pretty apartment, located very near the market. There was this house we always passed on our way to the market. It  had 3 Santa Claus climbing over the balcony railings. So cute! And the market had plenty yummy fresh food and fruits and ....

The indoor pretty balconies in our apartment block

Pretty and intricate staircase railing

Lovely plaster ceiling

Francesca upstairs in our Duplex

. I have this habit of buying fresh flowers for the apartment or hotel 
when I travel. So I bought pretty peonies, and 
they really added even more beauty to our pretty apartment.

The cute Santas climbing over the balcony.
 Won't they supposed to come into the house
via the sooty chimney?

Fresh market produce

Blue mushrooms? Yes blue mushrooms!

Sue Jan holding this huge capsicum.

Ken Jon and Francesca eating in the market. 
They were the appointed tour guides in Valencia. 
Their  good research enabled  us to explore 
Valencia by bicycle and to cover a lot in Valencia..

Grilled squid - so fresh!!!

There is the ultra modern City of Arts and Science and the Zoo etc. And there is .....yeah shopping!!!! We all got very good buys on Zara and Mango and other Spanish brands. And the food is yummy!

Jason near the Center of Science and Arts

See the pretty reflection. The design is
supposed to remind you of a fish.

Our apartment was also in the old city itself. There are old high towers, forts, squares, fountains and beautiful churches. Here we discovered beautiful designs in the doors, the ceilings, the floors and ....

Climbing one of the many stairs up to the roof.
I lost weight while in Spain.
Must be all the cycling and climbing.

Intricate carved ceiling in an old church

3 D floor in an old church. How could such
an old building be so modern?

 Sue Jan looked so tiny.We had climbed up
the fort and she stayed down there.

Valencia remains fondly etched in our memories. It's my favorite city in Spain.