Michael Powell's Blog, page 59
November 25, 2015
Valencia At Night
Even at night, Valencia is a city defined by light. The “blue hour” right after dusk is one of our favorite times, when the sky takes on a gorgeous, dark blue tint, and the street lamps illuminate the city’s buildings with a warm yellow light. Here are some photos which suggest that Valencia is at its most beautiful when the sun is making its daily retreat.
–Rent our Vacation Rental here in Valencia
November 22, 2015
The Sunset from the Sea
A warm summer day coming to an end, a cool breeze lifting off the Mediterranean, a glass of cava sparkling in your hand, the water skidding by underneath, the wind rustling the sails up above… and on the horizon, just past the beach, the sun sinking behind a set of colored clouds. There aren’t many experiences more enjoyable than a sunset tour on a catamaran.
The sunset catamaran tour offered by Mundo Marino has long been one of our favorite Valencian experiences. It’s something we do about...
November 20, 2015
The Plazas of Valencia’s Casco Antiguo
Valencians love to be outside. And as the workday ends, they’ll explode from their offices and flow down the sidewalks like lava, before coming to rest in one of the city’s many plazas. Here are some of our favorites in the city’s old town.
Plaza de la Reina We think that a better name for Plaza de la Reina would be Plaza Cero (Zero Plaza), for a few reasons. Reason #1: This is where the zero-kilometer begins, making it the official center of not just the city, but of the entire Comunidad Va...
November 19, 2015
Going to the Movies in Valencia
Whether you’re hoping to catch the newest summer blockbuster or an award-winning indie flick, Valencia has plenty of options. We’re big fans of cinema, and these are the places we tend to go for a night at the movies.
Spain often insists on dubbing films into Spanish. This dubbing is generally well-done, voices synced almost seamlessly with the on-screen action, but if you’re hoping to see a film in its original version, your options in Valencia are largely limited to two places.
Yelmo Cines...
November 18, 2015
Classic Valencian Restaurants
Whether you’re in the mood for tapas, bocadillos, or a full, multi-course menu, there are million restaurants to choose from in Valencia. And if your time in the city is short, it’s better not to run the risk of picking the wrong place. Don’t trust TripAdvisor, which we’ve found appallingly off-the-mark in this city; if you’re looking for a classic Valencian meal, any of these should fit the bill.
Disclaimer! We’re not saying that the restaurants which follow are necessarily the best in the c...
November 15, 2015
Tasting Valencia’s Wines at Hoya de Cadenas
If the low-lying fields which surround Valencia are known for rice and horchata-producing chufas, then the mountainous areas further inland are known for wine, particularly the endemic Valencian variety called Bobal. We made a trip to the province’s most important wine-producing region, Utiel-Requena, to visit the popular Hoya de Cadenas vineyards.
Bobal is not the most well-known Spanish wine, a title which must belong to Tempranillo from La Rioja, but it is the most widely-cultivated grape...
November 10, 2015
The Independent Republic of Benimaclet
If you were to ask a random pool of Valencians which they consider to be the city’s hippest neighborhood… well, Ruzafa would probably be the winner. But it wouldn’t be a blow-out. The northern district of Benimaclet is smaller and less well-known, but it also has a young population, excellent restaurants, and a cool vibe all its own.
Found just to the northeast of the Viveros Gardens, Benimaclet had been a separate town until 1878, when it was swallowed up by the ever-expanding Valencia. But...
November 8, 2015
A Tour of Valencia’s Horchata Fields
The sun was beating hard upon our necks, and our shirts were soaked with sweat. It was Sunday afternoon in the middle of the oppressive Valencian summer, and we were walking through the horta nord of Alboraya, learning about chufa: the tiny tuber which is the principal ingredient in horchata.
Horchata (spelled orxata in Valencian), is one of the most well-known products of the Valencian Community, right up there with paella and oranges. A milky-looking drink with a mildly chalky texture, hor...
November 6, 2015
Rent Our Apartment!
Jürgen and I live in Valencia, but we spend at least half the year traveling the globe. When we’re not at home, we rent our apartment out. If you’re looking for a base from which to explore Valencia, you might want to consider our place. Wait… you haven’t already clicked the contact button? Do I sense some hesitation? Well, please allow me to convince you.
Even before starting the process, we knew that our apartment would be used both as a home for ourselves, and as a vacation rental for oth...
Buying an Apartment in Valencia
As you might have noticed, the Valencia edition of “For 91 Days” hasn’t exactly been compliant with our usual 91-day concept. Jürgen and I started this iteration of the blog in late February, and we’re finishing in November. That’s more like 271 days. But hey, we’ve been busy. Valencia has long been our “home base,” and this year we decided to make the title official, by purchasing an apartment in the city center.
Yeah… looking good!
Five years of uninterrupted travel has been a lot of fun, b...
