Michael Powell's Blog, page 61

The Centro Cultural Bancaja

Housed within a stately, 19th-century palace in the neighborhood of La Xerea, you’ll find one of Valencia’s premiere private art institutes. The Centro Cultural Bancaja hosts long-running exhibitions which tend to focus on Spain’s most famous artists.

“Bancaja” might sound familiar to anyone who’s been following Spain’s financial crisis and corruption scandals. During the real-estate bubble, this Valencia-based savings bank was the largest holder of toxic properties in Spain. In 2010, Bancaja...

La Xerea – Calm in the Center of the Storm

La Xerea is one of the six neighborhoods which make up the Ciutat Vella, or “Old Town,” of Valencia. And of all the city’s neighborhoods, it’s our favorite. La Xerea is central, historic, packed with ancient churches, palaces and monuments, and somehow manages to retain the calm of a quiet residential neighborhood. And most importantly, it’s our home.

After having lived in Valencia for a few years, we knew that should we ever decide to settle down, it would be in the neighborhood of La Xerea...

The San Pío Museo de Belles Artes

Situated within the confines of a 16th-century monastery on the banks of the Turia riverbed, the San Pío Museum of Fine Arts is a treasure trove of medieval religious works, classic Valencian paintings, as well as masterworks from the most famous of Spanish artists.

If you’re like us, there comes a point while visiting a museum when you think, “That’s it! I’ve appreciated all the art I can appreciate, and I can’t appreciate no more!” At the San Pío, we tend to reach this point quickly. The m...

Biking through Albufera’s Rice Fields

Normally, when we hop on bikes and leave Valencia for the south, it’s to visit one of the many beaches stretched out along the coast. But today, we had a different destination in mind: the rice fields between the city and the lagoon of Albufera.

Our route started in the town of Pinedo, but soon brought us into the heart of l’Horta Sud, or “Southern Garden.” The city of Valencia is ringed in by such districts: l’Horta Sud, l’Horta Oest and the l’Horta Nord. These are regions which have long b...

A Ceramics Workshop in Manises

In the town of Manises, you’ll find a few workshops which offer the chance to try out the art of ceramics. The most popular is hosted at the Association of Valencian Ceramics, or AVEC. A week after our initial tour of Manises, we showed up at AVEC’s doors, ready to learn.

AVEC is just outside the town center, in a building so large it might as well be a factory. The workshops are apparently meant for big groups, but today the only students were Jürgen and myself. Lessons are offered in a var...

A Ceramics Worksop in Manises

In the town of Manises, you’ll find a few workshops which offer the chance to try out the art of ceramics. The most popular is hosted at the Association of Valencian Ceramics, or AVEC. A week after our initial tour of Manises, we showed up at AVEC’s doors, ready to learn.

AVEC is just outside the town center, in a building so large it might as well be a factory. The workshops are apparently meant for big groups, but today the only students were Jürgen and myself. Lessons are offered in a var...

The Ceramics of Manises

Today, the town of Manises is best known as the location of Valencia’s airport, but that hasn’t always been the case. For centuries, the name Manises had been synonymous with “ceramics.” We spent a day in the town, learning about its history and about the industry which has long fueled its economy.

Manises is near enough to Valencia to be considered a suburb, but this is a city with its own history and identity. It was inhabited during the days of the Romans, but really found its footing aft...

Agua de Valencia

Agua de Valencia was invented last night by your alcoholic uncle, who poured all the liquor he could find in your kitchen into his orange juice. “Just some OJ,” he said, stumbling outside to join you on the terrace. But you know your uncle, so you took a sip from his glass when he wasn’t looking. Woah, that’s not just orange juice! And actually, it’s kind of delicious.

The best way to describe Agua de Valencia is just to list its ingredients: orange juice, sparkling wine, gin, vodka and suga...

The Viveros Gardens

Located literally across the street from the beloved, city-defining Turia Park, the Viveros Gardens have a tough act to follow. But this large park acquits itself well, with a history, beauty, and atmosphere all its own.

Viveros is also known as the Royal Gardens, or Jardines del Real, because of the palace which used to be situated on its grounds. Valencia was once an independent kingdom, and this park is where its royalty lived. The palace was an impressive building, but was sadly destroye...

The Silos of Burjassot

Burjassot is found just to the north of Valencia, close enough to be connected via tram. The town’s defining symbol is its Patio of Silos, where Valencia’s grain was stored for centuries, and which was later used as a refuge during the Spanish Civil War. We showed up for a tour, after the historic silos had been opened to the public for the very first time.

In 16th-century Valencia, grain storage was a problem. The province didn’t have enough of its own, and imports from other Iberian region...