Ruins of the Circo Romano found near C/ La Paz in 1989 (http://www.cult.gva.es/)

Pompey: Boo!

Valentia wasn’t an important city, paling in comparison to the wealthy northern port of Sagunto. But though it constantly battled the twin threats of flooding from the Turia and invasions from the ever-present Iberian natives, Valentia slowly gained traction and prominence… until 75 AD when Pompey razed it to the ground in retribution for having supported Quintus Sertorius in a civil war. Valentia was completely destroyed, its ruins existing uninhabited for half a century afterwards. Though general history respects him as a wise and noble leader, you’d probably have a hard time finding any monuments to Pompey in Valencia.

Over the next few hundred years, people began to return and Valentia was rebuilt as a more important part of the Roman empire. This is the period which saw the torture and death of San Vicente Mártir, an event credited with bringing Christianity to the city, and the establishment of administrative works and efficient Roman infrastructure, including a “Circo Romano” — a chariot track. Able to enjoy a couple centuries of relative peace & prosperity, Valencia became a major Mediterranean port.

Martyrdom is a bucketful of giggles

Good times, of course, didn’t last. Once the Roman Empire began to crumble, Valencia and the rest of the peninsula fell into the hands of the Visigoths…

If you’re interested in Roman ruins, the best place to see them is actually in nearby Sagunto. The small city, about an hour north of Valencia, boasts a magnificent Roman forum (still in use) and many other ruins. But if you don’t have the means for a day trip, the archaeological site at the Plaza de la Almoina also has ruins from Roman times. It’s right in the middle of the city (location) and is a must see.

And for history buffs, a visit to the History Museum of Valencia is an absolute must (location). A fascinating journey through 2000 years of they city’s history, from 138 BC to the present day. There are English guides, and all of the audio-visual exhibits are in English as well.

Ach, get up there already.

Like today, for instance. I woke up early, intending to get a paper and sit at my favorite café for breakfast. Oh, the plans I had for the day! A haircut, shopping, registering for social security… yes, I’ll need a hearty breakfast for power!

On stepping out, it took me awhile to notice how silent the city was. No cars, no businessmen, even the ever-present hippie drug dealer at the corner was absent. And of course, everything was closed. Assumption Day!

Assumption Day is a national holiday?! My plans were destroyed, my life sent into utter turmoil, all because Mary had to ascend into heaven.

January 1st - New Year’s Day
January 22nd - San Vicente Martir
March 19th - San José - Also: End of Fallas
March 20th - Holy Thursday
March 21st - Good Friday
March 24th - Easter Monday
March 31st - San Vicente Ferrer - Falls on the Monday after Easter
May 1st - Labor Day
August 15th - Assumption Day - Lame!
October 9th - Day of the Valencian Community
November 1st - All Saints Day
December 6th - Day of the Constitution
December 8th - Immaculate Conception
December 25th - Christmas

Just an observation, and probably something most Christians wonder about at some point in their upbringing: if the Immaculate Conception was December 8th, doesn’t that make Jesus the ultimate preemie?

Añadas means something like “seasons”, or “years”, and it’s not hard to imagine that every year of the last century is represented in their enormous collection. You’ll find bottles from all over Spain, with a special emphasis on wines of the Valencian Community.

There are wines for any budget, whether you’re splurging for a special occasion or just spending a quiet night at home. We just had a great bottle of unfiltered Cabernet, straight from the bargain barrel (literally!)

And besides wines, there’s a large selection of liquors and gourmet food, as well as a small deli and meats counter. The staff is ready to help with any questions — in fact on my last visit, every customer had an employee walking around with them.

This is the biggest wine store we’ve found in central Valencia… and if you don’t find what you’re looking for here, you’re being too picky.

Las Añadas de España: Website
Location on our Valencia Map

Part of the Feria de Julio was a fair in the Turia riverbed, which had this gigantic Ferris Wheel. You can’t have missed it if you’ve been Valencia during the last month. But perhaps you didn’t get a chance to take a spin… Well, in that case enjoy the video and a few pictures below.

The song in the video is called Twilight Phenomena by Paper Tyger.

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The Plaza del Ayuntamiento is the largest and probably most important plaza in Valencia. Home to the city hall (ayuntamiento) and the magnificent central post office (edificio de correos), the Plaza del Ayuntamiento also serves as ground zero for Fallas.

The triangular shape of the plaza is interesting. At its southern end, where it’s widest, there’s a large cement lot which is the site of mascletàs during Fallas. All other times of the year, it serves no obvious purpose and is conspicuously empty for a huge central city plaza. Ringed around the cement lot are flower vendors, who never seem to be lacking for business.

One thing the empty lot is good for is photographs. From every direction, you can get wonderful shots: the Central Post Office to the east, the Ayuntamiento to the west and a huge fountain to the north.

Besides Fallas, the Plaza del Ayuntamiento generally serves as Valencia’s go-to meeting spot. It was here people gathered for the impromptu celebrations following Spain’s Euro 2008 victory, and it makes an excellent meeting spot for ventures in the city.

But while the plaza is impressive and useful, it is not a nice place to while away the afternoon, as is the Plaza de la Virgen, for example. Too much traffic and concrete. But you won’t be able to avoid it on a trip to the city… in Valencia, all roads lead to the Plaza del Ayuntamiento.

Location on our Valencia Map

According to a study done by a research group for the Cervecerias of Spain, the most popular aperitif of Valencians is a glass of cold beer and patatas bravas. Excellent — that just happens to be Hola Valencia’s choice, too.

Beer (70%) was followed by cola (50%), vermouth (24%), wine (19%) and sangria (17%). I’m surprised to see wine so far down the list — Valencians drink it all the time. Just last week I was at a restaurant, where a burly crew of construction workers were sharing a bottle … at 8am!

Patatas bravas (49%) beat out olives (46%), nuts & dried fruits (34%), cheese (29%) and calamari (27%) as the perfect accompaniment for a drink.

Valencians commonly congregate after work for a drink or two around 7 or 8pm. The bars in the city center can get full, especially on the outside terraces. So, where should you go for your beer & bravas? Here are a couple recommendations:

El Gau del Rall - for ambiance (location)

Close to the city center, El Gau del Rall is tucked away in a small courtyard on Calle del Mar and serves up both great bravas and the perfect combination of tourists and locals. The terrace seating merges with that of another bar, Sol i Lluna, which doesn’t serve warm tapas — so make sure to sit at the right table!

El Café del Mar - for taste (location)

This small bar is a little on the grimy side, but it’s got the best bravas we’ve eaten thus far in the city. It’s located right on the back side of Santa Catalina. Make sure to bring an ambivalent tolerance for loud, drunk regulars.

Valencia Plaza - for convenience (location)

Despite its location at Tourist Ground Zero, Plaza de la Reina, this bar is worth a stop for its tasty, cheap bravas and beer. The staff is super friendly, and multi-lingual.

Cafe Almar - when at the beach (location)
After a long day of swimming and sunning, what tastes better than a huge, cold beer and spicy bravas? Nothing. At the end of the Malvarrosa beach, restaurante Almar serves cheap bocadillos and the spiciest bravas we’ve had. It’s good value, given the beach-side location.

Can you suggest other great places in the city to have beer and bravas? Please leave a comment or post in our forums!

[via 20minutos.es]

We recently had the chance to visit a friend’s childhood home in Enguera, which is a small town nestled in the hills surrounding Xátiva, about an hour south of Valencia city.

The picturesque village is small and home to just over 5000 people, but the township extends to over 240 km², taking in huge swaths of publicly accessible mountain land.

We visited Enguera on a Sunday, when the temperature was approaching 40°. The streets were empty and slient, apart from the occasional television blaring from inside one of the shuttered buildings. Hiking up and down the village’s steep hills, beginning to feel faint from the heat, it seemed as though we were dreaming, in a ghost town. The disconcerting emptiness ended, though, once we got to the town pool, where all of Enguera was cooling down.

For such a small village, Enguera boasts an extremely impressive church, perched atop a hill, and a rich history. Check out some of photos from Enguera’s past here. And the mountainous surroundings offer hikers a plethora of options for day long walks. There’s plenty to do.

If you have the chance to visit, make sure to eat some Arroz del Horno, a specialty from the area. We were lucky enough to have it cooked by our friend’s mother — a real treat.

It can be difficult to reach Enguera from Valencia via public transportation, so taking a car is the best option. If you can’t drive, check out Enguera’s website (Spanish only) for information on trains and buses to and from Valencia.

Enguera’s Location on our Valencia Map

Getting tired of paella, fideua and gazpacho? Then head down towards the Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencias for your next menú del día at restaurant Wok Quing (location).

You won’t be disappointed. Weekdays, the lunch buffet costs €8 per person, and is stocked with sushi, chicken, calamari, and everything else you would expect. What you might not expect is the ability to create your own wok dish from about 100 ingredients and have it cooked right in front of you, with the sauces of your choice.

The restaurant is extremely popular with locals, and for good reason. In addition to the wok, you can also have your ingredients grilled — one of my creations was this grilled salmon with mushrooms and onions:

Although preparing your own wok dishes was a lot of fun & delicious as well, some of the already-prepared food wasn’t all that great — the calamari in particular looked as though it hadn’t been touched in 6 days.

But the worst part of the meal was exiting the restaurant into 40° C heat, 5 kilos heavier and already sweating from the effort of shoveling so much wok-food into our jowls. I think the next menú del día will be a popsicle, followed by an ice cube.

I haven’t been living long enough in Valencia to have seen this hall before they renovated it. But I can say that they did a wonderful job, and it’s really worth a visit, especially since the Estación del Norte is already on the must see list of Valencia visitors.

Location on Our Valencia Map

Please take a look at our Valencia TV Site

Source: RatoneroValenciano.spaces.live.com

Cute little guy!

The Gos Rater is a small, agile dog which was bred in the Communitat and first documented in the 16th century. As their name indicates, they were bred to be rat-catchers — something they’re extremely successful at. In fact, the Gos Rater is the world’s best canine rat-catcher. In doubt? Check out the video of a crew in action:

Besides being useful for rodent removal, the Gos Rater is a friendly and lively dog, though it can be overly nervous.

I’m not sure I’ve seen any Gos Raters running around, but will start keeping my eye out for them. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve guessed that Valencia’s official animal is the French Bulldog — you see those slobbery things everywhere (including our apartment).

More Information at the National Association of the Gos Rater Valencià
[via 20minutos.es]