Archive for the Valencia category
Monday, Dec 4th, 2006
Categories: Valencia
Having had a lengthily snooze and a shower we headed out for out big night. Things only start getting going really late so we felt it best to pace ourselves. First we enjoyed a glass of wine in a little café opposite the cinema before moving on for a quick dinner. We ended up arriving at bar Fanta at around midnight. A couple of drinks later it was 1:30 in the morning and we moved onto another bar just up the street a little which I was hopping would be playing to Spanish music, sadly I was mistaken as we spent the next few hours listening to exactly what one would find listening to a London radio station.
Within half an hour of being there the bar became jam packed so we begin our search for a happening night club. We had heard bits and pieces about a club called Radio City. We eventually found it and it was a great club. We managed to dance the night away quite happily. Leaving there feeling totally exhausted after dancing to all kinds of brilliant music I was totally ready for bed. After all we had a flight to catch early Friday morning to get back to London in time for the weekend.
Come Friday morning Juan and I were completely exhausted. Having only had 3 hours sleep we barely managed to stay awake long enough to catch the flight.
Once on the flight we fell asleep only to awake once we had landed back at Stansted.
Valencia is an incredible city, one that I am so glad I got to visit. There is an enormous amount to see and I would highly recommend visiting the city at any time of year.
Monday, Dec 4th, 2006
Categories: Valencia
Early to bed thankfully meant getting up was easy. Juan and I had discussed experiencing a proper night out on the town in Valencia before we left so we decided that we would go for a nice meal that evening and hang around a couple of bars before the night clubs opened at around 1 in the morning.
Having come from London where our bars and clubs are usually closing at 1 in the morning I was finding it difficult see how I would managed to stay up until the wee hours of the morning.
Anyway, before all of that we had a lot of work to do. An appointment with Moises, the owner of the Purple hostel and Red nest hostel was to begin at 9.
We sat around in reception at the Purple nest hostel waiting for him for about half an hour. As we were almost ready to leave he came running through the door and very apologetic. We had a quick look around that property which was very clean and tidy and incredibly colourful and unique.
From there he walked with us to the Red Nest hostel just a two minute walk away. The hostel was closed at present for refurbishment. Both hostels were really lovely and as mentioned before each room was unique because of the lights and paint colours.
The hostels can house a number of people however because they are so lively and fun they are always incredibly busy so early booking for these hostels is vital.
Following that visit we had to cross the city and we only had limited time to do so. Seems though we found a guardian angel along the way as when we boarded the bus Juan ask this very kind old lady for directions and she literally took us across town through a massive shopping mall and department store to the very front door of the hotel we were going to visit.
If that kind woman who helped us does ever read this blog we are incredibly thankful as we would never have found it on our own.
Due some confusion on our part we actually managed to some how miss the appointment at the Hotel Kris Abadia. Luckily the staff there were kind enough to show us around regardless and we shared a quick cup of coffee while we had a chat about the hotel.
This hotel has a partner property across town as well called Hotel Kris Consul del Mar. This hotel boasts a remarkable location. It is just 300 metres away from the Palau of the Music and opposite to the City of Arts and Sciences of Valencia. It is in one of the best areas within the city because it is within reach of the beach of Marvarrosa. A beautiful and picturesque place it’s well worth a visit.
After that appointment we made our way to the beach to enjoy some traditional food. We sat at a beautiful beach side restaurant and ate plenty of traditional Paella.
I think after lunch both Juan and I found it difficult to wonder around the city with the enthusiasm we had prior to our enormous lunch. Completely full and sleepy we began our walk to find Home Backpackers.
Walking back into the heart of the old city we came across a real sort of backpacker place. Home Backpackers is in my opinion the epitome of what a hostel should be. With a lot of space to relax and chat to fellow backpackers and amazing balconies outside with loads of space and incredible views of the city it’s a great choice. All rooms are totally unique in that they all boast some crazy little art works. The light fittings for one are incredibly amusing.
The staff there were incredibly friendly and they themselves are in the midst of their travels so you are guaranteed to find many like minded people to get to know while planning the rest of your travels.
Our final appointment for the day was what is at present a building site, Centre Valencia Backpackers Hostel is in the process of being built and will only be opening mid 2007 however they are already receiving plenty of bookings through Hostelbookers.com. This hostel is going to be incredibly big but with that comes the assurance that all the facilities you could possibly want will be available to you should you choose to stay there. It’s in a great location and is going to be very competitively priced. It’s an ideal choice for large groups of people from those enjoying a stag night or even school sports teams.
We met with Joan who took us around the site with the plans drawn out on paper. With only a couple of months work ahead you could already begin to see their vision of what this hostel is going to be.
With all the work behind us Juan and I headed back to Russafa Youth Hostel to have a little sleep and a shower to get us up to scratch for the energy that would be required for our big night on the town.
Monday, Dec 4th, 2006
Categories: Valencia
The first appointment of the day was at Indigo Youth Hostel. This is a great hostel with a very chilled out communal area. It’s bright, clean, new and very spacious. We had a chat with Kate, a beautiful Kiwi girl, who has decided to settle in Spain, and is one of the managers at the hostel.
The hostel is located in Barrio del Carmen in the heart of Valencia’s historical city and it’s just a 10 minute walk from the train and bus stations. It is also in close proximity to a variety of great clubs and bars allowing you to discover the great night life in Valencia.
Following that visit we made our way to Hotel Mediterraneo situated in a highly commercial zone of Valencia where one can find an array of fantastic bars, restaurants and clubs to suit any taste. The rooms are very basic, however they are exceptionally clean and tidy.
Our third appointment took us to Pension Levante which is a superb location in the centre of Valencia in between Plaza de Ayuntamiento and Plaza de la Reina and just a five minute walk from the station and the bullring.
This property is clean and tidy however the rooms are a little escentric with a number of mirrors. The owners are delightful and very friendly and are happy to help with any advice on touring the city and finding the famous sights.
A very nice feature that makes this property even more appealing is the famous pub called Café Madrid just downstairs from the property. This is a very lively Café that doesn’t close until 3:30 in the morning on weekends and public holidays.
Following a little bit of lunch at a beautiful street side café in the historic city centre we walked to Petit Palace Bristol. Its building occupies an old palace of the 19th century.
We met with Gema and a couple of her colleagues who showed us a variety of rooms within the property. This budget hotel is truly lovely. Well decorated and modern with a sort of minimalist feel to the rooms. It’s a wonderful choice for the traveller who is looking for cheap but comfortable accommodation.
The hotel has a great communal area with plenty of couches to relax on. Each room boasts its own computer with high speed internet access as well as interactive and Canal + television. So all the luxuries you may need are right there in your very own room. Rooms are all rather spacious with some of them boasting nice views over the city.
From there she took us in a taxi to their other property just across the city. This hotel is called Petit Palace Germanias.
Petit Palace Germanias has an almost identical setup up in terms of style and function as the Petit Palace Bristol. Also very spacious, clean and tidy its an equally attractive option.
Our appointment ended just before four that afternoon so Juan and I decided we should have a wonder around the city. Having passed a number of great attractions during the day we made our way back to a couple of them to spend a bit more time checking them out.
We wondered to the edge of the city where we found the City of Arts and Science – La Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias.
The architecture this building boasts is surreal and visiting this masterpiece is an absolute must. With so much to see just there I would highly recommend spending an entire day exploring the aquarium and some time exploring the other attractions on offer.
Time now after a really long day to grab a bite to eat back to the hostel, we had yet another early start in the morning so enough sleep was crucial.
Monday, Dec 4th, 2006
Categories: Valencia
Juan and I left the office on Tuesday at around lunch time. Bags packed and rather excited to visit Valencia we made our way to Liverpool Street Station where we would catch the Stansted Express to Stansted Airport.
Having never visited Spain before I was very excited and having a Spaniard along for the trip made it even better as it meant that I wouldn’t have to worry too much about understanding their language, Juan himself is from Vigo and had never visited Valencia so this trip was just as exciting for him.
The flight was on time for a change and we arrived in Spain at around 21h00 on that Tuesday evening. We had arranged to stay at the Russafa Youth Hostel where we were to meet Jose on our arrival. Wondering around the streets of Valencia we eventually came across the street where the hostel was situated only to be greeted by the loveliest of people, Jose.
He promptly took us to our room which was just delightful. Perfectly clean and tidy with lovely understated decoration as well as plenty of colour, the room was perfect. I would highly recommend for anyone to stay at Russafa hostel.
By this stage Juan and I were starving so we found a lovely little restaurant on the corner just up the street where we enjoyed some beer and sandwiches.
We got to bed early as the following day would be action packed with meetings.
