Hey Crew

Working on a cruise ship means that you go where-ever the ship takes you, and sometimes it returns to places a handful of times, and other times, the ship only goes there once. In Valencia’s case, we only came here one time so I had to make the most of it.

Honestly, I had no expectations for Valencia which meant it was easy for me to be impressed, and oh, I was most certainly impressed.  The city is filled with Gothic architecture which is stunning and ensures there is something to take note of at every corner you turn. This city is also very ‘artsy’.  There are amazing pieces of artwork and graffiti everywhere you go, especially in the location of the city called Devour Ruzafa which is like the hipster area of the city, like Camden is for London…

I spent a lot of the day walking around this area, and I stayed here because it was just so darned cool. There are brilliant little coffee shops and amazing boutiques that I had to stop myself from splurging in so many times. The buildings are colourful and quirky with stunning graffiti along the walls.  Walking along the cobblestone streets I admired the tall trees that provided shade from the hot Spanish sun.

I enjoyed a coffee at Circa Almacén which had a funky interior.  The cafe was packed with locals enjoying there brunch, so I took a seat outside and watched the world go by as I sipped my Americano.

After my pit-stop, I wandered into the Main square called The Plaza del Ayuntamiento, which literally put the biggest smile on my face.  The beautiful Gothic buildings and the fountains and statues that filled the grounds were stunning.  That, mixed with the sunshine just made me so happy. At midday I stopped for lunch nearby at Vinotinto. While there was a lot on the menu I fancied, I felt compelled to go for the paella as Valencia is the birthplace of this dish. The vegetarian Paella was incredible.  Full of flavour, rich in colour and very filling.

Wandering through the streets, I came to Mercat De Russafa, which is a huge indoor market that sells all the fresh produce you could ever want. From meat and cheese, fruit and vegetables and even cakes and various sweets.  It is a hub of activity that attracts locals and tourists from all around to come and get whatever they need for a fraction of the price of a supermarket. I brought some bananas and the juiciest oranges here, which I munched on whilst walking back to the ship.

Valencia is so beautiful and has so much to offer. I will definitely be coming back here, as one day just wasn’t enough!