Martin is not in Madrid

This weekend I accidentally got to Valencia once more. But this one it was little bit different than my previous visit last week. This time I went to Valencia with bus from Universidad Autonoma de Madrid. They are unlike UPM doing some trips for the students. The trip was just for one day just to see las Fallas.

We were about to meet at 7:00 at Real Madrid stadium Santiago Barnabeu to leave Madrid, but the bus finally left at 8:00. Well, delays are Spanish way of life, but normally it doesn’t exceed half hour. Maybe it was because 7:00 in the morning is really cruel time in Madrid, like 5:00 in Prague.

We arrived at 1:00 to Valencia a with group of friends we headed directly to mascleta. Mascleta was bit disapointment this time because Valencia was so crowded that we couldn’t make it to the town hall square, but just to the beginning. So we saw almost nothing, and what more, we haven’t heard anything. Too bad, we should have been faster. A lot. This is the rule.

Anyway then we decided to go to beach, because Marcin and Michal wanted to swim. Well, why not, but I still think that it was too cold for it. So we continued to some bus stop. On the way we saw some Fallas.

Then surprise happened. Pepe called me. Pepe is from Valencia, and was last year in Prague as Erasmus student. I was really excited, because I hadn’t seen him for a long time, and I couldn’t see him last weekend. Really great to see old friends. So I left the group from Madrid, and continued with Pepe and his girlfriend Paula.

Pepe wanted to show me the centre, but I think he was a little bit disappointed that I saw almost everything last weekend. But anyway it was better to see him than the town [-; We saw some of the best, and most important Fallas. We went to beach (so I missed only swimming), to the port. Then we went to eat tapas to one bar. And then to hang out in the town…

We have seen some other Fallas. We saw one more mascleta with fireworks at one of the Fallas.

And at the end one more surprise. There were all Spaniards who went to Prague last year to Erasmus. That was really nice. We have spent some time talking at the bank of Turia around botellon. At the end of the night there was great final fireworks. Then we walked around night town.

During the day we have also seen ofrenda which is bringing flowers to virgin. There is lot of traditionally dressed ladies around the town, which bring flowers in front of the catedral.

I should give you small lesson about some Spanish terms: un botellon is when people are going to drink in the street. You just buy a bottle (botella) of some alcohol, and if you want, you can buy some soft drink to mix it. However, soft drink is voluntary.. [-; And of course, this is illegal by the law here, but everybody does it.

So there is finally the final part of my trip to Valencia. So what was I excited so much about? It was Ciudad de los artes y de la ciencia. This is just amazing complex of buildings in the Ciudad de les artes y de la ciencia. This is the complex of modern buildings where are situated museum of arts, museum of science, cinema, and sea aquarium. Some buildings are still under construction, but when it will be finished, it will be really great. I would say so far that this is the most impressible building I have ever seen. Really beautiful. The only place with such a modern architecture I have seen so far, and is similar to the size is museum in Los Angeles – Getty Center, but this is 100% better. I don’t say that Getty Center is bad, but this is much nicer.

The whole complex has been designed by Spanish architects Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela. Beutiful is not only the complex, but also dried river bed Turia which has been converted to one nice park.

I should provide also traditionally links to my photos: Ciudad de les Artes y Ciencia

So I should provide some link if you want to know some more:

• Official site
• English wikipedia – but there is almost nothing
• Spanish wikipedia – much better, but still not much

L’Hemisfèric is currently IMAX cinema

El Museo de las Ciencias Príncipe Felipe is science museum mostly for the kids, but I had a lot of fun there [-;

L'Oceanogràfic is the oceanographic musum, and aquarium. I was not inside - I don't really want to pay €20 for entry...

El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía is the opera house and arts centre.

L'Umbracle is really nice walkway

Some bridge

So that was Ciudad de les Artes y Ciencia. Not move on a little bit to the next day. There was interesting thing - mascleta - fireworks. Valencians are a little bit crazy. They make fireworks during the day. The whole world makes it at night, so colours are better, but they don't. They enjoy lot of noise. Well, not a lot, you cannot hear after it. This event happens every day at 14:00 in the townhall square before las Fallas. I better show some pictures. Also link to wikipedia site, and some links to youtube: [1], [2], [3].

Bit late, but better than never. This weekend I went to small trip to Valencia. Valencia is quite a big city with about 800 000 people which is located on the east coast of Spain. Read here at wikipedia about it.

Friday morning I went to the bus station to get the morning bus to Valencia. At first I went to Estacion del Sur which is the main bus station for all rides to the south east. But I missed that this time. Yes, on internet there was written something like they have some departure from this station, but c’mon. That wouldn’t be Spain to be different! [-; So after my grand arrival to Estacion de Sur I quickly backed, and went with metro to Conde de Casal to Res station. Well, another surprise. I thought that there is lot of traffic between Madrid and Valencia as I was told, but the bus station was almost empty, and the bus itself was half empty too.

After nice four hours the bus landed in Valencia in bus station. Helena picked me up, and we went to give my stuff to her apartment. She had to go to sing to choir, and so I went to explore city. I have seen quite a lot of the old city. Anyway there are pictures from the first day ::HERE::. The most interesting was Lonja de la Seda which was trading place. Read here. Also there were some more interesting places, but just look at the pictures.

Townhall

Ceiling of La Lonja

Old market

I will write some more tomorrow because on saturday I went to Ciudad de la ciencia y de los artes, and this needs separate article.