We took a “free walking tour” of Valencia. We all know that you don’t get anything for free and there is an expectation of some tip or gratuity at the end of the tour. In fact our tour guide made it clear a few times that you pay what you think the tour is worth at the end.

We started at the “Plaza de la Virgen” which is located in the old quarter of Valencia.  It is a beautiful square with a foundation, a great view of the Valencia cathedral and other historic buildings.

From the Plaza de la Virgen we did a walk throughout the old quarter stopping at certain key spots. Our guide would provide great details about the historic place we are standing at. We went to the central market of Valencia and did a walk through of the market. (We will do another post on the market)

The outside of the market is beautiful with ornate decorated architecture and stained glass windows. We then walked down some side streets of the old quarter and came across a wall mural that was quite interesting. The persons depicted on the wall is a cabaret dancer and was apparently quite popular when she was young. She is still working as a dancer at seventy plus years old.

We walked to another square in the old quarter which had several bars and cafes. In one particular area there was a sign “La Estrecha” which means “the narrow” in Spanish.  We were informed by the guide that this is the smallest home in Spain and arguably in the world. The width of the home was only 107 centimetres.  A few years ago the bar beside the “La Estrecha” bought it and made it part of their bar.

We walked  to the centre of the city “literally” which is a square that marks the centre of Valencia. It is not grandiose and is fairly small with a modern look to it.  The photo below shows Shelley at the centre of Valencia near the fountain.

We then worked our way back through the narrow streets to the Plaza de la Virgen. Along the way we saw some beautiful narrow streets, fountains and statues.

Some of the narrow streets had great atmosphere and looked like a scene out of a movie. Flowers on the windows, the sound of birds singing and the background noise of people laughing and playing music. A very unique and enjoyable experience.

We walked for two and half hours and took in many sites. It was a beautiful day and when we finished the tour  I watched as everyone in the tour paid something for the tour. Most people were quite generous and I think overall we had one of the best tours because of the size of the group and quality of our tour guide.

After the tour we headed back to the “Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady of Valencia” known simply as Valencia Cathedral to go inside and see the church. The subject of another post…

“Adios y que tenga un grand días”