We stopped into this quaint cafe in Valencia called “Cafe de las Horas” it was quite different and was decorated in a kind of baroque style. There were stars painted on the ceiling, a large chandelier and the whole cafe was filled with baroque art and design.

We came in and sat down at a small table and ordered a couple of drinks. We had just finished our two and a half hour walking tour and wanted to take a break. We enjoyed our drinks and relaxed looking around the room. We noticed the broken tile imbedded into the floor. It was a creative and a neat way to finish the floor.

The bar area of the cafe was full of ornate decorations and was a bit over the top with art and decorations.

Each area we looked at was unique and full of decorations. There was a small alcove that had a small table and chairs. It was decorated and full of baroque styled art as well.

It seemed that anywhere you looked there was no space or area not filled with art decorations. It kept you entertained just looking at the decor of the room.

We enjoyed our well deserved rest and finished our drink then headed out to our next adventure.

“adios y que tenga un gran días”

We went to see the “Iglesia Catedral-Basílica Metropolitana de la Asunción de Nuestra Señora de Valencia” which translates in english to “Metropolitan Cathedral–Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady of Valencia”. It is referred to as simply the Valencia Cathedral which is a lot easier to say. It is a beautiful gothic style church and is not overly ornate on the outside, but still impressive.

Inside the church there are high ceilings with arches with a central dome that has eight windows around the base of the dome.

There is also a beautiful Star of David shaped stained glass window at one end wall of the church. The Two triangles represent the male and female of humanity. They are a balance between male and female and represent unity and balance.

We had the opportunity to see some impressive historic things at the Cathedral. We took our time and walked around looking at the chapels and at some of the ornamental features of the church. We came across an area called the Chapel of Resurrection which was gold coloured and behind metal bars.

Once we looked closer at the Chapel of Resurrection we could see a glass front ornate box that had something on display inside.

On closer look we could see inside the glass box and there was the severed mummified arm of Saint Vincent on display.

The Catholic history states that Saint Vincent, deacon of Saragossa, was tortured in Valencia during the persecution of Diocletian in 304. The news of his faith spread across the Church and he was considered one of the main representative saints of Spain. Towards 1104, the Bishop of Valencia at that time went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and carried with him the left mummified arm of St. Vincent.  As this ecclesiastic died suddenly in Bari (Italy), the relic was left there and was being passed on up to being in possession of Mr. Pietro Zampieri from Vigonovo (Venice). In 1970 he gave it to the Cathedral together with the bronze reliquary made in a Venecian style. (Ref. Valencia Cathedral)

Another impressive area was the high altar of the Cathedral. It has beautiful ornate features and a mural on the ceiling which is stunning.

Throughout the Cathedral there were some stunning oil paintings depicting religious scenes. A few of them are below.

One of the paintings depicts the reconquest against the Moors in October 1238.

We went to the Holy Chalice Chapel which is off in a section of the church away from the main chapels. The entrance and hallway to the chapel was unassuming.

Inside the Holy Chalice Chapel there were rows of pews and a main altar area. The altar and back wall were quite ornate and the centre section contained the Holy Chalice.

We came in and sat quietly in one of the pews looking at the altar and the Chalice. It was difficult to see the Chalice on display at first because of the bright light which was shinning on it. The Chalice is not overly large and we were not able to get too close because it was cordoned off approximately eight feet away.

The history of why this is the authenticated original Holy Chalice and how it ended up in Valencia Spain is a long complicated history. I won’t list the history here in the blog, but if you are interested this link will give you the info.  http://www.catedraldevalencia.es/en/el-santo-caliz_historia.php

The Cathedral also has a bell tower know as the “Campanar de la Cathedral” which translates to “Bell tower of the cathedral”. We decided to not go up the tower and to just took at it from the outside. The tower was built beginning in approximately 1380 and over the years it was extended and finished.

The bell tower is a landmark and quite visible above the remainder of the buildings around it.

We enjoyed the artifacts and the rich history of the Cathedral. It was very interesting and an impressive day for us.

“adios y que tenga un grand días”

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”

 

We went to Toledo which has a very interesting history and is a beautiful town. It began as a Roman city, then became a fortress of the Emirate of Cordoba and then an outpost of the Christian kingdoms fighting the Moors. For a period of time it was the capital of Spain until the capital was moved to Madrid.

The old section of Toledo has narrow cobblestone streets and beautiful architecture. We were amazed at the beauty of Toledo.

The old section of Toledo is on top of a mountain and overlooks the region.

Toledo was one of the major centres of Christian cultures after the liberation of the Moors in 1085. It is believed that the saying “Holy Toledo!” originated from Toledo Spain. The Cathedral “Primada Santa María de Toledo”  is a 13th-century Gothic Cathedral, one of the largest in Europe, and is the seat of the Cardinal Archbishop of Spain.

There are some great historic buildings and structures in Toledo including a great stone bridge called “Puente de Alcántara” which provides majestic views of the area. The bridge is located near the Castillo de San Servant and spans the Tagus river. The bridge was built by the Romans after they founded the city.

Toledo is also known for its sword making and unusually hard steel. In approximately 500 BC the Roman empire began using the swords from Toledo and eventually it became the standard source of weaponry for the Roman Legions.

Today you can see numerous swords and knifes for sale in Toledo.

It was an interesting place and well worth a visit. Now I even know where the saying “Holy Toledo!” comes from.

“Adios y que tenga un grand días”

We went to a mountain top city called “Ronda” which has a population of approximately 36,000 people. It is high above a gorge called “El Tajo”.   What makes this city special is that the gorge separates the town.

There is a bridge “Puente Nuevo” which was built back during the Moorish times. The bridge connects both sections of the city and is an amazing structure. There are total of three bridges that connect Ronda.

The Puente Nuevo is the tallest of the bridges and towers a 120 metres (390 ft) above the gorge. It was difficult to get the whole bridge into a single photo, so below is a short video showing the magnitude of the bridge height and wonderful views.

The view was spectacular of the valley below Ronda.

We walked around the streets of Ronda looking at all the different shops which sell leather products. They are known for having good leather products in Ronda. Shelley did some shopping and found herself a nice leather purse.

We decided to get some lunch after we did our walking around the shops in Ronda.  We stopped at a restaurant with friends we met on the bus tour to enjoy a great view and meal.

After the meal we headed to the main square of Ronda. There is a large square known as a plaza where people gather to enjoy the day.

There are shops and a central fountain which provide a beautiful atmosphere and environment.

Ronda is a beautiful city and was well worth taking the time to visit.

“Adios y que tenga un grand días”