On Monday it was back to work for Ann & Brian and back to school for the boys, so we were on our own for our last full day in Valencia!
The first order of business was a visit to a yarn/craft shop in the neighborhood.
Trusty Google Maps got us there.
There was a street market happening on the way. It was mostly clothing — some old, some new — and must only happen weekly or monthly, because there was no sign of it the next day.
Our destination was Lokita Botones. Ann had told me about it earlier, and it was only a few blocks from their apartment!
I forgot to take photos on Monday, so these are from Tuesday, before they opened, on our way to the train station (we took the long way). Isn't that adorable, though?
There was a little bit of everything — handmade clothing & totes, yarn, fabric, ribbon, knitting & sewing supplies — you know what I'm talking about. It was adorable, and it was in Spain! I came away with a ball of cotton yarn, a tote, and a big interesting button.
Maddy was in need of some "quiet time," so Kate & I dropped her off at the apartment before heading to Bancaja Cultural Center to see their Contemporary Art exhibition.
These were some of my favorite pieces. (I see knitting!) Those first two pieces were huge — the people in the images almost life-size.
We met up with Maddy again and — surprise! — we visited another cathedral. This time, it was the Cathedral of Valencia — home of many amazing works of art, the arm of Saint Vincent of Saragossa, and the Holy Grail. We paid for the self-guided tour, which included an audio guide, and we were not disappointed. It is beautiful, inside and out.
Words fail me.
The preserved arm of St. Vincent.
Works by Goya
The Holy Grail right there!
Skulls & bones!
It was definitely worth the price of admission, and I highly recommend it if you're ever in Valencia!
I don't remember the exact order of things, but we had a lovely tapas lunch — during which we watched two men walk by carrying an enormous pan of paella between them — and found our way to Torres de Serranos, the city gate.
We made dinner together at home that evening — tacos! And then went out for ice cream. The girls & I had been enjoying a gelato a day (sometimes two) on this vacation… bakery & ice cream were never hard to find, no matter where we were!
Oh boy… Believe it or not, this was the smallest of the confections at our table! Turns out, though, that most of it is "whipped cream" with a couple of scoops of ice cream plopped on top + various toppings and, at least to our tastes, that stuff was only palatable in very small doses. (Kind of yuck.) (But that picture menu had us all starry-eyed!!)
We amused ourselves…
Self-explanatory — the boys' work!
Everybody's on Snapchat now (except Brian)!
It was a wonderful last day! There are no firm plans yet, but I am definitely looking forward to a return visit…
Good night, Valencia!!
Here I go again . . . wow! Wow! WOW!!!! Every single thing is just over the top wonderful!!! What a great, great trip. (That cathedral. . . ) XO
Oh sigh. Another fabulous tour of beautiful places. The building in the first photo looks elegantly edible. The cathedral was certainly full of eye candy. The relief of the carvings, the details in the paintings and the (iron?) chandelier, it’s all so surreal.
All of your photos are magnificant! Is the sky really that blue? The cathedrals are beautiful. It looks like you all are having a wonderful time. Thanks for allowing us to come along vicariously.
Oh Wow! That Cathedral….simply wow! What an amazing/wonderful trip you had. The street market looks like fun the yarn/fabric/what-have-you shop door/closure is so cool. The deep blue skies remind me of how it can look in Colorado.
I love the architectural details of the building in the first photo, and that cathedral is simply over the top! I guess less is definitely not more when it comes to Spanish cathedrals. Skulls and bones and arms are not what I expect to find in a church, but so interesting. All of it is really quite amazing!
Words failed me, too – that cathedral is magnificent. and a yarn/craft shop. and an art exhibit. and tapas for lunch. That is one FULL day 🙂
The cathedral is so stunning! Thank you for sharing so brilliantly the beauty of Valencia! Oh, and I saw knitting/quilting in those color block photos! So much fun!
Amazing – I haven’t been online much for the past month, so I’m catching up on all of your big trip photos, and this post is full of stunning sights.
What a wonderful trip! Your photos are amazing, and that cathedral is breathtaking!!