Another long day! Especially tired today because I've managed to catch a cold on my first week here. Murphy's Law. (Yun - one of my classmates - doesn't seem to understand the concept of covering one's mouth when coughing. Thanks, Yun.)
The morning was typical; I left without Sun because she was running late. Ravil and Valentina ended up joining me on the metro, even though I left a full fifteen minutes before them ... I hate it when the train gets to the station and then waits forever and a day. I know, schedules, yadda yadda yadda, but. Still.
Class was typical! I told Gemma about my trip to the Cathedral yesterday, as recapping with her is helping my Spanish by leaps and bounds. I'm still a little shy to speak more than the basics to people other than those I meet at AIP (that's ah-ee-peh), my language institute, but I'm getting better at putting myself out there as the days go on.
After class, I'd planned to see the Llotja de la Seda at the Ciudad Viejo (Ciutat Vello in Valencian, as I referred to it in my previous post). The Llotja was originally one of a series of buildings used for the trading of silk ("llotja de la seda" literally means "silk exchange/trading of silk") in the 14-1500s. The UNESCO has named it a World Heritage site.
It's an unassuming building on the outside. It's small, much smaller than the hulking forms of the many churches dotting the horizon. I paid 2 euros to enter.
The thing about places like this one is that it isn't any sort of visual novelty. It's not like walking into the Sistine Chapel. But still, you get the feeling that history is crowding near, breathing the same air that you are. Five hundred years ago, this place was awash in color and life. Today, there were only a few solemn tourists; a few older couples, a young German couple, a gaggle of Spanish schoolchildren being herded along by their frazzled-looking teacher. It took me a grand total of fifteen minutes to walk through the building, and yet it still made an impression.
The crenelations on the building were ... adorable. Probably not what they were going for, but. Each of them have eensy little crowns!
(Valencian oranges growing in the courtyard! ...apparently the trees are from India?)
This room was particularly impressive. It's hard to portray an accurate sense of scale through photography - at least for me, as I'm still in that stage where my camera uses me rather than the other way around - but this room felt massive. Giant pillars, vaulted octagonal ceilings. Everything marked with Valencia's coat of arms. And how badly did I want to sneak past the belt and follow that tiny staircase!
The ceiling in this room is gilded; the shine of which prevents the photographs from being as striking as the reality. The young German woman took in an audible breath when she stepped into the room, that was the effect of it.
Strange, isn't it? How so much more attention seems to be paid to beautifying the ceilings over everything else. Maybe everything else just hasn't survived the ages.
As mentioned, the Llotja didn't take too long to visit, so I decided to walk around for a while longer. I stumbled upon the Mercado Central, but it was fifteen minutes before closing — what I did see was incredible (it's a giant market filled with fresh produce), but I'll head back on Saturday for a proper report. I also happened upon the building housing the Ceramics Museum — the museum closed at 2pm, so I couldn't go inside, but I took a lot of pictures of the exterior.
It's difficult to tell, but there are subtle gradations in color on the walls of the building. With the sun setting behind it, it heightened the effect; wish I could've captured that. Will be back on Saturday to see the museum after the Mercado.
(There's the Valencian orange again! Looking pretty yellow there, bro.)
Next, I decided to head back to the Valencia Cathedral that I hadn't been able to finish seeing yesterday. On the way there, I chanced upon some of the municipal buildings in an explansive plaza near the center of Ciudad Viejo. There was also quite a few floristerias lining the streets of the plaza.
The following picture shows the coliseum where bullfighting is held. I find the sport abhorrent, so I didn't bother looking into the museum or booking a ticket for a show, but — it's a pretty building.
At the cathedral, I paid 5 euros to enter. There was only one price available, and it included an audio tour. The cathedral was built originally in the Gothic style, and later parts of it were rebuilt in the Neoclassical age. So there's an interesting patchwork quality to the cathedral as a whole.
I'm considering coming back on Sunday for misa - mass. Not because I've suddenly regained my faith, but because there's something to be said about hearing mass in the same place that believers have been hearing mass for centuries. Also, the organ is huge and I'd really love to hear the sound of it.
(The skull of St. Thomas Villanova & the hand of St Thomas Martir. Whoop.)
The main draws of the cathedral: the two Goya paintings below, and the "Holy Grail," dated to 1BC, below the paintings. It's easier to see in the stained glass than the casing; they'd cordoned off the area so even my greatest zoom wasn't enough to get an adequate picture.
(Outside the Cathedral, I found a tiny replica of it. And, interestingly, a Braille tablet beside it, complete with a top-down view of the area.)
This little guy got so offended when I tried to take a photo of him bathing!
(Joanne. Thought this would make you even more of an angry cuttlefish. Heh.)
One thing they tell you about Valencia: never go to the restaurants that have mouth-watering pictures of paella outside. Those are the places that usually serve you paella that's been sitting in the freezer for awhile. Choose places that have hand-written signs outside that read Menu de dias, Menu de noches, Menu de Viernes, etc etc etc instead. Those are the places that make the food fresh.
Also, breakfast in Valencia is a thing. You can get breakfast in the less-touristy places for 1-2 euros; it'll include cafe con leche, orange juice, a pastry, queso (cheese), jamon (ham). I'm planning on getting said breakfast on Saturday.
Passed a movie theater on the way back, and of course I had to take a picture of this. Thirteen more days for me! Even though I have to see it in Spanish until the 8th! God help me. At least I'll know whether it ends in godawful forced romance or not.
Now, to bed. Hopefully this cold passes before it gets any worse. I can't keep up this level of activity whilst feeling like a truck has done its best to flatten me.
Tomorrow: an art museum + dinner in the city. Last day before the weekend, too! Hope everyone's having a lovely Thorsday. c:
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