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In this visit to Valencia, Mark once again tackled the challenge of solving a complex logistical puzzle of locations and schedules (some of them quite peculiar), while making sure we would be able to visit as many places as possible in the most efficient way in the time we had.

As it was our second time in Valencia, we were able to delve deeper into the city and visit many hidden gems that we hadn’t been able to include in the previous trip (and, believe me, there are still many more yet to be seen in the future). Here, I will mention but a few of my favorite ones. We went to the Casa-Museo Benlliure, where we appreciated the works of José Benlliure y Gil (a painter contemporary to Joaquin Sorolla, one of my preferred Spanish painters), of José Benlliure Ortiz (his son) and of Mariano Benlliure (his brother), all displayed at a very nice venue which includes the family house, a charming garden decorated with exquisite tiles and the artist’s studio. We also had the opportunity to visit the amazing Marques de Dos Aguas Palace, with its Rococó style façade adorned with an impressively elaborate alabaster entrance. The Palace houses the National Museum of Ceramics, whose rich collection includes some works by Picasso. Also worthy of mention is the Real Colegio-Seminario de Corpus Christi (known as El Patriarca), a complex which comprises, among other buildings, a church with a richly decorated Renaissance interior, where masses are still prayed in Latin and follow ancient rites, and a museum that boasts highly valuable works of art and relics, including paintings by El Greco, Ribalta, Juan de Juanes, and Benlliure, besides some early Flemish painters. Finally, we had the opportunity to explore some of the jewels of the Modernismo Valenciano (Valencian Modernism), an architectural movement which reached its heyday at the end of the 19th century and in the beginning of the 20th century, such as the Mercat de Colón and the Estació del Nord, with their fascinating cast-iron structures and rich and colorful tile decoration. Our stroll through the city led us to many other places, such as the Convento del Carmen, the Torres de Quart, the Universitat de València, the Biblioteca Pública (housed in one of the remaining buildings of the ancient Hospital d`Innoscents, Folls e Orats), the Porta la Mar, the Ayuntamiento de València (Valencia’s Cityhall), the Plaça Redona, and even one of the bunkers of the Spanish Civil War. Among the modern gems, I could cite the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències, designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, which includes the Palau de les Arts, the Museu de les Ciènces, the Oceanogràfic, the Umbracle garden, the Àgora and the Hemisfèric. It was a true immersion into contemporary Spanish architecture and into Santiago Calatrava’s style with its unusual forms.

One of the most significant experiences I had on this trip was attending a session of the “Tribunal de las Aguas de la Vega de Valencia” (“Water Tribunal of the Plains of Valencia”), a customary court that was declared by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/irrigators-tribunals-of-the-spanish-mediterranean-coast-the-council-of-wise-men-of-the-plain-of-murcia-and-the-water-tribunal-of-the-plain-of-valencia-00171?RL=00171). The court has been handling disputes arising from the use of the waters of Turia River to irrigate Valencian farms since the time of al-Andaluz, and is considered to be the oldest justice institution in Europe. Its sessions still take place outside the Apostles Gate of Valencia’s Cathedral. Before the session started, Mark read some excerpts from La Barraca (The Cabin), a novel by Blasco Ibáñez, one of the most celebrated Valencian writers. The book portrays the confrontation between Pimentó and Batiste before the Tribunal de las Aguas in vivid details. Mark’s reading amused not only me, but also the Valencians who were attending that day’s session close to us. It was a fantastic addition to the experience! 

This only goes to show how thoroughly and thoughtfully Mark prepares his tours! Throughout our tour, he not only demonstrated vast knowledge of the many subjects that arose, but was also able to correlate the diverse topics covered in this trip and in other ones. The conversation about many different subjects flowed easily, and he was always eager to answer my questions and provide further interesting information. Mark clearly has a genuine passion for sharing what he knows and he is a friendly and amusing person. Finally, he provided me with several recommendations on further readings and subjects to explore, not to mention the many ideas we came up with for future trips.
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Henry
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<div class="label label--neutral-gray-068" content="2024-08-01 14:58:55 UTC" itemprop="datePublished">
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Aug  1, 2024
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Fulfilling a plan Mark and I had designed in my previous trip to Valencia, in this tour, we went to the coastal area adjacent to the city to visit La Albufera Natural Park, one of the areas of greatest ecological value in the Iberian peninsula and recognized for its beauty and rich biodiversity.

La Albufera was formed approximately a million years ago, when the huge marine gulf which was then located in the region was closed by a coastal sand strip, thus forming a lagoon. The coastal cordon, 35 kilometers long and 1 kilometer wide, was stabilized by the vegetation that grew later on, forming one of the most valuable coastal forests in the Mediterranean, which is inhabited by a very diverse fauna adapted to the ecosystem. 

The Arabs called this portion of water separated from the sea “Albuhaira” or small sea. The lagoon has almost 3000 hectares and is the largest freshwater lagoon in Spain — originally, the water of the lagoon was saltwater, given that it was fed by the sea, but since the 17th century, the water flow is controlled and the sea water no longer enters the lagoon, which now only receives water from the Júcar and Túria Rivers and from the many acequias (water delivery systems for irrigation) —. 

The lagoon is home to a great diversity of waterfowl and a resting place for many migratory species. Among the fish species, the eel, mullet and seabass stand out for their importance for the fishing activities in the lagoon.

Surrounding the lagoon are the marshlands and their rice fields. This area, taken over from the lagoon, presently covers about 16000 hectares. Rice cultivation has become a traditional activity that is deeply ingrained in the culture and history of the region, and rice paddies are an essential part of the landscape of La Albufera. Although highly anthropized, the area plays an important role in the characterization of this ecosystem. With the seasonal flooding and drying of the fields, it works ecologically as a temporary lagoon that floods in autumn and dries out in spring, giving place to a cultivation area in the summer, and restarting the cycle in the winter.

Our tour included walks alongside the rice fields to better understand La Albufera’s most important current economic activity. It also covered a stroll through the village of El Palmar, one of the 13 municipalities within the park, where we could appreciate one of the last remaining “barracas”, the typical construction of La Albufera, and where Mark took the opportunity to explore the richness of the region’s traditions.

After visiting El Palmar, we headed for a boat ride. Mark selected a boat tour company that has a small museum where we received some enlightening explanations about the fishing activities, rice production and life in the region. After that, we took one of the traditional La Albufera boats for a ride in the Lagoon, during which a very entertaining “captain” gave us further information, told stories and diligently answered our questions. This was also the chance to observe the characteristic waterfowl, the typical vegetation of the lagoon, some lateen-rigged sailboats and the surrounding landscape with the mountains in the distance. It was an invaluable experience that provided other perspectives of La Albufera, its ecosystem and the ways people live there.

We finished our tour with an exquisite lunch with traditional La Albufera dishes, such as the all i pebre, the eel stew flavored with garlic and pepper, accompanied by potatoes, and the Valencian paella, which was invented there (except, when invented, instead of duck, its recipe took the typical marsh rat — Arvicola sapidus, a vegetarian rodent that has nothing to do with the sewer rat and whose meat resembles that of rabbit). While we waited for our dishes, Mark read some passages of Cañas y barro  (Reeds and mud) — a novel by Blasco Ibáñez, one of the most celebrated Valencian writers — which is set in El Palmar and its surroundings at the beginning of the 20th century. It was indeed a grand finale for our spectacular tour!

In a nutshell, it was a comprehensive tour, which encompassed all the richness of La Albufera from different angles. Mark once again showed his true passion for sharing knowledge and his skill to do so in a simple and interesting way. He was always available and willing to answer my questions and open to discuss any matter that came up, delving deeper into the points I was most interested in. Moreover, he is a friendly and amusing person, and conversation spanned across several engaging subjects. I learnt a lot in a very pleasant way, and we had a fantastic time.
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Henry
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<div class="label label--neutral-gray-068" content="2024-08-01 14:58:04 UTC" itemprop="datePublished">
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We left Tortosa for Valencia.

Knowing my interest in the Spanish Civil War, Mark suggested that we make a stop in Corbera d&#39;Ebre. We first visited the Battle of the Ebro Information Centre, where we saw several artifacts related to this important battle of the Spanish Civil War and learned a lot about the facts that preceded the battle, how it developed and its consequences. Afterwards, we went up to the &quot;Poble Vell &quot; (ancient town), where one can still see the destruction caused by the bombardments during the Battle of the Ebro. It was a truly poignant experience.

We then passed through Calaceite, a nice town, where we could stroll through its winding streets, which still retain a certain medieval air and where we could appreciate several architectural styles, such as Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque, and the charming stone palatial houses (“casas solarengas”) decorated with wrought iron balconies, which are so typical in this region of Aragon.

Finally, our journey took us to Morella. There from the road, we could already appreciate the majestic walls of the town and its beautiful surroundings. Our visit began with the rare Gothic aqueduct, a beautiful example of Spanish hydraulic engineering from the 14th century. We then crossed the walls and began our visit of the town, which is an extraordinary example of Gothic architecture. We walked through several of its imposing gates and by its powerful towers. We went up the streets of the town, taking in all its historical and architectural wealth, passing through the Archipresbyteral Church  of Santa Maria Maior, with its impressive Baroque decoration, through the bullring and arriving at the old castle. The castle was our last spot in Morella and we ended the tour enjoying the stunning views of the town and its neighboring region.

It was then time to head to Valencia.

Once again, I must highlight Mark&#39;s ability to put together a comprehensive itinerary, which enriched our trip to Valencia and which allowed me to learn more about the complex history and culture of this region in Spain. Also commendable is Mark’s eagerness to share his knowledge and his availability to answer my — sometimes tough — questions and to delve deeper into the points I was most interested in.  In a nutshell: I learnt a lot and enjoyed myself tremendously. This was yet another unforgettable tour with Mark!
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Henry
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<div class="label label--neutral-gray-068" content="2024-08-01 14:57:01 UTC" itemprop="datePublished">
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