I notice a lot of postings are about either the north or about the southern regions of Spain, am I the only one in love with Valencia? I love it - looking forward to Fallas 2003...

You're right, GuiaGuiri!! PLEASE!! Expand our horizons and tell us all about Las Fallas, Valencia Autonomous Community, Valencia Province, & Valencia city!! PLEASE YES!!

Saludos, MadridMan

I lived in, studied in, and fell in love with Valencia back in 1988. A wonderful city...and totally different than from the Valencia of today.

In the late 80´s the push was to become more "integrated" with the Spanish culture. Speaking Valenciano was something that only the pueblerinos did..and not the educated people of the city. Over several trips to Valencia afterwards, I noticed a marked change in that mentality as more and more street signs appeared in Valenciano until today where Valenciano is a mandatory subject in school. It is "hip" to speak the language and all my Valencian friends from the late 80´s dug out their old school books or started to sign up for classes, or begun paying more attention to their grandparents -- in Valenciano--.

Las Fallas remain my absolute favorite Spanish festival. The craziness of it all, the art work, the huge huge fallas, the heat of burning them down, the Procession of Roses for the Virgin, the parades, the parties until all hours, sunrises and lunch on the beaches. Incredible.

Ahh, and then nights out with my friends....fiesta de espuma on the beaches, dancing in Calcatta in the Barrio de Carmen, sangría in Plaza de Canovas, cubatas in Xuquer. Yes, those were the days! Playing pool, futbolín and bolos...

Then the entire Valencian region from the castle in Peñíscola, to the Cuevas de Vall d´Uxo, Gandía, down to Alicante and all along the coast. Shopping for ceramics in Manises, visiting the Lladro factory outlet store in Tabernes Blancas and shopping for leather goods in Llombay (Llombai). The rice patties in the Albufera and having a late night horchata in the Horchatería Daniel..., toro embolao in Buñol...chipirones, Palleas, fideua, almejas...could go on and on and on...

Sorry, I´m rambling...the mention of Valencia and a flood of memories just came to mind!

Today, it bills itself as the Science and Techonology Capital of Spain (if not of Europe). With its impressive "Ciudad de las Ciencias", the reflecting pools and so many changes to an ever growing city...it is one that I will never tire of!

Yes, go see it! It´s magnificent! Thanks for brining back so many memories!

Check

http://www.fallas.com/

some pictures at

http://es.geocities.com/activi02/

Hi all... Hey MadridMan, what a cool site, how do you find the time to keep it up? I have enoyed reading everyone's comments very much. Here is the URL to my new page on Valencia, at your prompting I put it together for you and your readers instead of writing here on your message board, (it is attached to my own website), the page; http://www.edhuse.com/Valencia.html
I have a few more images to add to it in the future, and I will add translations ar some point, but I have kept it to my favorite stuff for now.
Thanks for the forum!

I've got the chance to spend some time in Valencia next week. I've been to the city before and will have a local friend to show me around. However I'm interested in visiting any mountain villages that are worth visiting, particularly as I suspect the heat in Valencia itself will be too much (even after sipping the local drink). Has anyone any suggestions?

You are definitely right Chica!!!! Valencia is a great place. I started going there in 1988 and took students every summer until 1993. Then I moved there and taught English for over a year. Reading your post brought back a lot of memories. Really wish I could go back, but I do not think that that will happen anytime soon.

Fallas is something to experience. If you have never been, the fireworks are undescribable.

I really miss heading down to the beach on my bike during siesta in the fall and spring.

I could go on and on about the food, but I would run out of space.

It sounds like the city has changed a lot since I was last there. I will have to live vicariously through everyone's posts. Keep me updated.