Last night’s restaurant, positioned just behind the hotel, was a very typical Spanish one with lots of seafood on the menu. Not Mishas favourite but a couple of meat dishes and Paella options solved that issue.

Not such a late night and walking back mum managed to fit in a little clothes shopping. Not sure I should be buying anything as suitcase is already bulging.

Lie in this morning with a 9:30 start chosen. Coffee and croissant at what is becoming our usual before a gentle stroll to the Market Central.

Starting out as an open air market one has been in this position since 1839. The latest design was chosen in 1910.

Inside is an array of hams, herbs, vegetables and meats, with the heads still on the chickens and rabbits. One stall has enormous pieces of meat that are stored in a controlled air dried unit with dates showing when the storage commenced.

Yes you have read that correct 2013 !!

Moving through to the back of the Market we pass through the fish section with Misha making a dash for the door quickly.

Outside we enter into the very ornate interior of the Juanes church. For some reason I don’t seem to have many pictures. Just about everything was covered in gold.

Around the corner is the Silk Exchange and with the use of an audio guide we admire the small court yard garden with it orange trees and the interior of the three buildings with their vaulted ceilings.

Built between 1482 and 1548 with its trading hall and central tower, where merchants were detained in for not paying their debts, La Lonja de Seda ( The Exchange of Silk)is still used today for some official occasions.

The final visit, for some of us for this holiday, was to the Lladrò factory. Forty years ago my parents started purchasing Lladro and I have a couple of pieces. Although sold in 135 countries there is only one factory in the world which is here in Valencia. It was started by three brothers Juan, Josè and Vicente Lladrò in 1953 using a kiln in their back garden. Today it employs 300 skilled artist, some have worked there 45 years, following a 3 year training on all aspects before choosing one to specialise in.

Each piece is hand made with several individual elements such as the head, arms and body before being assembled together with liquid porcelain as the “glue” . If a hand has the fingers together then this is one piece but open fingers would entail five individual pieces.

Even the shades on this chandelier are made from porcelain.

Each petal on each flower is hand made and each petal has hand made details such veins.

Photographs during the tour of the actual artists and the various stages is forbidden.

The visit was about an hour and a half. You do have to book a time but entry is free. The factory is about a 15 minute drive from the town centre so would recommend a taxi. Ours was approximately €12 for three passengers each way.

The tour is brilliant and would recommend it for everyone.

Last night we decided we would try the Canalla Bistro about 10 minute walk from the hotel. Chosen for its good reviews on Trip advisor. No on line booking facility available, so decided we would carry out a recce and fingers crossed there would be a place nearby to have a drink first and be there as it opens at 8pm.

Restaurant located but not quite the sort of bars I had in mind. First one I turned my nose up at and the final choice wasn’t much better but it would have to do otherwise us girls were going to have sore feet tottering along in heels.

The restaurant is huge, from the street you can only see about 10 to 15 tables but walking pass the kitchen it opens up in to two further sections with the walls adorned with strange pig heads.

We had a wonderfully if rather a few too many Tapas dishes with one, very strangely, served on a plastic pigs head. The service was good and the menu is in both Spanish and English. Would definitely recommend it.

This morning, my mum, dad and Misha opted for the buffet breakfast in the hotel. Still full from last night Andy and I have a coffee sat outside a cafe just down the road.

Re grouped and the obligatory “Hop on and Hop off” bus tickets purchased from recepition, we catch our first bus of the day just meters from the hotel. The blue route follows the now dry river bed to the amazing buildings of the City of Arts and Science. Following many disastrous floodings it was decided in 1957 to divert the river Turia around the City and to day the old river bed is now home to walk ways, recreational areas and beautiful gardens right down to the sea.

I will try and restrict the number of photos I post. Every angle you view the City of Arts and Science is brilliant and different. They are one of the 12 Treasures of Spain and were completed in 2005 at cost of over €900 million.

With a minimum entrance fee of €30 per person required to view apparently the largest aquarium causing a quick inhale of breath we pass and hop back on the bus. This time we get the best seats, top front.

The blue route finishes at the Cathedral and after a small lunch of serano ham and cheese with a glass of wine we purchase the audio guide in the Cathedral, visiting both the burial chambers under the Cathedral and some of us (not me) the spiral 220 steps up the bell tower.

If you are ever visiting I would recommend the audio tour.

Time now to catch the red route bus. Next one is in 30 minutes so just time for an ice cream, note to oneself, don’t let Misha choose the M&M’s option when she doesn’t like nuts, as you loose your lovely black cherry cheesecake option.

Feeling sleepy it was the perfect way to see the remaining sights Valencia has to offer.

Hi everyone, it has been several months since my last post and if you are still following us, thank you.

After following numerous Motor home blogs during the winter months of which many travel down through Spain we I decided that this year’s city break with my parents would be to Valencia, pronounced Balencia, as I discovered during my research. There looks to be a good mix between modern and old architecture and plenty of good restaurants- all essential requirements.

This year I am so pleased that our daughter Misha is also joining us. In Jersey we have an additional bank holiday on the 9th May, the day we were liberated from German occupation. So making the most of this, we leave Jersey Saturday lunch time leaving Ben in charge of feeding Jack the cat, and return on Wednesday.

Following a slight delay in our departing flight to Gatwick, caused by the usual summer air traffic control strike in France, a very good friend Alison gives us a lift to the airport, Thank you again Ali. A quick bite to eat and an even shorter catch up with a friend off to Edinburgh, we are called to our gate. After everyone has shuffled down to allow the late arrivals to fit in this small departure gate the tannoy announces that our plane cannot dock at our current gate so we need to move to gate 6 to board. After the usual checks etc we are finally airborne and an uneventful flight.

Perfect timing and Misha had just parked up and is on the transfer bus as we walk through baggage reclaim. Checked in, bags dropped in the room and we are back downstairs for a drink. We have booked a table in the Chinese restaurant after receiving the sales pitch ftom the concierge for 7pm. 5:50 and we haven’t moved from people watching in the bar area and decide to head in early to the restaurant.

Service is very brisk and we opt for the set menu. Food is fine, £38.00 per person for 4 courses. Best are the duck pancakes and banana fritters for dessert. Feeling very full and reception assuring us that we have coffee facilities in the room we retire early and watch the sun set over the runway.

A bath and then coffee in bed, perfect end to the day. Flight tomorrow is at 9am so a fairly early start tomorrow.

Breakfast started on the Rambla in the dapled morning sunshine. The trees are quickly shedding their leaves as autumn approaches, the sky is beautifully blue again with a light wind definitely giving a colder feel to the day.

First on Misha’s very organised tour today is Mercat de la Boqueria.

The first mention of the Boqueria market in Barcelona dates from 1217, when tables were installed near the old city gate to sell meat. The current name is believed to derive from the Catalan boc, meaning “goat”, therefore a boqueria would be a place where goat meat is sold. Later, the authorities decided to construct a separate market on La Rambla, housing mainly fishmongers and butchers. It was not until 1826 that the market was legally recognized and construction began on March 19, 1840 under the direction of the architect Mas Vila and officially opened in the same year. The inauguration of the structure finally took place in 1853. A new fish market opened in 1911, and the metal roof that still exists today was constructed in 1914.

The market was such a feast for the eyes and nose. Many of the stalls today are places to eat but several still sell the local cured Jambon and olives alongside fish and meat.

We amble up to Placa Catalina which is the start of the various hop on hop off bus tours. We choose the Barcelona city tour company and purchase a two day pass at €39 each. This company offer two routes. The orange west route and green east route.

Today we take the orange route which will eventually drop us off at La Pedrera formerly known as Casa Mila. Our route first takes us round to the Olympic stadium. Originally built in 1927 for the 1929 International Exposition in the city, it was renovated in 1989 to be the main stadium for the 1992 Summer Olympics.

We decide not to get off the bus here even though it is a free attraction as there doesn’t appear to be much to see, and instead carry on to the beautiful Palau Nacional, now an impressive art gallery.

It is here we hop off to take the escalators down through the gardens to view the Font Magic (a water fountain which is best seen at night)

and then hop on again and round to Camp Nou. The famous Barcelona football stadium.

It is here that most of the passengers exit and once again with a quick shuffle and light footwork we manage to score the ultimate goal of the front seats at the top of the bus.

A few stops later and we arrive at Casa Mila. This was the last private residence designed by architect Antoni Gaudi and was built between 1906 and 1912. The building was commissioned in 1906 by Pere Mila and his wife Roser Segimon. At the time, it was very controversial because of its undulating stone facade and twisting wrought iron balconies. There are several structural innovations including a self-supporting stone façade, an open plan floor, underground garage and a spectacular roof-terrace where the chimneys are said to be the inspiration for the storm troopers in star wars.

It is popularly known as La Pedrera or “open quarry”, as a reference to its unconventional rough-hewn appearance,

Continuing on down the Passelg Gracia on foot, trying to get our 10,000 steps a day completed, it is very noticeable that we are in the affluent area. All the shops are Cartier, Prada, Channel or Gucci etc – definitely only window shopping here.

By now it is after 1pm and tummy’s are rumbling. We check the menus of a couple of restaurants and actually dismiss Txapela as its illuminated menu on the pavement looks terrible. But you should never choose a book by its cover. Luckily we take a peak in the main cafe area and it looks so authentic with stools up at the bar and a wonderful display of tapas on the counter. A glass of cava each, we just about manage to limit ourselves to 3 tapas dishes each. They were just so amazing.

Forcing ourselves onwards it is only minutes later that we are staring up at the weird but wonderful (I seem to be using this word a lot this holiday) building of Casa Batllo.

The house was bought by Joseph Batllo in 1900 a well know family in the textile industry. It was in 1904 that Gaudi was commissioned to renovate the house with no restrictions and was completed in 1906. The Batllo family continued to occupy the house until 1954 when an insurance company acquired it from the children following the death of both parents.

An audio and smart phone technology guides you around the house, explaining the design and function of each room.

There are no straight lines anywhere and some ideas such as the use of small shutters like fish gills in the internal doors to control the temperature are just brilliant. The use of light and colour is wonderful. Once again there are just so many photo’s that we have taken trying to capture it all.

Two hours later and tired legs we make our way back to the hotel for a rest and shower for an hour before we head out again for dinner.

After last nights disappointment we decide to ask the duty manager for a recommendation for a good paella. Without hesitation she gives us the directions to 7 Portes (doors) down in the harbour area. This is also one recommended in the on board flight magazine. We are very fortunate to get the last table not reserved, with many people being turned away after us.

7 Portes started as a cafe in 1836 and it wasn’t until 1929 when it became a restaurant. In its 180 years many famous actors, musicians and politicans have enjoyed this traditional restaurant. What a difference. A lovely meal enjoyed by us all and then a walk back through the tiny lanes of the Gothic quarter to the little cafe for what is becoming a bit of a habit. Coffee, churros and hot chocolate before retiring.