March 10, 2019 – Valencia, Spain

March 10, 2019 – Valencia, Spain
At 9am we boarded buses to tour Valencia. Our local guide was Carla. As we drove downtown she told us how the city had been split into 2 parts by a river. One year they had an unusual amount of rain causing flooding and major damage to the city. They have now rerouted the river to the outside of the city and turned the old river bed into a 5+ mile long park.
When we got to the city center we left the bus to walk around. From March 1 to March 15th Valencia celebrates Las Fallas (Festival of Fire). We walked to a square where at 2pm each day they set off firecrackers and fireworks. We were told it lasts only 5 to 7 minutes but is very loud and shakes the ground like an earthquake. We saw the setup but we not I the area at 2 pm. Also for the festival, many neighborhoods create colorful wooden towers with characters and designs. On the 15th, all but the one voted best gets burned.
We got to try Valencian Horchata. It is made from tiger nuts, water, and sugar. It tastes like almond milk.
After the city center, we headed out to the City of Arts and Sciences. This is a cluster of 7 buildings on the edge of the city that houses museums and the opera house.
Finally we went to a cooking school where we learned how to make paella. Valencia is where paella originated and it had no seafood. It was very good.
Back at the ship we had a discussion about Catalonia wanting to separate from Spain. It was lead by 2 of the group leaders and was very interesting.
After dinner was Karaoke Night. I was worried when I first got to the bar because the Captain and his officers were there. I was assured that someone was driving the boat. Mostly the crew sang but, a few passengers took part and it was fun.
Tomorrow is Cartagena.