With most museums closed on Mondays, we decided to give the beaches another try,  This time, we took a 20 minute ride to La Saplaya, a little seaside town called the “Venice of Spain” for its canals.

 Apparently, no one but us and google knew about them!  However, the beach itself was, as advertised, the real deal. Beautiful, warm clear azure waters, a broad swath of white sand, and multiple shaded cafes across the road. But we were on a mission first to find the canals and the candy-colored houses facing them.

Here’s where my trusty navigator led the way, following google walking directions through narrow alleyways until we arrived at a gorgeous, secret, watery world.

It was nothing like Venice— either of  Italy or Los Angeles!  But it was lovely little docking bays with private boats surrounded by colorful homes providing abundant shade along nearly empty streets. And at ne end, where the canal nearly rejoins the sea, we found a peaceful restaurant called Náutico. We sat     under an umbrella and basked in the breezes, the peaceful views and some delicious fried anchovies and crusty bread with garlicky tomato and mayonnaise. It was so quiet, so cool, so pretty and so alone after the bustle of Valencia.

Afterward, we walked back to the beach, removed our shoes and enjoyed a silky stretch of the sea. Then we headed to the bus stop… where we ended up in a taxi back to the Centro when the bus didn’t show up. 

We took a quick walk through the historic silk exchange, a masterwork of 16th C Gothic and Renaissance design.  Then back to the apartamento for the hottest hours to hang with Chips & Salsa and attend to our personal pursuits.  That night, we opted for a delicious pizza & pasta dinner a Le Favole as a break from all the seafood!

Ultima Día

On Tuesday, our last day, we soaked up all the outdoor art, murals and graffiti that decorates all available surfaces, especially in the shady warrens  of alleyways and streets throughout the Centro. Many of the artists have developed global reputations and commissions, Walking in the shadows revealed this free, outdoor gallery around every corner.

Our last afternoon, we decided to visit one last museum.  While the Museo Bellas Artes is full of old masters, we decided to see more modern Masters… but in a historic but renovated building. At Centre d’Art Hortensia Herrero, we saw some fantastic interactive art by light genius Olaf Eliasson. We delighted in wall size videos of “The Four Seasons” by David Hockney and explored many more intriguing paintings, sculptures and interactive works in this small, but amazing private collection that is now a public jewel.

We finished our stay with one more tapas dinner at La Calita,  in a quiet courtyard nearby. Then we joined the crowds of locals and tourists wandering the grand plaza by City Hall. All of us soaking in the pink-hued evening sky,  historic buildings and communal spirit that comes alive at night.

 And we shared one last perfect pistachio gelato! We were happy Valencianos for a week.  And now off to London to practice my English!