I returned to visit Valencia once more after an absence of several years, and lots have changed in the city - for the better. This vibrant seaside city now has an efficient public transport system, lots of cultural and entertainment facilities, plenty of wonderful eating-places and restaurants, and after staying for one week in a newer neighbourhood in the university district of Valencia, I decided to prolong my stay and move to a more traditional part of town, within walking distance to Valencia's old medieval quarters and the city's beautiful botanical garden.
The monument of Torres de Quart, part of Valencia's medieval city walls and fortification system, is just a few minutes' walk from my rental flat. Once through the gate, you will find yourself in the district of Barrio del Carmen, surrounded by medival churches, narrow streets, older buildings and lots of nice little tapas bars and restaurants.
During the day, this district might appear to some as somewhat quiet, although it has a very high concentration of resturants, cafes and bars. It is however famous for its night life, and as soon as the sun goes down, the streets and alleys of this part of Valencia immediately come into life.
Nowadays the previously run-down, dark alleys have once more become fashionable places for younger people to live in, and everywhere old buildings are being renovated and refurnished.
An interesting characteristic of Barrio del Carmen is the presence of huge wall murals and street paintings amongst real buildings. This district also houses some of the city's municipal museums such as the Rice Museum - a place which pays homage to one of Valencia's most important agricultural produces, the special long-grain rice which is the key ingredient of Spain's number one national dish, the paella.
The ambience of Barrio del Carmen in an autumn afternoon, with all the shady trees around nice little squares and narrow lanes, resembles that soft, slow, almost timeless atmosphere still visible in some of the less tourist-frequented parts of Paris.
This could be a snapshot directly out of a quiet, old, leafy Parisian suburb - and that is what makes this part of Valencia so charming and attractive. In spite of the presence of multi-million dollar sporting events such as the Valencia Formula One Grand Prix and the America's Cup, this city has retained it soul and is still just as authentic and down-to-earth as in the early 1990s.
Torres de Quart in the night - when lighted up, the lemony glow lends a mysterious touch to the whole tower.
Many pubs and cafes in this area are open from 5pm onwards. The thing is, when the weather turns a bit chilly in the evening, everybody prefers to sit inside, hence the outside seatings are mostly unoccupied. In stark contrast to the busy street scenes in the afternoon, that strange emptiness and silence all around me suddenly give rise to a subtle sentiment of nostalgic nonchalance, although I am not exactly sure what it is all about.
Copyrights@2011. All text and photos by YC Cheng. All Rights Reserved.
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