Valencia

Architect Santiago Caltrava is a native of Valencia and has some extraordinary works in the city. This whole complex captured my fancy. These are two buildings divided by a busy highway, but as I looked at it together, it made me think of Nessie. The building in the foreground is an IMAX theater and the front one is a music/science exhibit building (? can't remember). I want to study more about him. I think he also won the commission for the design of the Ground Zero memorial in NYC.

Us with Felix, the tour director. He knew everything from agriculture to history to every dancer at the flamenco joints! Rock on, Felix.

The real gate El Cid rode out of to defend Valencia against the Moors.

The cathedral in the city square is very beautiful.

Horchata is a yummy, sweet, cold almond milk drink. It's actually made from chufas (earth almonds/tiger nuts) and is of Moorish derivation. We first had it at the best café ever, Santa Catalina. (I'm at the beach now and will try to make horchata ice cream. The recipe took shape there; we'll see how it tastes!)