B4 the Valencian Night walk
Friday 25 november 2005 2:14pm s’pore time
7.14am spain time
First stop on the way from Barcelona in the province of Catalonia is Taragona, famed for this old crumbling Roman amphitheatre or stadium. The sky was very blue, so very good for phototaking.
After that we proceeded to this ulu ulu town called Peniscola. Along the coast. Its quite crowded in may-june period as this is a popular destination for locals to stay during their holiday. The rich ones wd have their villas. According to tour guide, even at that time, everybody wd go to the beach to sun tan. Those lau pock papa mamas also go topless. Then she explain why. Tell long story, start abt middle ages, then talk abt conquistadors, then talk abt renaissance, say pple during renaissance due to a revival in many things and new discoveries, pple begin to appreciate what they have and dong have. So Europeans start appreciating the sun, that’s why like to sun tan topless.
By the way, I call our tour guide monk. Bulletproof monk. becoz she look like monk. And she eat vege only, and weather so cold ar, never w ear long pants. Just one long piece of black dress. Whether it’s a dress or not, I also dong noe. So stylo. This type really bulletproof.
Anyways, peniscola was…beautiful. U have rows and rows of centuries-old white-washed buildings perched on a cliff overlooking the blue blue sea. The Mediterranean. And it preserves its medieval structure. Of narrow streets, winding here and there, wif a medieval fortress or castle, and a cathedral on top. This time of the season, peniscola quite quiet, unlike in may or june, so u dong see so many pple. Very quiet and peaceful. Timeless. Kind of evocative of the Sicilian towns in southern Italy.
After that we set off again. Drive drive, then stopped at this ulu ulu snackbar along the highway for lunch. We tried for the first time their las payas (also took this later for dinner.) for our family, it’s the second time since the first time when we took it in Barcelona we didn’t noe it was las payas. Ordered their meatballs, fries and smoked fish to go. Very good food. Really enjoy. Then after lunch while waiting to set off for Valencia I walked around. Cd see those huge mountains around, towering above me. Plus blue sky. Plus cool chilly wind…..ahhh.
In Valencia we were brought round to see the modern 20th century quarter wif their super modern palace of music, sciences, their hemispherical cinema. So modern. And design quite nice, nicer than our durian.
Then went to their old town. Wow the architecture’s just….very elaborate stonework. A lot of curves. Saw some of the old towers wif the typical platersque stonework. And the cathedral. The sunlight was quite red at that time, so it really suited the achitecture of the fiercely weather worn portico to the cathedral. Tour guide brought us up the bell tower. And all those lau pock auntie and uncle cannot take climbing the 200+ steps to the top. Whatever the case, the view on top was…wow. U see everything, first time I see a centuries old town from the air.
Now there’s a red sunrise above the valencian landscape outside my hotel. SO sososo nice….
alvin ong dozed and watched the sawdust trampled night @ 10:00 PM
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