Valencia

Monday 28th November

I set my alarm for 9.30 and finally got up at 9.50. I can’t remember hearing my alarm music playing for that long! I met up with Jenny over breakfast and we finally left the ship around 11.30. I had visited Valencia once before on the Oceania Riviera. However, I had been weary that day and had stayed onboard. I was glad to actually get a chance to the city.

We caught the shuttle bus to the Old Town. One of the dancers had told Jenny that there was not much to see and she would be better to take a taxi to the scientific area where the architecture was supposedly interesting and modern. I did not want to follow that advice and we explored the old area and found enough to see that we did not need to move on. Meanwhile one of the Hosts visited the new part and said it was ugly. You really have to know what you like and be careful to whom you listen.

The weather was grey and a bit cold. I had my woollen cape and umbrella and needed the umbrella by the end as it started to rain while we sat in a café. It was good to have access to fast internet for a change. Most of our time was spent around the cathedral area. I enjoyed seeing models of the cathedral and the surrounding buildings with braille plaques so that blind people could also enjoy the area.

The square above had lovely marble paving but I found it was terribly slippery in the wet weather. I had to walk very carefully until I got back onto the rougher paving.

We had a late lunch and then I rested in my room until dinner. 

I was feeling quite tired so I left the ballroom early. I only waited until I had had a dance with each of the Hosts. Between the two dance sessions I had a lovely quickstep with one of the passengers who has learnt properly. He did a few steps that I don’t know but we sped along the floor. I danced with a couple of the other passengers during the evening but it was just social dancing.

I went to the Lido for cheese and biscuits and then took things slowly back in my room. I was in bed by about midnight and read for an hour.