barrios-neighbourhoods

Unhealthy Vegan Guide to Valencia

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Unhealthy Vegan Guide to Valencia

When English people find out I’m vegan their response is always ‘protein?’, and then ‘what’s that like living in Spain because don’t they eat a lot of ham and things?’ Though reliably irksome, this is not an unjustified response, as I’ve spent lots of time listening politely while Spanish cafe waiters list ingredients: Me: Hi, I’m a hungry, hungry vegan, what can I have? Waiter: You don’t eat meat then. Me: That’s right, only plants. Waiter: What about fish? Me: No fish. Waiter: What about ham? Me: FFS, no ham. Waiter: Ok, tortilla then. Me: (balls up napkin, stuffs … [Read more...]

Valencia a través del objetivo

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Valencia a través del objetivo

Tumblr. Esa red social que, a primera vista, parece que se compone solamente de pandas de fans militantes de series de televisión o páginas dedicadas enteramente al estilo de pelo de Zayn de One Direction. Pero la verdad es que Tumblr es una plataforma donde se puede montar blogs, publicar obras o incluso exponer trabajo artístico. Y eso es exactamente lo que ha hecho un usuario detrás del alias streetseeds. El blog streetseeds.tumblr.com es una colección de fotos en blanco y negro que muestran un lado distinto de Valencia, donde las fotos se toman en rincones interesantes sobre todo … [Read more...]

CaminArt’s alternative walking tours of Valencia

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CaminArt's alternative walking tours of Valencia

My name is María Bosch. I received 200 whippings and was exiled from Valencia for being a fetillera - a hechicera, or witch. Or at least that's who I was for 2 hours last Saturday evening on the Camins màgics i sobrenaturals. A new take on the typical walking tour, CaminArt offers various camins aimed at those with an interest in the macabre history of Valencia. Comprised of a small team of historians, archaeologists and tour guides, CaminArt offers a whole host of alternative walks including Ruta por la cara oculta de la Ciutat Vella (the dark side of the old town) and Camins negres (black … [Read more...]

Barrio de la Aguja: respite from the concrete jungle

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Barrio de la Aguja: respite from the concrete jungle

Avenida del Cid is a blot on Valencia's landscape - a busy, 6 laned monstrosity of tunnels and junctions that drives traffic down from the Madrid motorway exit towards Mislata, Abastos, Plaza España and the city centre. Although undoubtedly making sense in the grand scheme of things, Avenida del Cid is more likely to appear among the pages of Architecture of Doom than get anyone named Town Planner of the Year. But escaping the fumes and hustle and bustle is relatively easy if you know where to look. Barrio de la Aguja is located a mere stone's throw away from the Avenida del Cid metro stop, … [Read more...]

DAVID DE LIMÓN – Valencia Acid Street Art

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DAVID DE LIMÓN - Valencia Acid Street Art

Valencia's old town is awash with graffiti and it's hard to walk down its winding alleys without encountering at least some form of captivating street art. We're sure you'll have seen this little guy hiding in nooks and crannies in and around El Carmen and over the past year or so you may have noticed an increase in David de Limón's ninjas. These simple, balaclava-clad figures -often life-sized and wielding a can of spray paint- seem to have downright invaded the city, forming an integral part of the urban landscape. And now they're set to take on a whole new dimension. David de Limón will … [Read more...]

«Whatever happened to that old saying, ‘Love thy neighbour’?»

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"Whatever happened to that old saying, 'Love thy neighbour'?"

If you grew up in the UK you probably lived in a house, with university halls being your first taste of living in a flat. After that you either get a house of your own or slink off back to your parents' gaff. Unless, of course, you move to another country. In Spain, over 65% of the population live in a piso or flat - something which may take some getting used to if, like me, you grew up in "the new estate" of a small Yorkshire pit village. Here's the view from my bedroom window at my parents' home. On a good day, you hear the odd car, the trickling of the neighbour's water feature and a … [Read more...]

Charisma meets creepy in La Punta

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Charisma meets creepy in La Punta

Paella, punk or an alternative route through Valencia... La Punta begins at the periphery of what we perceive to be Valencia city, a stone's throw away from the City of Arts and Science and the El Saler shopping centre on Bulevar Sur. Calatrava's futuristic works and a speckling of newly built (and practically vacant) high rise flats are the last things that separate the centre from the fields, vegetable patches and lonely neighbourhoods that lie to the south and south west of the city. While there's no doubt you can get a banging paella at one of the famed restaurants in the area, like … [Read more...]

Benimaclet Carnaval 2016

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Benimaclet Carnaval 2016

The annual Benimaclet carnival is back this year on the 13th of February. Festivities include a fire run courtesy of the local Colla de Dimonis and typical local music by the Colla Dolçaina i Tabal Roja de Benimaclet, organised by Joves Benimaclet and the Benimaclet neighbour's association. Parades, dancing, castells (human towers) and communal meals follow. The Benimaclet carnival is usually celebrated one week after its famous counterparts in Tenerife and Cadiz, yet this year shares the same weekend under the new name of #Festimaclet. Just like other years we'll witness the XXVIII … [Read more...]

Small café, big heart: La Ola Fresca

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Small café, big heart: La Ola Fresca

La Ola Fresca is a charming delicafé with a lively atmosphere and terrace. Grab a pew among the quirky decorations and bookshelves and take advantage of tasty food from the regularly changing menu in this lovely delicafé on pedestrianised street, Calle Músico Magenti in Benimaclet. laolafresca.com boasts, “We are food enthusiasts, always keen to try new ideas - traditional favourites enlivened with our ‘Fresca’ twist of maybe lime, ginger, chilli, lemongrass or other mystery guests”. A great array of teas and coffees are available as well as craft bottled beers including BrewDog Punk IPA and … [Read more...]

The bizarre world of Spanish squats

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The bizarre world of Spanish squats

It's 5am and you're sat on a wooden box painted to look like a coffin in the middle of a muddy garden drinking a can of Carrefour beer. To your left there's a group of people clapping and singing flamenco; to your right, a gaggle of punks huddled around a threadbare sofa. This was the scenario we found ourselves in last weekend after we unwittingly stumbled upon L'Eskombrera - a CSO (Centro social ocupado, or squat house) in the vegetable fields around Benimaclet, Valencia. The huge building, which was probably once used as an alquería or farm house, lies at the end of a dark, narrow road … [Read more...]

Bares míticos valencianos (or the return of the charming ‘old-man’ bar)

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Bares míticos valencianos (or the return of the charming 'old-man' bar)

Don't be fooled by their dark, old-fashioned interiors - you, amigo mío, are in for an authentic taste sensation. Brunch. The hip "new" meal that you can find emblazoned across menu boards of happening bars in Ruzafa. But, come on, we don't want any of that pretentious bull mocking us with pompous use of the English language (what are we, #brunchers?) - we want to experience pensioner chic while propping up the bar with Anacleto and Vicente and knocking back a late morning cassalla. According to the food-centric Spanish timetable, almuerzo is one of the standard 5 meals a day. It can … [Read more...]

Street Art Valencia

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Street Art Valencia

It only takes a short stroll around Valencia to realise that if there’s one thing the city's got (apart from lots and lots of rice) it's great street art. By no means an in-depth study, I’ve dug deep into the archives of my aging laptop -and even trekked around town with my trusty Nikon- to bring you a quick look at some of my favourite pieces. El Carmen Probably the first piece of street art that anyone new to the city sees is Blu's Moses with the huge beard of snakes opposite the tumbling car on the corner of nightlife hotspot, Plaza Tossal. The car, by native Valencian Escif, has … [Read more...]

Spotlight on: Juan Llorens and Extramurs

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Spotlight on: Juan Llorens and Extramurs

Extramuros might not be first on your agenda when planning a night out in Valencia city. Appearing somewhat off the radar in comparison to other nightlife hotspots such as Ruzafa or El Carmen, Extramuros, or Extramurs in Valencian, lies just to the west of the old town, within walking distance from El Carmen. Here's why you'd be wrong to overlook it... The area is often simply referred to as "Juan Llorens" after the main road running through the neighbourhood, a nod to the one of the men behind the Germanías rebellion in the 16th century. Think wide, tree-lined streets with bustling terraces … [Read more...]

La Cueva de Benimaclet turn things up to 11

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La Cueva de Benimaclet turn things up to 11

This week sees the continuation of La Cueva's successful cinema ciclos with a delve into the world of "Music & Cinema". All movies are projected in the "self-managed" garage/planta baja in the charming Valencian barrio of Benimaclet. Entrance is free, beers are cheap and the place is set up with a pleasant mish-mash of comfortable sofas and chairs. This new ciclo comes after the Stanley Kubrik season which saw projections of Full Metal Jacket and Eyes Wide Shut, as well as a focus on Balkan Cinema which featured great movies such as No Man's Land (Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2001). All … [Read more...]

Spotlight on: San José + Plaza Honduras

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Spotlight on: San José + Plaza Honduras

According to a recent study, Valencia currently boasts 6 bars per 1000 inhabitants – and it’s not hard to see evidence of this as soon as you step foot outside your flat. Stroll through Plaza Xúquer on any evening of the week and you’ll pay testament to the amount of bars that line the streets of Valencia, and busy bars at that. Head out on a Friday or Saturday night and you may even struggle to get a table if you haven’t booked. One of the night-out hotspots of Valencia City has to be the San José district of Valencia, more commonly referred to as Plaza Xúquer which tends to go hand in … [Read more...]