On our morning in Valencia we made sure we got up early to head to the central markets. We had heard they were a "must do" in Valencia, and given our apartment was walking distance away we figured it would be a perfect place to find some breakfast.
We quickly saw why the markets were a must do. With so much variety and the vibrancy of colour in all the produce, it was a fabulous place to spend our morning. Merchants were happy to discuss with us their products (how jamon is prepared; where different olives come from, etc), so it was a great learning experience also. Not only did we have breakfast but we also stocked up to have lunch on the road.
Another "must do" in Valencia according to the interwebs was to check out the City of Arts and Sciences. Located slightly out of the way from where we were staying, we grabbed the car and decided to stop and have a look on our way out of town.
The modern designs of the City of Arts and Sciences was such a contrast to the ancient architecture we had been seeing throughout our trip to Spain. The complex consists of various buildings including an IMAX cinema, an interactive science museum, and an opera theatre to name a few. The buildings with their sweeping lines and curves were so different from the intricate detail of the gothic designs we had seen in the old cathedrals. But they were intriguing in their own way... although some we simply found to be a bit odd and couldn't help but have a giggle.
Finally it was time to do our final leg of our Spanish road trip and head back to Barcelona where we would spend the night and one last day. The drive weaved from the mediterranean coastline and into the hills, then back to the coastline.
In no time at all we met our old friends the toll booths—we couldn't believe how many tolls we had come across while in Spain and how expensive they were, particularly in Catalona. Finally though, we passed through our last lot of tolls for our trip.
For our final night in Spain we had booked a bit of a special treat for our accommodation... W Barcelona, right out on a spit on the Barcelona coastline and overlooking the beach.
Admittedly we would have loved to have been in a room higher in the hotel for an even better view as ours was slightly hindered by another part of the building, but it was still magical—particularly once the sun went down and the night lights shined into the water.
We got dressed up for a special final night in Spain... unfortunately the restaurant we chose was a let-down but after wandering along the beach and finding a great spot for a Friday night cocktail, the evening was still classified a success!
Day 9, our last day, next time x
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