Valencia, Spain - bus recon

 The only thing on the agenda for today was to take the bus into Valencia (and out again) and work out the logistics of doing that.

I was up to see the sunrise...coffee, breakfast

 

and then to the bus stop, a block and a half away, by 9:45.

We were able to use the SUMA ticket we had used on the metro and it took about an hour and 15 minutes to get into the central bus station in Valencia. 

 In comparison, when we had the car, it was about a 25 minute drive to Refelbunyol, 10 minutes to find a parking space and walk to the station and about a half an hour into Valencia. So approximately the same. The difference is the frequency of the metro schedule vs the bus schedule from Canet and the bus is cheaper (no car rental or gas cost)

Rick had n0t yet seen the Serrano gate so we walked along the Turia park

 

and then over the bridge to take pictures of the gate.

Florida State University (FSU) in Valencia

offers a premier study abroad experience, featuring a campus in the heart of the city's historic district, just behind the Torres de Serranos. It is ideal for first-year students, semester-long, or summer programs, providing courses in business, social sciences, humanities, and Spanish language. The facility blends 10th-century Moorish architecture with modern amenities, including a computer lab, library, and on-site apartment housing. from AI summary.

We sat in the same little cafe that Chris, Kristin and I had gone to and had a cafe con leche, muffin and croissant, while deciding what to do next.

 

It was Monday--we looked up the Ceramic Museum and 2 Art Museums, all closed on Mondays.

On the walking tour we had been told that the Serrano Gate was one of two remaining gates from the city walls. We decided to try and find the other gate.

Google directed us as I snapped pictures of whatever struck my fancy

and we wandered into shops and alleyways

whenever we felt like it.

and then there was Torres de Quart

Torres de Quart (1441-1460): Situated on the western side, this gate has significant, visible cannon damage on its facade from the 1808 Napoleonic War. Its design was influenced by the Castel Nuovo in Naples. from AI summary.

 

Feeling a little peckish we headed back into the old section to hit the market. I started to take photos of street art and

buildings tiles...

and other architectural details.

The market area was way busier that we had seen it before and we learned from a brief conversation that it was a winter break for Dutch schools (and maybe other northern counties too)

We each had a "hand pie": mine spinach and Rick's, tuna, from the market.

Then gradually meandered our way back

to

the bus

station, where Rick had a cervesa and I had an agua con gas while

waiting for our bus.

I was happy with the bus system, now I have a better understanding of it.

The down side is that there are only 2 buses in the morning into Valencia and one in the afternoon returning to Canet. Sagunto is also an option with more frequent bus service but is a 40 minute walk away.

The buses are electric, on time, comfortable, cheap and well used. There were lots of university kids riding as we returned at 2:30.

Side note: The driver of the inbound bus was super friendly, wished everybody a buenas dias as they embarked and handed me a cough lozenge when I started coughing. The driver of the return bus couldn't get his ticket reader to work so he just gestured us all to get on and we got a free ride!