vicarious travelling: Valencia, Spain

I planned to go into Valencia on my last Tuesday, to go to the modern art museum and look at the Fallas.

Normally this sign at the bus stop would indicate how long before the next bus arrives. It usually lists just a few minutes. But when I got there at about 9:35 for an anticipated 9:45 bus, this indicated the next bus would be at 3:15.

I had seen on facebook, that morning, someone asking about the transportation and comments indicated that it was very limited. I hadn't realized that for the whole week, the buses were running on the festival schedule (one in the early morning, one in the afternoon and one at night)

I decided to walk to Port de Segunto to either catch a bus from there or go and pay for the drinks I had inadvertently "skipped out on" on Saturday.

Washroom and water stop when I got there.

When I went to pay for it with a 5Euro bill I was directed to put it into the machine and it gave me my change. I guess this saves time for the server.

Another Fallas on the way.

I couldn't understand the signs

but it seemed to be dedicated to

painters.

The parts of Sagunto that the bus goes through are rows of ugly apartment buildings but I was able to find some more attractive residential streets.

Some with tiled

walls.

In front of the city hall, in a square that I have only seen crowded with people and stalls on market days,

a firework display was being prepared.

The market building has some permanent stalls

but a sign on the door said it would be closed on March 19 for the festival.

Mail delivery.

I have learned that the streets with banners and flags flying usually end at

a Fallas.

I reached the church and

figured out which of the 3 restaurants, on the street, served the table I had been sitting at.

Now I had to find a server to explain it to. The one I approached spoke no English but gestured to another and between his unsteady English, my unsteady Spanish and a lot of hand gesturing I was able to make him understand that I had forgotten to pay for what I ordered on Saturday and wanted to pay now. When he understood he seemed amazed and very grateful. He called people out of the kitchen to explain it to them and there was a lot of gracias, gracias. I wonder how often it happens that people just walk away without paying, it is so easy to do here.

My conscience now clear I headed back into Sagunto's narrow streets

This one celebrating

theatre

and cancellations occur

if you don't support it.

Some of them I couldn't

even guess at the theme.

At one, a couple of women were preparing girls hair into the traditional style.

This involved a lot of bobby pins and a lot of wincing on the part of the "victim".

I needed to refuel and ordered my wine while trying to decide what to eat. When the olive mix and pincho came with the wine I decided that was lunch.