velvet | Spain
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Valencia in five restaurants

One of the aspects that struck me most on my recent trips to Valencia in Spain is the city’s culinary diversity. From simple food stands to lovely seafood restaurants at the beach to Michelin star outfits, Valencia definitely has lots of culinary highlights to offer. Paella and calamari dominate menus everywhere but look closer and [...]

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Velvet moments: travel photo of the week – Benicassim Festival

This week’s Velvet Moment was taken during my recent trip to the Benicassim Festival in Spain, where I had a pass to enter the photographers’ pit during the performances. It was an incredible experience to be mashed in between the band on the stage and probably 30,000 wild fans behind us. My initial focus was [...]

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Plane views: Valencia

My trip to Valencia in Spain has been an excellent source of Plane Views posts: there was Paris from the air and a study of the European patchwork of fields. On my flight back to Amsterdam, I chose a window seat on the left side of the plane (row ‘A’) and got very lucky! Row [...]

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Velvet moments: travel photo of the week – La Boqueria Market, Barcelona

The La Boqueria market in Barcelona, Spain. Read the accompanying post: ‘The Delights of La Boqueria‘. See other Velvet moments: Mt. Vesuvius, Italy Murals of Valparaiso, Chile Zanzibar, Tanzania Lago Grey, Torres del Paine, Chile Pompeii, Italy Bora Bora, French Polynesia Serengeti, Tanzania Sacred Water Temple, Bali, Indonesia Masaai Mara, Kenya Iguazu Falls, Brazil/Argentina

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The treasures of Morella

Morella is a medieval town in the province of Castellón, approximately 180 km north of the city of Valencia in Spain. There are few walled towns around the world (Carcassonne in France and Diyarbakir in Turkey are classic examples that spring to mind) that can match the magnificence of Morella. As you approach Morella, one [...]

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An architectural marvel in Valencia

The City of Arts and Sciences is a string of stunning architectural jewels in the centre of the Spanish city of Valencia. Designed by Santiago Calatrava (one of my favourite architects) and Félix Candela, the City of Arts and Sciences is a modern cultural and entertainment complex built on the old riverbed of the Turia [...]

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Behind the scenes of the Valencia Formula One Grand Prix

Before my trip to Valencia to visit the Formula One Grand Prix, my understanding of Formula One racing was limited to fast cars that cost millions, whizzing around a track, and gorgeous girls. Sure, I’d heard of Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso but that was about as many famous Formula One names as [...]

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Velvet moments: travel photo of the week – Benidorm

Benidorm by night. Read the accompanying post: ‘Experiencing Valencia‘. Note: my trip to Valencia and Benidorm was sponsored by the Land of Valencia and Transavia. See other Velvet moments: Floating villages, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia Zanzibar, Tanzania Lago Grey, Torres del Paine, Chile Pompeii, Italy Bora Bora, French Polynesia Serengeti, Tanzania Sacred Water Temple, Bali, Indonesia [...]

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Experiencing Valencia

Valencia is the third-largest city in Spain and is the home of paella (YUM!) and the famous Falles festival. With its seaside setting, mile upon mile of sandy beaches, a treasure trove of heritage buildings and the futuristic City of Arts & Sciences (designed by one of my favourite architects, Santiago Calatrava; and Felix Candela), [...]

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A stroll through Palma de Mallorca

Palma de Mallorca is the capital of Mallorca, the largest of the Balearic islands, a small group of islands in the western Mediterranean. The Balearics, of which Mallorca and Ibiza are the most famous, are a popular summer holiday destination for many Europeans, many of whom have second homes there – with the abundance of [...]

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