Valencia+proyecto+p.4



VALENCIA


Valencia City Spain & Surrounding Areas
This lovely city is perfect for a city break, business trip or [|romantic getaway] ! There are so many exciting [|things to do]  and getting here is easy as there are many [|cheap flights]  or you can travel here by [|train] .   This buzzing city has a magical [|Old Quarter] with an exciting [|town center]. There's also a very trendy area called [|Barrio del Carmen] where some of the best [|nightlife] is.  There are upmarket [|shops], bars and[|restaurants] and spectacular festivals such as[|La Tomatina] and [|Las Fallas].  Visit the stunning [|aquarium] (largest in Europe) located in the jaw-dropping [|City of Arts and Sciences]. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Don't forget to visit the lovely [|Turia Gardens] which are an essential part of the city. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> It's also a good idea to buy a [|map] as you may get lost in the narrow winding streets of the historic [|Old Town] and [|Barrio del Carmen]. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> If you can [|speak Spanish] this helps a lot and you can also learn the language at the [|Spanish School] in the center of town! <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A very important bonus is that this lovely city is situated next to the Mediterranean sea with miles of lovely[|white sandy beaches]. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Spain is famous for its lovely beaches and in this magical city the beaches are lined with some of the best[|restaurants] in town. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The nearby port is where the international yachting event the[|America's Cup] was held in 2007. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> In August the [|European Grand Prix] is held on a brand new street circuit around the port, similar to the one in Monaco. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The [|hotels] are excellent and if you like [|golf] you won't be disappointed as there are some stunning golf courses. <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> All the essential Valencia Tourist Information for this lovely city and the[|surrounding areas] of the region is here. Just click on the links on the left or those below and we'll transport you to Spain's third largest magical city!

http://kevinspanish.glogster.com/valencia-project/

<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">Valencia was first inhabited by the Iberians; then the Greeks, Romans, Visigoths and Muslims settled down in the province.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">Valencia city history has been greatly influenced by Roman civilisation. Nevertheless, the subsequent Muslim influence was even greater to the extent that the population of this place was essentially Muslim except for a short lived conquest by the Cid in 1088.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">The nationalistic side of Valencia with its own political identity originated in 1238 when King James I conquered the [|city of Valencia]. Nevertheless, it held its own autonomy as a kingdom within the group of States under his domains instead of being annexed to the kingdoms of Catalonia or Aragon. Valencia has its own identity by being a state self governing itself with its own institutions and parliament in spite of the mainly Catalan character of this conquest.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">After the Middle Ages, economic growth was subject to sudden halts, such as the war of the 'Germanias' (1519-1522) and the expulsion of the 'Moriscos' in 1616, which marked the beginning of its decline.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">People from Valencia took Austria´s Archduke´s side in the War of Succession at the beginning of the 1700s while most of the nobles were favouring Phillip V, whose success brought about the end of the region´s autonomy as well as the abolition of local charters.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;">During the last two centuries, politics in Valencia have been a reflection of the Spanish situation as seen from the capital of the State.

La Tomatina tomato fight in Buñol near Valencia happens every year on the last Wednesday in August though the partying starts earlier in the week. The highlight of the festival is the tomato fight which takes place between 11am

and 1pm on that day. The event has become one of the highlights on Spain's summer festivals calendar with thousands of people flocking to this little Valencian town for this chaotic event.

Such are the numbers going to La Tomatina that the event has become a victim of its own success. The sheer number of people means that it's extremely difficult to get anywhere near the central area where the tomato lorries arrive so you may well find yourself a few streets away from the main action. Never mind, there are plenty people in the same boat and the street partying goes on no matter where you are.

Accommodation in Bunyol Bunyol is a small village of some 9000 people whose population swells to some 30,000 on the day of La Tomatina. There is hardly any accommodation in the village itself so your best bet is to stay in a Hostel in Valencia or take a look at some Valencia Hotels. Be sure to book well in advanceOn the morning of the festival there are trains from Valencia Central Station, which is about 40km away, at eight minutes past the hour (check at www.renfe.es just in case this has changed). There is no need to book tickets in advance and the journey takes 50 minutes.

The actual tomato fight lasts little over an hour beginning at midday and continuing until shortly after 1pm. So the 8.08am, 9.08am or 10.08 trains will get you there in plenty time. The earlier the better as the trains do get full. Alternatively, you can arrive by local bus or rent a car though this might not be a great idea considering the mess you're likely to be in after the tomato battle.

Make sure you take a change of clothes for the return train journey - there are some public showers in Bunyol near the river.

The origins of La Tomatina aren't clear with several theories explaining how Bunyol has become home to the world's biggest tomato fight. However, the most plausible suggests that the most likely explanation dates back to 1945 when an annual parade of enormous figures with big heads (Gigantes y Cabezudos) was passing through the streets of Bunyol.It seems that some youngsters tried to join in the parade and accidentally knocked over one of the giants who got to his feet and started swinging out at everyone around him. In retaliation the youngsters grabbed some tomatoes from a nearby vegetable stall and started throwing them at him until the police arrived to break things up. The following year on the same last Wednesday of August these young people returned to the town hall square and started another tomato fight using their own tomatoes. Again the police intervened and in subsequent years the local council tried to ban the 'El día de la Tomatina' but with little success as event continued to grow year after year reaching the ludicrous size it is today. Rules of La Tomatina The following rules have been set down by the Bunyol Town Council: · It is illegal to bring any kind of bottles or other objects that could cause an accident. · You must not tear t-shirts. · Tomatoes must be crushed before throwing so that they don't hurt anybody. · You must be careful to avoid the lorries which carry the tomatoes. As soon as you hear the 2nd banger you must stop throwing tomatoes. "Try to enjoy yourself as much as possible but respect these rules and the people. In the "tomatina" festival there has never been a mishap and we would like it to stay that way so everybody around the world can have a good time."

If you are one of those people loving the sight of flames and the smell of gunpowder, the Valencian famous festival known as ´//Las Fallas//´ is the event for you. This unique celebration is characterised for being smoky, loud, crazy and rowdy while the city is literally set ablaze. This Valencia well known event began as a feast day to commemorate St Joseph, the patron of Valencia and the saint of carpenters. The Valencia Fallas have developed into a five day multifaceted festival also celebrating ´fire´ with a population swelling to three million of flame loving people. In//Valenciá// (the co-official language of the region of Valencia), //Las Fallas// mean ´the fires´. Las Fallas´ centre of attraction are the creation and destruction of the //ninots//, which are statues made of huge cardboard, wood and plaster located over 350 places like parks and key intersections all over [|__Valencia city__]. The lifelike//ninots// frequently and satirically portray current events and bawdy scenes (Spanish celebrities and lampooning corrupt politicians are especially liked). Crafted by neighbourhood organizations, they are quite expensive and take about six months to build. Many //ninots// are quite a few stories tall with cranes needed to move them into position.

The //ninots// remain in place until St Joseph´s Day, 19th March, when they are burned during “La Cremá.” Young men with axes chop holes into the //ninots//and put fireworks inside them in the early evening. While the street lights are turned off the spectators chant; then at exactly the stroke of midnight all the//ninots// are set on fire. The local firemen have devised over the years unique ways to protect Valencia´s buildings from burning alongside the //ninots//: for instance, by covering storefronts neatly with fireproof tarps. Also one of the//ninots// is spared from burning into flames each year by the crowds´ vote and will be exhibited in the local //ninot// museum along other years´ favorites.

Janet Morton, a pyromaniac and traveller mentions that //Las Fallas// are very difficult to be described as they are intensely cathartic. She also says that they are like a mix between the Fourth of July, a bawdy Disneyland and an apocalyptic end of the world.

The Valencia //Fallas// festival origins are somewhat obscure, though they are thought to be the evolution of pagan ceremonies of the celebration held on the planting season and spring onset. Also in the 1500s the city of Valencia only used street lights during the long winter nights, street lamps that were hung on wooden structures or ´//parots//´. When the days were longer, since the //parots// were not needed, they were customarily burned on St Joseph´s Day. Even now //Las Fallas// have kept their working-class satirical roots, while the upper classes and the faint-of-heart often leave the city when it is the actual time for this celebration.

Apart from burning the //ninots//, there are also other activities during the Valencia //Fallas// festivities; there are a wide range of beauty pageants, paella contests, parades and bullfights daily all throughout the city. Besides, during the days leading up to "//la cremá//", improvised displays of fireworks happen.

Finally another highlight of //Las Fallas// in Valencia are the 2 pm daily "//mascletá//" held in the Town Hall square, where the ground literally shakes for the 10 minutes following the ignition of a huge pile of firecrackers.

Valencia is located on the East coast of Spain by the Mediterranean Sea. It is the main city within the province of Valencia.
 * Location: **

**Languages:** There are 2 official languages: Spanish & Valenciá.

**Weather:** With average temperatures between 29º C in summer and 15º C in winter, Valencia has a mild Mediterranean climate.

The main tourist attractions in the **city of Valencia** are found in its wealthy culture, its varied calendar of //fiestas//, its rich gastronomy, its range of nature reserves, an accommodation network located on clean beaches as well as a sound city infrastructure for business trips.

There is huge range of accommodation in **Valencia city** with 95 hotels, 417 apartments, 49 hostels, 35 campsites and two spas that make possible every season to welcome a large number of visitors.


 * The province of **Valencia**, the largest of the three making up the Valencian community, is situated in the centre of the Spanish Mediterranean coastline while overlooking the spacious Gulf of Valencia; it is skirted at the back by a group of medium-high mountains and rolling plains leading to the lands of Aragon and Castile-La Mancha. It is also opposite the Balearic islands and equidistant from the country's two major decision-taking centres: Madrid and Barcelona. Take a look at this [|Valencia map] to check where Valencia is located within Spain!

Valencia is a place identified with the Mediterranean Sea because its culture deriving from the old //Mare Nostrum// is shown in its patterns of social behaviour. ||

Furthermore, [|Valencia city] is the administrative capital of the Valencian community and the centre of the region of //L'Horta//. Valencia is the most densely populated town in the region as it is encircled by a wide belt of medium-sized districts with an average density of 1,600 inhabitants per square kilometre forming an unbroken built-up area. ** A bit of light travelling in Valencia ** Sightseeing around the city begins in the old quarter. Until the mid-nineteenth century, it was defended by a wall, which was the inner route of the no 5 bus. Still standing as a proof are the graceful //Torres de Serranos//, the spacious //Torres de Quart// and some remains of the apron wall in the basement of the Valencia Institute of Modern Arts (//IVAM//). The most outstanding artistic heritage is the one found in the districts of Seu and Xerea, where the marks left by the Romans lie hidden beneath Arab ruins and modern churches and palaces.

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