Eurowings Blind Booking feature offers cheaper airfares in exchange for a surprise destination. We decided to roll the dice and try this out for the Thanksgiving weekend, and scored Valencia, Spain. Established over 2000 years ago, Valencia is a major mediterranean port, with architecture and culture influenced by the Romans and Arabs.
Valencia
Our weather was sunny and chilly, but not cold. As soon as we arrived and checked into our hotel, we made a beeline to the beach, arriving in time for sunset and tapas of padron peppers, grilled anchovies, and sangria.
And since dinnertime starts late in Spain, we were hungry again when we arrived at Aladroc, known for their grilled octopus. This special meal did not disappoint, and we also enjoyed their eggplant caponata with toasted sourdough bread.
A rambling walking tour is a lovely way to see Valencia. We strolled through miles of narrow winding streets, and squares with statues and fountains, never retracing our steps. There are so many lovely sights for photos, and we stopped occasionally for a snack, a pint, or a meal, whenever the mood hit us.
Our highlights in Valencia were seeing Mercat Central, a large food hall, the Serranos Towers, part of the original city walls, San Nicholas Church with the painted ceilings, and the Cathedral that claims to hold the Holy Grail. Also, we ate the paella valenciana, delicious!
How Not To Catch a Train in Valencia
We woke up super early on one of our mornings to catch an 06.30 train to go up the coast to see a castle used in filming season 6 of Game of Thrones. Arriving in plenty of time at the station, we got some coffee and strolled to platform 7 for our train. Noticing there was no one on the train, we asked the conductor, who kindly told us our train was on platform 4, contrary to what was displayed on the directory board. As we headed to platform 4, we waved at our train as it left the station, leaving us wishing we had paid more attention to learning Spanish so we could have understood the last-minute announcement of the change.
With a change of plans, we had a wonderful brunch and then decided to ride the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus to get a different view of the city. We haven’t done one of these in years, but we have fond memories of seeing the top sights of a city this way. It’s not the same without the interaction of human tour guides versus the recordings used now, but overall it was a pleasant 2-hour ride.
Irish Pubs of Valencia
Irish Pubs are sprinkled throughout Valencia, and we found great hospitality in all that we visited. Our favorite was Mulligan’s, with perfect pub decor, great staff, and friendly locals. As we arrived, we had a possible Robert Plant sighting, lead singer of Led Zeppelin. The locals were sure it was him, just stopping in for a pint, but let’s say we were all playing it cool, as we have no photo evidence.
Irish Rugby played Australia on Saturday, so most of the pubs were filled with rugby fans. We met a new friend, Jenny from Wales, and had a lovely chat at her favorite spot in Valencia, St. Martin’s Irish Pub.
Eurowings Blind Booking Review
Overall, we are happy with our Eurowings Blind Booking experience. We didn’t have Valencia on our list of places we wanted to visit, but we’re glad we went. It was a relaxing get-away with great foods and wines.
Logistics
| Day 1 | Fly STR to VAL Note: There is an easy metro option direct from the airport to Valencia’s Old Town in 20 minutes, this was closed during our visit due to the floods Stay in Ciutat Vella, Old Town; we stayed at Helen Berger Boutique Hotel – Recommend! Visit Platja de la Malva-Rosa, eat tapas at the beach Eat at Aladroc taverna de peix – a small seafood spot in a lively local neighborhood , get the grilled octopus, make a reservation – Highly Recommend!! |
| Day 2 | Our top favorite spots to see: Mercat Central – large central food hall Iglesia de San Nicolas – the Valencian Sistine Chapel Serranos Towers – original city walls, in the original Old Town The Cathedral – Basilica, the Valencians claim to have the Holy Grail here All the charming wandering streets throughout Old Town Plan a stop at Mulligan’s Irish Pub for a drink, our favorite Irish Pub for that perfect “pub feel” in Valencia – Highly Recommend! |
| Day 3 | Further options for exploring Valencia: Old Town, all the charming wandering streets Hop On Hop Off Bus BioPark, a zoo that focuses on natural habitats for the animals The Aquarium at the Cuidad de las Artes y las Ciencias Beach time |
| Day 4 | Fly VAL – STR |
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