Jardins del Reial

Under the category of “No Rest for the Wicked” we dragged our tired bodies out of bed at 8:00AM this morning to once more address the issues around our rental contract. We have learned the hard way that, after staying up to midnight (or 2:00AM for the Cremá) too many nights in a row, requires more than a single night’s rest to catch back up.

Up and out of the house, early enough to make sure we have time to stop for a ‘cafe con leche’ (coffee with steamed milk) at the local bakery, off we went. We decided to walk along the Turia River rather than take the subway, into the old city. The actual Turia river was diverted years ago and these lovely pathways and gardens were created where the river had once been. Today they are the Turia Gardens but still fondly referred to as the Turia River.
We thought it was going to be cold because it was 9° Celsius this morning but it turned out to be a beautiful walk when you stayed in the sun and as the day got warmer Valencia started to blossom for us. There were lots of people out walking their dogs or riding their bicycles on the first really sunny and warm day we have had.
After picking up the amended rental contract we headed out of the old city to the Gran Via de Ferran el Catòlicto, a beautiful boulevard that runs north-south on the west side of Valencia. One side of the Gran Via was bathed with warm morning sun. For a major part of the walk we were able to walk down the center of the boulevard where we found children’s playgrounds, open areas to relax and even exercise equipment. The gardens and the open areas of Valencia are so striking and such a healthy and attractive part of this city.

After a short walk we came across Mail Boxes Etc where were able to get our contracts copied (like all governments they demand everything in triplicate) and then off to find a café for breakfast. Of course we sat outside enjoying the beauty of the Gran Via and the sun.
Trying to find gluten free food in Valencia is a challenge but most places understand the issue and can accomodate. Today though, we wanted to explore a gluten free bakery not too far from our soon-to-be apartment. We walked down to the Estació de Bailén subway station and zipped over to the Alameda subway station where, once again, we walked along the Turia River in search of this bakery.
Along the way we made a detour in our walk when we came across the Jardins del Reial (the Reial Gardens) which, again, like so many of the gardens of Valencia, are beautiful, even in early spring with statuary, tree lined avenues, ponds and fountains. The Jardins del Reial were part of the former Royal Palace of Valencia which was located inside the park until 1810. You can still see the ruins of the palace foundations along the west side of the park.
Not too far along we found our gluten free bakery. Surprisingly the Tramvia runs right in front of the bakery; the same Tramvia we took back from Playa de la Malvarrosa. We were right here and didn’t realize there was a gluten free bakery not 50 feet away. So we stopped for a pastry and a bottle of water, picked up a loaf of gluten free Valencian bread and off we went. Our legs were tired though after walking 6 miles this morning, so we decided to catch a taxi home just in time for siesta.