Flores de las Fallas

Arrived too late for the fireworks and the bonfire of the Fallas, but the floral tributes to Our Lady of the Forsaken are still on display in the Plaza de la Virgen. The crowd is so thick that we are unable to get further than the doorway of the Basilica of the Virgin. So we crowd watch while sipping dos cafes.

Also we meet up with one of the Holy Week processionals purely by chance.

Valencia Cathedral,
the home of the Holy Chalice, gold with jewels, and the left arm of Santo Vincente the Martyr, patron saint of Valencia, is a study in light white and gold with high windows filled with white and gold mottled glass. The stone pillars, crossed arches and walls are a white/beige sandstone. The crowd is thinner here so we get in to see the chalice and the arm.

Trouble is that most of the city is closed for Holy Week, except for a few restaurants. Even the great Central Market is closed. We tour the restored Silk Merchants Hall and settle for lunch at a Pan's.