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Vol 3 Edition 1 June 2002
Costa Blanca Netguide Newsletter
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com
This newsletter is only sent to subscribers
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CONTENTS:
1) Article: A brief history of Valencia
2) New Businesses on the guide
3) Updated Businesses on the guide
4) Costa Blanca Resources
5) Sticker/Screensaver Information
6) 2002 Publishing Dates
7) Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information
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Hi ,
This month we take a fascinating look around Valencia with
some suprising and unusual facts coming to light in this months
feature article. Suzanna really has done her homework on this
one. Enjoy!
We are still updating the website but notably we are
still experiencing problems with the maps page. This section
of the guide is one of the most popular and important and
as such we are making this a priority so our updates may take a
little longer than anticipated.
As always if you have any suggestions, comments (good or bad)
or articles for the website or this newsletter please email me
directly.
Until Next Month
Robin
Editor - Costa Blanca Netguide.
editor@costablanca-netguide.com
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1) Feature Article : A brief history of Valencia
Valencia is without doubt one of the most beautiful cities to
visit and this is an ideal time of year to go before it gets too
hot! The train connections are good and take you right into the
centre of the city. The train station is situated next to the
bullring and opposite the old town.
i) The Old Town
Valencia's old town is surrounded by the rails of the tramway,
which run where the old town-walls were until 1865. Most
monuments date to the time after the conquest of Valencia from
the Moors, in 1238 by Jaime I.
The Cathedral is mainly of early Gothic style, though some parts
of it were added at later dates. Its three portals are
Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque. The main chapel, Capilla Mayor,
is in Baroque style, the two lateral chapels are Neoclassic.
The octagonal bell-tower, called Micalet or also Miguelete, is
the landmark of the city. From there you have a great view over
the whole of Valencia, and Victor Hugo counted more than 300
bell-towers in the city (to check if this number is correct
could be a challenge to any patient and unstressed
visitor...??!!)
In the Cathedral you can see the Holy Chalice, of which Jesus
Christ and the Apostles are said to have drunk during the Last
Supper.
In the Cathedral's Museum there are works of Goya, Jacomart,
Cellini, Paggibonsi exhibited as well as paintings of the
Valencian School from the 15th to 17th Century.
Close to the Catherdral there is the Basílica de la Virgen de
los Desamparados, ("Mare de Deu dels Desemparats") , a church
consecrated to the patroness of the city, and the Almudín, a
medieval granary that is nowadays used as a museum. In the
closeby church Iglesia de San Esteban are said to have been
married the daughters of the legendary El Cid.
Some more interesting buildings in this area of town are the
Palace of Almirantes de Aragón, the church San Juan del Hospital
and the Convento de Santo Domingo.
ii) The River
Well worth seeing are the three old bridges, Puente del Real,
Puente de la Trinidad and Puente de Serranos, the latter with
the Torres de Serranos , 15th Century towers that have been part
of the old town-walls and combine the elegance of a triumphal
arch.
The river Turia was actually diverted around the city after a
catastrophic flood in 1957. The old river-bed today is used by
the population for all kinds of sports and leisure activities.
The IVAM (Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno), located at the
river-bed, is one of the leading museums of modern arts in Spain
and so a must to visit for anyone interested in this subject.
iii) La Lonja and Surroundings
At Plaza de Manises is located the Palacio de la Generalidad, a
15th Century palace that today is used as seat of government. Of
high interest are the wall-paintings in its Salon de las Cortes,
Salón Dorado and Galería de Retratos de los Reyes de Valencia.
Through the street Calle de Los Caballeros you arrive at the
town-gate Torres de Quart, of 1441, and to the Plaza del
Mercado, the square where Valencia's probably best known
monument, La Lonja , the old stock-exchange building of 1483 is
located.
At its side there are the baroque church Iglesia de los Santos
Juanes, with important wall-paintings of Palomino, and the
bell-tower Campanil de la Iglesia de Santa Catalina .
Through Calle Torno you arrive to the Palace of the Marquis de
Dos Aguas, in rococo-style and with a very highly individual
portal designed by Hipólito Rovira. The Patriarca College, of
1603, is typical for the austere ambience of religious
Renaissance buildings in Spain. Valencia's University and its
extraordinary Law Court are of neoclassical style. Another
fairly new monument is the bridge Nuevo Puente built in 1995,
nicknamed La Peineta, "side-comb", due to its shape.
iv) Barrio del Carmen
This district is the most typical of Valencian life today. Here
you'll find numerous shops, café-theatres, bars, restaurants,
flower-stands, ... it is the centre of everyday life and unique
scenery for visitors. An ideal place to have a drink and tapas
whilst watching the bustle of the busy city go by.
v) El Ensanche
A walk through this more modern part of town, inhabited mainly
by bourgeoisie and officials, may give you an impression of
today's Valencia.
vi) The Gardens
"Valencia es la tierra de las flores..", "Valencia is the land
of flowers", says an old folk-song, and the parks and gardens of
the city demonstrate it in an impressive way. The Jardines de la
Alameda and Jardines de Monforte are romantic parks of 18th
century. The "Royal" Gardens , which include also the Zoological
Garden, have beautiful cultures of roses and large pine-woods.
Inside them you can find the ruins of an old King's palace. The
Botanical Garden show a variety of exotic plants.
Researched and Written by Suzanna
info.es@costablanca-netguide.com
If you know someone who may benefit from any of
the articles in this newsletter please feel free to pass it on.
PLEASE NOTE: These articles are for personal use only and may not
be posted on any website, newsgroup or bulletin board. If you
wish to use any of our articles for commercial purposes please
contact us articles@costablanca-netguide.com
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2) New Businesses on the guide
i) Javea Arenal Duplex
This duplex apartment is situated very close to the beautiful
sandy Arenal beach of Javea and all amenities.
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/listings/237.html
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ii) Hotel "Villa Pink Flamingo"
Come and enjoy a relaxing stay at our beautiful hotel
“Villa Pink Flamingo”. This house has been transformed from an
original villa into an unusual hotel.
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/listings/238.html
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3) Updated Businesses on the guide
i) Gran Sol Restaurant Bar and Pension
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/listings/186.html
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ii) Joyería Martín Catalá
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/listings/231.html
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4) Costa Blanca Resources
Maps and Travel Guides
i) Michelin Map: Southern Spain
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/mmss.html
ii) Euro Map: Costa Blanca
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/emcb.html
iii) Costa Blanca Mountain Walks
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/cbmw.html
iv) Landscapes of the Costa Blanca
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/lotcb.html
v) Autoroute 2002
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/ar2002.html
vi) Video Visits: Spain
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/vvss.html
Dictionaries and Phrase Books
i) Collins Large Spanish Dictionary
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/csld.html
ii) Berlitz Spanish Phrase Book
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/bspb.html
iii) Spanish: with Michael Thomas
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/smt.html
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5) Sticker Information
We have available our Costa Blanca Netguide car or shop window
stickers that we will send out to you free of charge.
Just email stickers@costablanca-netguide.com with your name and
postal address and how many you require (3 Max) and we'll post
them out to you anywhere in Europe FREE.
Screensaver Information
Version 1 of the Costa Blanca Screensaver can be downloaded
at http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/screensaver.html.
The Free version has a few limitations but gives you a good
idea of what you can expect from the Full version which is
priced at 7 EUROS
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6) 2002 Publishing Dates
8th July - 5th August - 2nd September 7th October - 4th November
- 2nd December.
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