Monday morning brought me to class at 9. Fascinating information, I feel as if more of it is coming together...after, I went walking around the university area. It is quite international, lots of restaurants including Balansiya, (islamic name for Valencia) which is reported to be one of the best places in all of the Iberian Peninsula for N. African cuisine. I am planning on going soon.
Hopped a bus. It is not normal how much that pleases me. Hopped off at the city center and wandered around the Russaffa, the Arab area. Ended up at a restaurant called "Lemon Grass". It is a sort of Asian fusion. The inside is very modern Japanese with a Hibachi-style wok behind glass. You can see your food right there. Anyway, you pick your base: white rice, brown rice, noodles, etc. and then add your meat, vegetables or tofu and then the sauce...all the way from curry to teriyaki to sweet and sour...and then some. It came in a large bowl and could easily serve about 12...and yes, I ate it all. It was really satisfying. With it the waitress suggested "tinto de verano" which is a cold red wine and orange soda mix. It is so refreshing!
Today's class was equally edifying...went home for lunch and a siesta. turned off my alarm so woke up rather late for our rendez-vous at the museum of the Almoina. Luckily the ticket agent took pity on me and let me in anyway. It is free for teachers! (lots of museums are around here...) Basically, random builders were intending to create a car park, what they got were ruins, lots of them. At the very basis is the original foundation of the original city of Valentia, founded by the Romans in 100 BCE. It lasted only 50 years or so when it was sacked by Visigoths and burned to the ground. As many as 10, 000 people died. What was left were the original Roman cross roads (with sewer and running water) and a rather sophisticated bath. The bath area is the oldest known Roman bath ruin. There was a tavern and a house of charity (giving its name "Almoina" to the museum). There was another factory area where food stuffs were produced and in the same building, part was used for a jail. Nearby was a burial site. Jewelry escavated from the burial include a gold ring with an ovular stone and two necklaces with hand-cut natural stones like Agate and some super mini glass stones. Really shocking how 2000 years can be so far past and just yesterday I saw for sale some natural-cut beads that could have been taken from this ancient city site. We were treated to a Roman street sign pointing the way to the brothels. Yes, you guessed it. A penis. Interesting how clear a reminder that Romans had a very different view of bodies and health than our Puritanical heritage. For the Romans, I'm told, the gratification of both body and spirit were considered important in the search for holiness...
Directly on top of these ancient Roman vestiges was built an Islamic structure with a small pool of water and what is believed to have been a courtyard with trees. Pottery has been found at the site which was colored and glazed. I think this is one of the earliest-found uses of glaze.
Descending the stairs and walking on glass pathways directly over the creations of ancient Romans and Arabs was surreal and a little disconcerting, but in a good way. The museum was exceptionally well done.
Afterwards, many of us went in search of "Agua de Valencia", a type of Valencia long island iced tea. I ended up across the street at a juice bar, where I had the most flavorful orange juice I've ever had. Walking the pedestrian lanes of the old city completed my day. Now I am home and contemplating a snack before dinner...which is not until 9:30 at the latest. Since it doesn't even start getting dark until after 10, it feels normal to eat that late. People don't sleep here until much later...when it is cooler still. Today, though, I'd love to have my air conditioning. Cheers.
I LOVE TINTO! A friend and his partner from Spain introduced it. So cool that you tried it! (((HUGS & LOVE)))
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