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¡QUE VIVA VALENCIA! Wandering and Eating amidst the Orange Blossoms

¡QUE VIVA VALENCIA! Wandering and Eating amidst the Orange Blossoms

Old Mar 14th, 2011, 03:14 AM
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¡QUE VIVA VALENCIA! Wandering and Eating amidst the Orange Blossoms

I returned last week from an absolutely stellar 11-night visit to Spain, split between four nights in Valencia and 7 in Barcelona. The original plan was to rendezvous in Barcelona with a friend who is living in London.
Realizing that Valencia was just a couple of hours away by train, we decided to extend our trip with a visit to Spain’s third-largest city, where I had spent a long-ago summer enrolled in a Spanish-language course. We were helped immeasurably with the Valencia portion of our trip by Valenciana Linda Casanova, who enhanced our visit to an astounding degree during the day we spent with her touring the city and environs. Mil gracias, Linda!

I flew from JFK to Valencia via Madrid; it is always a joy to connect in Barajas, as the visually glorious airport, while vast, is extremely well marked. Just prepare for long walks if you are arriving from the US!

Those seated in the window seats were treated to a breathtaking view of the city and the Albufuera lagoon on the descent into the streamlined modern Valencia airport. A taxi to my hotel cost me 22 euro plus a 5-euro airport supplement. (My friend later paid 14 euro plus the 5-euro supplement so perhaps I was overcharged)

After much deliberation, we opted to share a room at the Westin Hotel, a block or so from the Jardines del Turia, the necklace of parkland that occupies the former riverbed, and about a 15-minute walk to the historic district. Our room, #167 on the first floor (second floor in US terms), was large and comfortable. The three-story structure, which encloses a central courtyard shaded with palms and blossoming orange trees, began life as a wool factory in 1917 and has undergone several reinventions since then. Including a stint as a police and fire station in the Franco era. It opened as a hotel in 2006. Through the hotel website, we were able to secure an advance booking rate of 119 euro per night.
Although I had some issues with the service, we were pleased with our selection of this hotel.

http://www.westinvalencia.com/




I arrived about 10am and, after an early check-in, opted for a swim in the hotel swimming pool, located in the basement and part of a full-service spa and health club. There is a 10-euro charge to use the pool and work-out room, as they belong to an outside concession. After my swim, I set out to explore the immediate environs of the hotel. One fantastic feature of the neighborhood is the public Piscina de Valencia swimming pool complex across the street, and I vowed to use this daily for the length of our stay. The day was sunny and clear, and the orange blossoms were in full flower, and I felt exhilarated to be back in Spain!

My friend arrived about 2pm and we set out to explore the city. During this, and other days, we were more interested in wandering and soaking up the city’s considerable charm than visiting museums. We also spent an inordinate amount of time at food markets, including the Mercado Central, which ranks with the most glorious food markets that I have EVER visited (and I have visited a LOT of food markets!) , with a vastness that puts even Barcelona’s vaunted La Boqueria to shame. But I am getting head of myself here…..


We walked from the hotel, across the graceful span of the Alameda Bridge, designed by Architect Santiago Calatrava, a Valenciano who has left his indelible stamp on this gracious city not only with this graceful bridge but with the nearby City of Arts and Sciences complex:

http://www.arcspace.com/architects/c...amino_moreras/



http://www.calatrava.com/


Our first stop in the old city was at Horchateria El Siglo. Just off the stately Plaza de la Reina, this atmospheric café, one of many dedicated to one of Valencia’s signature drinks (the other being, perhaps, orange juice), has been dispensing its signature beverage since 1836. Horchata, a refreshing, creamy concoction made from a base chufa, or tiger nuts, which were introduced to Spain by the Arabs and can be found at all of the city’s good markets. Sugar, water and cinnamon complete the recipe. We both loved it!

http://www.chufa.com/horchata_de_chufa.htm

We also peeked into a another nearby horchateria, Santa Caterina, which is larger and perhaps even more atmospheric than El Siglo. The adjacent pasteleria offers a vast array of local treats, to whose quality we both can attest. The meringues, and the coca, a flat, layered bread that is available in sweet and savory versions and to which I would become addicted during this trip, are both astounding. These two establishments derive their name from the 17th-Century hexagonal Tower of Santa Caterina.

We began to get cricks in our necks during our ambles, as the architecture in Valencia is just outstanding! We were both swept away by the panoply of beautiful buildings and, later in the trip, I could not help but compare the sparkling facades of Valencia with those of Barcelona, that appeared almost grimy by comparison. Valencia is truly a beautiful city. I will not delve into detail here about what we saw, except to point out a couple of highlights. Suffice to say that the city deserves at least three full days. We had four and did not even begin to plumb its riches.
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Old Mar 14th, 2011, 03:37 AM
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Oh, dear. Now I have to find a way to fit ina trip to Valencia. ekscrunchy, how wonderful to awake to one of your reports. I am so looking forward to all of this. Great start. Hungry for more.
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Old Mar 14th, 2011, 04:02 AM
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I have been looking forward to this! I was thisclose to going to Valencia in May, but instead opted for San Sebastian. I hope your report doesn't cause me any regret!

Great start. Can't wait to read more of your impressions!
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Old Mar 14th, 2011, 07:50 AM
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Looking forward to reading more - great writing! I'm planning on a first trip to Valencia in 2012 for las Fallas.
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Old Mar 14th, 2011, 11:05 AM
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Thanks, everyone! I will be writing this in fits and starts, as usual. Since the thrust of the report will be focused on food, here are two websites that can fill in details about sightseeing, transportation, etc etc:



http://en.comunitatvalenciana.com/town/valencia-2



http://www.turisvalencia.es/





After our refreshing horchatas and a further wander, we popped into the large tourist office on the east side of the Plaza de la Reina. Here a bank of computers allow internet use for a couple of euro per hour. The few times we dropped into this office, there was only one woman manning the desk. The office on Calle de la Paz appeared to be more amply staffed.


At the office, we bought tickets for a two-hour-long English-language city tour, offered on Saturdays at 11am. (times change with the seasons, so check with the office)

By this time it was late afternoon and my body, if not my spirit, was flagging from the lack of sleep the previous night. So we headed back to the Westin for a rest before setting out again about 8pm for dinner.


For our first night's meal, I had chosen a casual bar/restaurant that had been mentioned, very briefly, on the food site, www.egullet.com. Further research indicated that Casa Jomi was located in the former fishing barrio of Natzaret and there were several allusions to this area attached to adjectives ranging from “seedy” to “dangerous.” From the reaction of the hotel staff, and our taxi driver, the latter probably has some merit, but we set off, undeterred, after having the hotel phone the place to make sure that they were, indeed open.

Although Valencia certainly has many inventive, modern eateries, I decided to concentrate on the more traditional cuisine of the region, since it was my first visit in so many years.

The online menu at Casa Jomi promised a variety of tried-and-true Valenciana dishes, and it was with great anticipation that we set off in a taxi that first evening. Little did we know that the two taxi rides would end up costing us almost as much as our dinner. Distances certainly were greater than they appeared on the map, and it was almost 20 minutes later that we pulled up in front of a non-descript bar in a rather dowdy neighborhood ("un barrio humilde," according to www.pueblos-espana.org) of concrete apartment blocks. Standing at the door of the restaurant were the owner and his son, undoubtedly having been alerted by the hotel that two female tourists were en route.

http://www.casajomi.com/index.html (turn down volume before clicking!)
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Old Mar 14th, 2011, 03:20 PM
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Dinner at CASA JOMI, continued:




We were warmly welcomed at this tiny establishment, which consists of a long bar with a few tables on the opposite, window, wall. In fact, our presence appeared to be the subject of much discussion, and although the proprietors told us that they had welcomed foreigners from “other parts of Spain and New Zealand” during the America’s Cup, we were certainly the only non-locals at Casa Jomi on that evening.

The menu is chalked on a blackboard, and we asked for guidance in ordering. Although I speak Spanish well and have traveled a bit in Spain, there were many offerings that I had never sampled. The menu was dominated by fish and seafood, including many types of preserved seafood that were new to me. I was familiar with mojama, since this pressed and salt-cured tuna has been a staple of at least one Spanish restaurant in New York that I like very much. (Casa Mono on Irving Place). And of course, bottarga, the Italian version made with tuna or mullet, is now widely available here in the US. But I never imagined that mojama was but one example of the vast wonderland of preserved fish that forms an integral part of the pantry along the Mediterranean Levante and in parts of coastal Andalucia. (During the many hours we would spend in Valencia's absolutely astounding Mercado Central, we never failed to marvel at the number of stands devoted to these products)

Our tapas dinner on that first evening consisted of the following, accompanied by an inexpensive white wine, Tierra de Cadiz Blanco Estero, made from the Palomino grape, that complemented the seafood:



Patatas Bravas..this was the first of many orders of this pan-Spanish bar staple that we would consume during our trip. (The prize for the best goes to: Tapac24 in Barcelona, but Casa Jomi's version was very, very good). They are essentially chunks of fried potato topped with garlic mayonnaise and a piquant tomato sauce, spiked with pimenton or smoked Spanish paprika.

Here is a recipe from one of Valencia’s landmark restaurants, Casa Montana:

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipe...Patatas-Bravas

Sepionet.. This was but one of the multitude of squid dishes that would grace our table in the next 10 days. The squid in Spain, which goes by various names, is a favorite of mine. Those served in restaurants are usually miniscule compared to their US (and Chinese) counterparts and these tiny and tender critters,, smaller than my thumb, were no exception. Grilled to a slight char and topped with a garlicky bland of olive oil and parsley, these were wonderful. I was so happy to be back in Spain!

Champignones. A medley of mixed mushrooms, grilled and very tasty.

Platter of preserved fish that included: Caballa con humo, or mackerel with smoke, which is somehow different than smoked mackerel, or so it was explained to me that evening; Caballa Oreada, or mackerel dried in the sun; yet another version of mackerel which I cannot remember now; and Arenque, or herring. Much time was taken to explain to us the proper order in which to eat these strongly flavored morsels.

I must have shown (somewhat exaggerated) enthusiasm, because the next thing we knew, a plate bearing various forms of mojama—including mojama of tuna, mojama of tuna eggs, and mojama of eggs of hake—appeared at our table, and we were again instructed in the order in which to eat, beginning with the mildest in taste, and ending with the most boldly flavored.

More on this delicacy, whose finer examples can command astonishingly high prices at the market; sold in vacuum packs, it keeps for a long time and makes an excellent gift to carry home.

http://www.marketuno.com/spanish-foo...sure/20081113/

To conclude our meal, we were presented with complimentary desserts, the house special of chocolate-dipped pastry cups filled with luscious Pedro Ximenez sherry.

The total with wine and water, came to a relatively modest 36 euro for two of us. The taxis (the restaurant called us one after dinner) cost about 12 euro each way.

When we arrived back at the Westin Hotel, we were met by one of the concierge/bellmen (both these functions seem to be combined at this hotel) whose acquaintance we had made earlier in the day, who had been eagerly awaiting our verdict on Casa Jomi,which he had heard about but had never visited. We gave it a thumbs up. I would add, however, that a working knowledge of Spanish would be a bonus.

Open at 8pm for dinner; closed Mondays. C/Castillo de Pop, #13, Barrio de Natzaret.
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Old Mar 15th, 2011, 07:29 AM
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Wonderful, ekscrunchy, sounds so tasty. As I intend to visit Barcelona (maybe Valencia, too) in 2011 or 2012, I'm eagerly waiting for more.
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Old Mar 15th, 2011, 07:38 AM
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Thanks, Karen. Here is the next bit, with more to follow soon, which will include the first of several visits to the wonderland that is Valencia's Central Market:

The next morning, still off-kilter from jet lag, I awoke early, and after a few cups of coffee from the hotel room coffee maker, we donned our voluminous long white terry robes and strolled down the street to the public swimming pool, arriving just as they opened the doors at 7am. We were later told that every neighborhood in Valencia has a public swimming facility, and we saw many in Barcelona, too. The daily price is 2.65 and a deposit of another euro permits use of a locker. We would begin the following two days (the pool is closed on Sundays) with a long swim in their 25-yard-long indoor pool.

http://www.deportevalencia.com/insta...alle.php?id=13


Just in front of the Westin, the Balneario la Alameda spa occupies a glorious Moorish-style brick structure embellished with intricate blue-and-white tiles that was constructed for the regional exposition of 1909; unfortunately we did not have time to visit but it will be on my list for next time.


http://www.balneariolaalameda.com/



After our swim, we dashed back to the hotel at a rapid pace due to our rather unusual streetwear. After a quick change, we were off to a nearby café for breakfast of café con leche with a slice of coca, the pastry which was beginning to hold me in its thrall and would continue to do so for the entire trip.

From there, it was on to the Cathedral, where a fascinating ritual is enacted every Thursday at noon, in front of the Puerta de los Apostoles (one of three main entrance portals to this 13th-Century church), facing the Plaza de la Virgin. A crowd of about 50 people, many of them local schoolchildren, had already gathered by the time we arrived at 11:45. Promptly at the stroke of noon, eight rather elderly men, draped in black robes, took their seats in a semi-circle of chair set before the soaring Gothic cathedral doorway.

This was the Tribunal de las Aguas, or Water Court. Dating back to 960AD, when it was founded during the reign of a Caliph of Cordoba, Europe’s oldest surviving court is dedicated to resolving disputes related to the distribution of water in the Huerta. The harnessing of water has played an integral role in the survival and wealth of Valencia and its hinterlands since the era of the Moors, who introduced an intricate network of canals and irrigation dikes to channel the water from the mountains to the paddies of rice, source of much of the city’s fortunes and an integral part of the Valencian table. On the day we attended, there were no disputes, so after calling out the name of each of the sectors of the huerta and asking anyone with a dispute to come forward, the tribunal was disbanded.

From our perch in front of the tribunal, we were able to spot the greenery-draped penthouse office terrace of Santiago Calatrava, overlooking the Plaza de la Virgen, which made an interesting juxtaposition with the ancient ceremony enacted before us that day.
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Old Mar 15th, 2011, 08:24 AM
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If your report gets in any travel magazine you will have tempted many more visitors to come here! I just arrived a few hours ago from Chicago and am enjoying finding this on Fodor's before I catch up on my sleep and hit the city tomorrow with Fallas in FULL SWING!
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Old Mar 15th, 2011, 01:19 PM
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LInda you are a big reason that we loved the city so much! Enjoy Las Fallas; I hope I can experience the festivities sometime soon. And please correct me if I make any errors in this report!




From the Cathedral, a walk of a few minutes took us what was for me the crowning jewel of our stay in Valencia: the Mercado Central, a Modernist confection embellished with colorful ceramics and stained glass where 959 stalls stretch as far as the eye can see under a gorgeous cupola pierced by a weathervane bearing a giant green parrot, symbol of the market. Various sources call this the largest food market in Europe; it might be the most glorious food market I’ve ever visited. We would return here several times during our stay, as I could just not get enough of the spectacle within. We investigated stands dedicated to everything from dried cod to dried mushrooms and from saffron to dried fruits and nuts, to chocolates and breads, and of course, to the fruits and vegetables of Valencia’s huerta, including the most fantastic oranges I’d ever eaten. Forget about those clementines back in the US. These were the real deal and at prices averaging around a euro per kilo, we bought more than our fair share!

Each and every stall holder extended a cordial welcome to us. We reciprocated by buying many, many food souvenirs to carry back to the hotel room and, in some cases, back to the US. We spent about an hour with a saffron vendor who explained to us the various types of Spanish saffron harvested from crocuses grown in the saffron fields of La Mancha. Among the tips I picked up: Always buy while threads, but pulverize these in your fingers before adding them to liquid. More on saffron, the world’s most expensive food, here:



http://www.worldsofflavorspain.com/node/652

I also stocked up on one of my favorite, and far less costly, spices, the DOP pimenton de la Vera, or smoked paprika from the La Vera Valley in Extremadura, which comes in three varieties: Hot, Sweet, and Bittersweet. The tins themselves are a collector’s item.

http://www.worldsofflavorspain.com/node/649

I also bought a kilo bag of bomba rice (4 euro) , grown in the Calasparra region of nearby Murcia and reputed to be the best rice for paella, as a gift for a paella-making friend back home.

Another highlight was the Salchichon Sendra, an IGP dried sausage made by a family company in the Catalan city of Vic, famed throughout Spain for its cured pork products. This pepper-studded salami was THE best I have ever tasted.




And we spent lots of time browsing the accoutrements for making paella at another market stall, where I bought an interesting shovel for cooking, crafted from a wood whose name I have forgotten but that the vendor assured me was the finest wood for cooking implements.

After a couple of hours in the market, it was time for a fresh orange juice (2.50) at one of the stalls lining the exterior of the building, before walking north to the atmospheric streets of the Barrio del Carmen, the ancient quarter of the city where bars, galleries and restaurants now blossom within gorgeous Baroque and Gothic buildings lining the twisting narrow streets. We decided to return here for a tapas dinner that evening.


After a stint inside the food halls in the basement of El Corte Ingles (if anyone tries to locate me while I am in Spain, these basement supermarkets are a good place to look), we strolled back to the hotel, pausing to window shop along the way.
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Old Mar 16th, 2011, 10:45 AM
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Here is the close of Day Two in Valencia:



A few hours later, we reversed our steps and returned to the Barrio del Carmen, where we found Bar La Pilareta, the reincarnation of Bar El Pilar, a quintessential tapas bar that has stood on this corner near Plaza Tossal for more than 70 years. The focus inside this pink-tiled room is mussels, specifically the celebrated clochina mussels native to the seas near Valencia. Our taxi driver the previous night had spent almost the entire return trip singing the praises of these delicate morsels and we were somewhat dismayed to learn that they were not in season, as they were still in their reproductive season, and we would have to make do with larger and less coveted mussels from Galicia. But this is Spain, and they know their seafood, so we had little fear.

After ordering two glasses of Malaga dulce, one of the house wines, we sampled one order of mussels, served in a slightly spicy broth in a terra cotta cazuela (6.60). I thought the dish wsas a bit pallid, although we did relish the atmosphere inside the bar. An order of grilled chipirones, or small squid (7.10euro) , was more satisfying. I certainly would recommend La Pilareta for the atmosphere, and the staff were most welcoming. An added plus is that they are open from 12pm to 12am without a break.

http://www.valenciavalencia.com/rest...-tapas-bar.htm



We had intended to try several other tapas bar on that evening, but I am afraid to say that we only made it to one more: Tasca Angel, famous for their sardines.

Tasca Angel is a miniscule hole-in-the-wall bar and by the time we entered, about 9pm, patrons were packed in lie you guessed it, sardines! We were given a free tapa of habas con menta (beans flavored with mint) with our drinks: One cana, or small beer, and one Boabdilla white wine.

Next: an order of grilled sardines. And finally, a mixed platter of grilled mushrooms and grilled Padron peppers (green peppers from Galicia) that was quite wonderful. I am a big fan of these peppers, which are often on offer at bars throughout Spain.
http://www.valenciavalencia.com/rest...-tapas-bar.htm



Total tab: 15 euro or two.




From Tasca Angel, we meandered through the beautifully illuminated streets, many strung with lights heralding the oncoming Fallas, back to the Westin.
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Old Mar 16th, 2011, 10:48 AM
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ummmmm, getting hungry.
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Old Mar 16th, 2011, 02:00 PM
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Enjoying this wondeful report; and planning to reach Valencia next june(part of a trip to Istambul,Bilbao and Madrid.Last year we were in Galicia,Barcelona and Madrid(also Segovia and Pedraza de la sierra); and this was a wonderful trip.Plus we have the advantage of being native spanish speakers(DW is spaniard and I am from Uruguay,both living in Uruguay)-.
Any suggestion for les than 130 euro hotels in Valencia?
I am hungry and waiting for additional posts in this report.
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Old Mar 16th, 2011, 02:09 PM
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hi eck,

like Julie, I'm now trying to work out how i can get to Valencia.

but would you do us a favour and start saying some negative things so that it doesn't get inundated with tourists, at least until we've been ?
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Old Mar 16th, 2011, 03:10 PM
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if you give me your dates I will have a look to see what I think is a good area and rate.
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Old Mar 16th, 2011, 03:26 PM
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Hi Lincasanovaur dates are estimated at some 3 nights around 8 to 15 june.Thanks in advance.
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Old Mar 16th, 2011, 03:41 PM
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The Westin is showing 118E including Breakfast and all taxes from teh 8th til 11th, adn I suppose otehr dates.

Not on their website.. but to help you compare.. on www.dhr.com

good luck.

other nice hotels if you find a great rate downtown are

Vincci Lys
Vincci (on calle de la paz)
Hotel Ayre Astoria
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Old Mar 17th, 2011, 02:48 AM
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Thanks, everyone! I will get to this soon but do not promise any negative comments. Well, actually I did have one disappointing meal that has been provoking a lot of discussion among my food obsessed friends back home (well, make that singular, my food-obsessed friend). I will give full details soon..

I thought the Westin was a good deal at 119 euro but there was that testy advance payment clause. For that reason, I waited until the last minute to book. But Lincasanova is tireless in offering assistance with hotels, and everything else Valenciana, so I am sure she will come up with something.
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Old Mar 17th, 2011, 05:16 AM
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Ekscrunchy:Waiting for more positive and useful tips!!!
Lincasanova:Many thanks,this info is really good!!!
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Old Mar 17th, 2011, 06:58 AM
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you may find similar rates on hotels.com or other websites and perhaps find a promo coupon if you google for one.
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