Questions re: Valencia Spain
 

I will be travelling to Barcelona & Valencia this February and have several questions which I'm hoping to have answered:

- is it necessary to make train reservations in advance?
-has anyone stayed at the Hotel Excelsior in Valencia?
-we have four days in Valencia--any "must sees"?
-which chef/stand in the Valencia market was recommended in another posting--it wasn't clear.
-will it be possible to walk along the beach in Valencia at that time of year?

-On my last trip to Spain, there were postings on this forum which recommended travel postings/blog by a woman who, I believe, led tours and was very generous with her information. Does this sound familiar ad if so, can you remind me how to access her information.

Thanks.

You should always book your train reservations in advance to save a little money, and yes, you can walk on the beach any time of the year.

The woman you're referring to is Maribel of Maribel's Guides, but she doesn't have any publications covering Valencia.

Can't help you with the rest.

did you ever read the answers to you similar question posted in 2010?
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...o-valencia.cfm
hotel reviews
http://bit.ly/hotelexc
must sees can be found with a simple search. What they are will depend on your ideals.
If your last question is about the weather, then it is impossible to give you a definitive answer as the weather is variable. Forecasts cannot be based upon weather history websites either. Always take clothing to suit all conditions. Except heavy snow ;.)

Thanks for both your responses. Didn't recall that we thought about this trip 6 years ago.

There's some info on the fabulous main market in this report; I think it is one of the most enjoyable, and most beautifiul, markets in Spain.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...e-blossoms.cfm

If you enjoy modern and contemporary art, you'll like IVAM (Institut Valencia D'Art Modern). We particularly enjoyed the Julia González gallery.

The Aquarium may be of interest to you. It's part of the City of Arts and Sciences designed by Valencia-born architect Santiago Calatrava:
http://www.valencia-cityguide.com/to...anografic.html
Warning: some visitors might be disturbed by some of the captive marine mammals on view, such as beluga whales and dolphins.

Like other posters, we enjoyed the Mercado Central, and, as we had rented an apartment, we had a full kitchen to enjoy our market finds. Our accommodation, Valenciaflats Cathedral, was in the Gothic Quarter, close to the Cathedral and a short walk from the market. I, too, returned to from my trip with many cans of pimentón, bomba rice, saffron, flavoured Spanish olive oils, and other edibles.

I loved Valencia's street/mural art.

One of the main reasons we went to Valencia was to eat paella. After checking reviews, we'd hoped to dine at Llar Roman, as they're well-known for their paella, but we had trouble reaching them, and didn't want to show up without a reservation as they're far from the centre, so we ate at the more centrally located Restaurante Navarro. Their paella de bogavante/lobster (with socarrat, or crust at the bottom of the pan) was the best meal we had in Valencia.

Earlier on our trip we had paella valenciana at Canela. It was good as well, though the rabbit was a bit dry. We asked why there was no socarrat and we were told because tourists complain of the paella being burnt so they omit it. We also told that paella is best if eaten straight from the pan. One interesting thing is how thin the layer of rice was.

Thank you. The market is definitely on our list and now w will add Restaurante Navarro.

Has anyone stayed at either Hotel Sorolla Centro or Ad Hoc Monumental?

We have stayed at Ad Hoc Monumental, in 2010. We really liked the hotel and the location in the old town, yet very close to the city, was perfect.