Beautiful architecture. Worth visiting for this alone. I happened to be visiting during a Leonardo…read moreDaVinci exhibit. Just incredible the breadth and depth they went into. Very informative. I really appreciate the cleanliness of the building, the attention to detail within each exhibit, and most notably, the interactive experiences. Each exhibit I visited had multiple interactive opportunities to help engage the audience. Great way to capture the attention of young and old alike; not just walking through looking and reading copious amounts of explanations on the art presented. One star off because some of the exhibits felt disjointed between one another, signage could be better.

Maaaaaaannnnnnn.....Chicago really lost out!!…read more The Chicago Spire, designed by Santiago Calatrava, was supposed to be erected as the tallest building in the USA. However, the efforts stalled and we were left with just a big hole in the ground. I mention that data point because the Cuidad de las Artes y las Sciences (City of Arts and Sciences) was designed by Santiago Calatrava. He also designed Milwaukee's Modern Art Museum (I've been there) and the Occulus (NYC - haven't been yet). His futuristic, modern and clean designs incorporates and draws inspiration from local plants, the skeletal features of a whale, the sails of a ship, etc., etc....His work is instantly recognizable - like Frank Gehry's, Art Deco, and on a smaller scale - Frank Lloyd Wright. And coming here to the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, which by way, this place puts Valencia on the map as a Do Not Miss city!! I understand that Rick Steves did not overly advertise this great city and on this rare occasion, I respectfully think he's mistaken to do so. My only regret is that we just did a walk-by and a few drive-bys to admire its Beautiful design and the distinct buildings which include an aquarium, planetarium, museum, etc. There are outdoor areas for enjoying artwork, foliage, architecture, paddle boarding, so on and so forth. And try to wrap your mind around this - it's part of a linear parkway that extends about 6.5 KM in one direction!! If you're training for a marathon or an avid runner, what a big plus to run through this area on a daily basis. I can only think of running from Giants park to Golden Gate Bridge, being more picturesque. Or the lake front jogging path from Addison St. to 15th street in Chicago. On a smaller scale, I do see Santiago being influenced by Gaudi, here and there, and it's because of his use of organic shapes and tiles. Overall, Plan to spend a day or two here and actually go inside the facilities, my drive-bys and walk-bys provided just a glimpse of this futuristic compound.....

Una experiencia que vale la pena , solo ve listo para caminar. Museo y experiencias vale la pena…read more 10/10 recomiendo.

I didn't care for this museum. The exhibits are pretty boring and the Museum layout didn't feel…read moreorganized. It seems to be geared for children, but many of the children I saw didn't look entertained. The actual building is beautiful and the grounds are gorgeous. Price for admission is 8 Euros. The museum is ENTIRELY interactive, with exhibits just haphazardly placed throughout. There were a few interesting exhibits, but that's about all I can say. If you only have a short time in Valencia, I recommend the Aquarium- it's incredible

The cruise ship docked at the Port of Alicante. It was a brief walk to the city centre or you…read morecould take a taxi. We absolutely loved the feel of this city. It was beautiful, hilly with cooler weather and wind from the Mediterranean. The city is easy to navigate especially if you stop at the Tourist Office by the marina and pick up a map. Staff speak English and will show you routes around the city.

A long due review - the city of Torrevieja #100…read more Torrevieja (Spanish: "Old Tower) is a city in the province of Alicante, Spain that originally was a salt mining and fishing village (current population is some 100k). The city grew rapidly in the nineties, becoming one of Europe's top "residential tourism" and "lifestyle migration" destinations (lots of vacation homes and few hotels). People from everywhere suddenly decided "This is the most awesome place on Earth!!!" and flocked the area (Mediterranean sea, not too hot, never cold, inexpensive). As a result Torrevieja became the only city in Spain where the majority of the population are not Spanish (Some 48% are Spanish and the rest are British, Russian, German, Swedish, Moroccan, Romanian, Bulgarian, Norwegian, Ukrainian, Belgian etc. Source: Wikipedia). Some live here all year round, some come for vacations, some are always in between. Torrevieja is sometimes referred to as "La Playa de Madrid" (The Madrid Beach), because the poor "madrileños" are locked inland without a beach of their own. This is the place where they go on holiday. The micro-climate here is often cited as one of the best in Europe - the city is surrounded by the sea and two large salt lakes (Salinas de Torrevieja y La Mata). According to one urban legend the World Health Organisation named Torrevieja the healthiest place in the world to live (I never found any proof of that, I tried hard). There are some things you just have to believe - just come and breathe the air! Many places in Torrevieja have multiple names in different languages, all of them being commonly used, don't get confused. Example: There are "Playa de La Mata" and "The La Mata Beach" listings on Yelp at the time of writing. In other cases there are multiple variations even in Spanish. Example: Salinas de Torrevieja y La Mata, Lagunas de Torrevieja y La Mata, Lagunas Saladas de Torrevieja y La Mata - all meaning the same - the two salt lakes. You can reach other cities of this corner of Spain in 30-50 minutes by car - Alicante, Orihuela, Murcia, Elche, Cartagena. Torrevieja is probably the best place to stay and explore the area around. Real estate. There was a real estate bubble in the area that started in the eighties and ended in 2008. Housing prices rose 3x then dropped by some 20-30%. Construction almost stopped for a year or two. Things are back to normal since 2010 - thousands of new homes were built (and sold really fast). Construction sites are everywhere and prices don't fall anymore. Also the Euro fell a lot to other currencies during the recent years, great time to buy :) Some places to visit in Torrevieja: - The beaches (there are several beaches, my favorite is the La Mata beach) - Paseo Maritimo (an esplanade along the Mediterranean sea) - Plaza de la Constitución (old square with a church in the downtown) - Las Salinas (natural reserve park, two salt lakes) - Aquapolis (water amusement park) - Habaneras Shopping Center (shopping) - Golf courses (several of them within 15 minutes by car) - Alingui Restaurants (three of them, best value for money in my opinion) - Discoteca Velice (large, newly built, popular among locals and tourists) - Auditorio Internacional de Torrevieja (a concert hall) Best time to visit: all year round is fine but you won't want to swim from late October to late May. August is the month when Spain arrives. It's the busiest time - can be fun, but will pay more for your stay and wait longer everywhere. Action plan for those who don't want to visit anything (this is what many people really do): 1) Rent an apartment or a villa (not a hotel) for several days 2) Load up with food and wine (Mercadona, LIDL, Carrefour) 3) Enjoy your stay PROCEED WITH CAUTION: lots of people get addicted, buy a second home here and never return to where they came from.

I was very excited to visit Valencia, but at the end of the trip, I thought it was just OK for me…read more Something did not click with me and Valencia, but I know many other people love this city. I stayed, not far from the Old Town, so within 5-10 min I was in the middle of the major tourist sights. Valencia is a place full of contrasts where you will find a charming old town next to futuristic buildings. I enjoyed the cultural aspects of the city, as well as walking along its Mediterranean beaches....which are not right off the old town or downtown areas...you have to take a car, taxi or bus there, which area about 15 min away. Valencia is perfect to discover on foot, which I did with a Free Tours by Foot guide....One of the most fascinating attractions is the Plaza de la Reina, with the Cathedral and the Miguelete tower, where I climbed the 207 steps for some beautiful views. In the city centre you can also find the Silk Exchange -one of Valencia's most beautiful buildings, a World Heritage Site, with its idyllic Patio de los Naranjos courtyard full of orange trees- and the Modernist Central Market - Europe's largest fresh produce market. This is the city where Paella was born. I decided on a nice restaurant in the Old Town, where I sat outside, watching people go by and ate a good size paella dish made with rabbit, chicken and sausage....it was delicious. I took advantage of the nice subway system while here and it took me to most places I needed to get to, aside from the old town and the downtown area.

I did not know what to expect when my Yelp Friend told me that we would do a stop in Valencia…read moreduring our European Trip. Honestly, I never even heard and think about going to Valencia all these time. After doing some research, I now know Valencia is the famous for or the birth place of - Paella (Valencian version with chicken or rabbit) - Fartons - Bunuelos - Horchata - Valencian Orange - and more!! Being the third largest city in Spain, there is plenty of things to do and food to eat! The local people here is always kind and nice to me though I do not speak much Spainish. I have no problem communicating or ordering food everywhere I go. We have a little glimpse of the Falles while we were there. Fire crackers, Fire works, Group of Revelers and all these energy. I need to come back again for the real festivities some day... I need to come back again when the weather is nice and hot so I can just chill out at the beach and eat seafood the whole day. I will be back!

From the owner: 16 TONELADAS, empieza su andadura en marzo de 2014 en una sala específicamente diseñada para la…read moremúsica, tanto en directo como en sesiones de baile y discoteca, cuidando todos y cada uno de los aspectos importantes que a nuestro juicio, como amantes de la música, debemos ofrecer: 16 TONELADAS posee unas condiciones acústicas propias de los estudios de grabación, minimizando la reverberación y la transmisión de vibraciones al exterior, consiguiendo disponer de 104 dB para su disfrute. Tanto el sistema de iluminación como el sistema de sonido ha sido diseñado cuidadosamente a cargo de grandes profesionales del sector con años de experiencia en sus espaldas. La visibilidad de los artistas es perfecta desde cualquier ángulo de 16 TONELADAS, al disponer de una planta cuadrada totalmente diáfana y el escenario situado a una altura de 0,9m del suelo.