Category: Gigs Abroad

Gigs from Abroad Part 22 – Valencia

Valencia is the third largest city of Spain with 2.7m punters within the province and is also one of the most populated cities in Southern Europe. It is bordered by the Mediterranean sea and on the northwest side by the hilly Sistema Iberico area and the foothills of Andalusia on their eastern and western perimeter.

That latter location reference resulted in me embracing my inner Black Francis and singing ‘I am un chien Andalusia, wanna grow up to be a debaser’ at regular intervals! Continuing the Pixies theme briefly I must pay homage to their recent menacing cover of ‘Que Sera, Sera’ which is used as the theme tune for the terrific ‘From’ TV series. Their version could not be further away from the Doris Day original and the one used in the 1983 advert for Birds Eye Steakhouse Grill which contains the refrain of ‘will it be mushrooms, fried onion rings?’!

Birds Eye Advert. Image Credit tvark.org

Valencia was founded as a roman colony in 138BC under the name of Valentia Edetanorum and was a major silk manufacturer in the 18th century and also had the distinction of briefly being the seat of the Spanish government during the Spanish Civil War in 1936-37. In 2003 it became the first European city to host the America’s Cup yacht race and was selected as the European Capital of Sport in 2011 and the European Green Capital in 2024. They also have the unusual accolade of having two American football teams, namely the Giants and the Firebats.

We decided to make a visit there in 2019 and we incorporated in the trip an initial jaunt to Madrid. We enjoyed one of the comfiest and effortless train rides and travelled into the city at over 200kmh, but it felt as smooth as silk, Northern train it was not!  Finding our accommodation proved to be a bit trickier as it was a tad buried away down a back street, though there were a couple of fine restaurants and bars in the surrounding suburban streets.  

We were blessed with glorious sunshine and pottered around all the tourist sites and walked for miles and the city is the home of paella so obviously we had to partake of one whilst we were there. By a quirk of fate, Valencia were in European action playing against Arsenal on our second night there. We deliberately stayed out of the centre that evening and hit the outskirts but in one particular bar we did encounter some animosity from a couple of locals, either they were surmising incorrectly that we were Arsenal football fans, or a more likely scenario is that they were just unpleasant individuals!

Our accommodation was very close to the start of the expansive Valencia Jardin del Turia that was built in 1986 on the original Turia river. The original river was diverted and drained after the Great Flood of Valencia in 1957 which claimed 81 lives. The whole site covers 136 hectares, passes under at least 20 bridges and stretches for 8.5 kilometers with further plans for an extension of that length.  

Jardin Del Turia. Image Credit ovigem.org

We hired bikes and cycled all the way down the gardens with the orange and palm trees and cafes dotted at regular intervals and if you maintain a straight line, you can reach the Port of Valencia. Whilst en route, we located a pop-up stage where a local brass band were playing.

We also spied a festival site being set up at Valencia Alamada Square, so decided to return that very evening. We purchased a cold beverage and watched a local band called Rumbo Ye Sevillinas on the main stage. It had a chilled family vibe apart from a couple of kids nearby with pyrotechnic tendencies trying to set fire to pieces of wood! Later that evening the festival procession headed down the winding streets and at one point we couldn’t find a way past to head back to our digs as at every turn they seem to follow us. It felt like we were in an extended movie scene!  

The following night, I recall us visiting a restaurant where they sold bocadillos and tapas where you could choose from a variety of items and then count your sticks at the end of the meal to work out your bill. On the nearby Valencia Mons Restaurant Square we saw an act called Tiux Music playing some reggae tunes.

Plaza Le Virgen. Image Credit vrbo.com

Around midnight, we chanced upon Valencia Plaza Le Virgen, which is located directly in front of the Cathedral. A large crowd had gathered there, and the reason became instantly evident when we heard the soothing music provided by the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana (OCV) who were founded in the city in 2006.

Gigs from Abroad Part 21 Porto – Part 2

As Port is naturally Porto’s most famous export many of the bars have Port wine trails where you can purchase a selection of different local brands and choose your favourite and then identify if you can then actually revert back into a standing position after imbibing them!  

The next day after checking the weather and identifying the sunniest day of our stay we decided on a trip to the seaside and travelled out to Foz de Douro which sits at the end of the river adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean. There are three remaining tram lines in the city from when they were originally built back in 1895. On one of those tributaries Tram # 1 runs to the sea from the city centre in a charismatic old carriage. We walked down the front before returning on the more modern metro train.  

Porto’s No 1 tram. Image Credit fotocommunity.de

That evening we headed into the atmospheric back streets of the Baixa suburb with many pop-up storefront bars, which I christened the ‘Northern Quarter’ end of town. Initially nearby to Livaria Lello on Porto Rue de Candida dos Reis we saw Marco playing some tunes.

We then gravitated around a couple of local bars, including the very inviting Porto Rue Tapas Restaurant Music Bar where they have live music every night and we witnessed Jules playing a set in the corner. The same night we also visited Porto Taberna do Pouca Roupa where Stefan was performing.

The following day we encountered monsoon conditions through to early afternoon, so we sallied off to have a quick look at Estadio do Dragao, Porto FC’s ground which was built specifically for the 2004 European Championship which took place in Portugal. Stadium gigs take place there and Coldplay and Rolling Stones amongst others have graced the stage. We then spent a bit of time in the adjacent but rather soulless Alameda Shopping Centre.

When the grey clouds deigned to clear we headed back on the metro to visit the extraordinary Mercado do Bolhao. There has been a market in place at this location since 1839, and the market building was erected in 1914 over two floors and extensively renovated in 2022. There are over eighty traditional stalls, and all food and drink options are catered for in this colourful setting.

Very close by is the Café Majestic, the most famous of all Belle Epoque cafes. It is a very grand setting with bevelled mirrors and wood panelling and waiters flitting about to the sounds of the Blue Danube. And the food they served was rather tidy too!      

Another of the main Portuguese exports are Pastel de Nata’s, an egg custard tart that is heavenly when served fresh from the oven, I do find it extremely difficult to just eat one in any single setting! There is also now a Macanese variant adopted by KFC and sold in the Far East.

The tarts were originally created prior to the 18th century by Catholic monks in a monastery in Lisbon. At the time egg whites were utilised in starching clothes such as religious habits and the remaining egg yolks used to make pastries. In 1834, the recipe was sold to a nearby sugar refinery whose owners opened the Fabricia de Pasteis de Belem in 1837, and their descendants still own that business to this very day.

In 2009, the Guardian newspaper listed the delicacies as amongst the 50 ‘best things to eat in the World’.  It is also purported that the original recipe is kept in a secret locked room, and quite frankly who can blame them!

Porto Se Cathedral. Image Credit portugaltravelguide.com

That evening we visited Porto Bar da Ponte Pensil where we saw Javiar playing. The European football championships were approaching their culmination when we were there, and we saw a portion of the first semi-final between Spain and France. I was a little surprised that the local bar staff were supporting their arch enemies Spain, but this was more to do with the fact that the French had controversially beaten the Portuguese in the Quarter finals.       

On our last day we visited a lot of the tourist hotspots including Porto Se Cathedral, which is the oldest surviving structure in the city, as it was originally built in the 12th Century. In the grounds with a panoramic view, we saw Miguel playing a set.   

We also grabbed the opportunity on one occasion to avoid the lung busting steps up from the river side to Praca de Batalha via travelling on the Funicular dos Guindais, which was first opened in 1891.  On that very hill lies a terrific bar with terrific views called the Guindalense Futebol Clube, which is a community run bar opened in 1976 by a group of football loving boys. The commendable ethos of ice-cold beers and Ruffles crisps was repeated!

Guindalense Futebol Clube. Image Credit week-end-voyage-porto.com

Outside Porto Sae Bento Train station we saw an impromptu performance from a Porto School band. As we were flying back early the following morning, we decided to book in at the hotel bar for an evening meal and watched England beat Holland 2-1 in the second semi-final. Now you may think the music would stop there but you would actually be incorrect as there was an established stage set up within Porto Aeroporto Terminal whilst we were waiting for our delayed flight, where an admittedly limp jazz duo were performing.