Valencia

I woke up with a big decision to make. Do I run with my bluetooth earbuds streaming Spotify or use the wired earbuds with my mp3 player? Two espressos later, decision made, I went for a lovely run through the linear park.

Being in the old part of town means having to go past many upscale stores, including one that is actually called "Hipster," to get to the park.

The park has only been around since the late 1950's, but takes the place of a river that tended to flood the city, so the paths go under bridges that are hundreds of years old.

It is said, really, that Valencia's best art isn't in the museums. This is what they're talking about. These painted walls are all over the place, and they get painted over from time to time, so there's no predicting what you'll see if you visit.

Then a visit to the Central Market - one of the biggest markets in Europe. Some of the things I saw in there are not for the squeamish, depending on your squeam factor. Let's just say that if you're going to hang a ham,it's a lot easier to have a hoof to wrap the rope around. Not judging.

This place is huge enough to accommodate everyone from Valencia here to buy food as well as everyone from everywhere else here to take pictures.

For much of the stuff, there were at least a dozen different vendors selling any one thing. Seafood, meat, fruit, nuts, one place selling engagement rings and another for paella pans. So if you want a paella pan, there's really just one place to go. But if you want shrimp, I'm not sure how you pick one place over another.

But for lunch at the market, there is just one place to go. I'll let the New York Times take it from here: "Join the line at Central Bar, a terracotta-tiled tapas bar sandwiched between vendors. Run by the star chef Ricard Camarena, this efficient, bustling spot serves a menu built on products from the surrounding market, from fried artichokes in season to plump boquerones (anchovies) with passion-fruit ceviche." And from there, nap time.