Valencia, Arrival

I arrived at the airport 1 hour 50 minutes prior to departure. It was quite empty in the morning on Wednesday. So, I went through the check in, customs, passport control and inspection very quickly.

We are aboard. By the way, the row 7 on the left has no window in Boeing 737-800. Still, it is another opportunity not to have annoying fellow travelers beside you.

The whole journey from Novosibirsk to Istanbul took roughly 6 hours. Another 3 hours and 45 minutes is the flight time from Istanbul to Valencia.
The passport control was extremely fast and the officer even did not ask the reason of my arrival to Spain. Actually, it is about traveling during my regular vacation.

In the arrival hall I collected my travel card, which I purchased in advance via the Internet, and it cost me only 9 euro. Now I can use it to have the reduced prices in some shops, museums, restaurants etc. in Valencia. Do not forget to ask at the same desk about the cities' map and a guide book!

From the airport you can get to the city by underground. Actually, there are no stations in the old city, but the distances are not so long.
I paid 10 euro for six journeys in zone A and one ticket from the airport. It is also necessary to pay 1 extra euro for the paper card, which can be topped up later.

The apartment was rented through Airbnb service. It is a little bit shabby, but cosy one, and, what is the most important, the price is more than reasonable. The host is a nice young man, who studies at the local university.

According to my tradition I devote the first day of staying in a new city to exploring of the surroundings. The location of my apartment is simply perfect, and the very city centre is reachable in five minutes on foot. Very convenient, indeed!

My first impression after arrival is that this city is a nice place. There is no hustle and bustle here, as for example, in Barcelona.

The next step was to find a supermarket with affordable prices. I found one at Colon metro station, which is located in the walking distance from my apartment. It is called Supermerkado.

At night I had another walking around the Old City. In general, at 22 o'clock it was empty in the streets. Probably, the only crowded street I have visited was Carrer de Sant Vicent Martir. So, it was quite safe to stroll in the streets of the city at night. Nobody disturbed me except the promoters of the night clubs and some African men, who offered buying some alcohol, hats, sunglasses and other staff.

I was at home by 24 o'clock. Such a nice walking guaranteed me a good sleep. Moreover, I can orientate in the Old City at night. To some extent, of course.