Day Thirty Four: There Must Be Someway Out of Here!

Said the Joker to the Queen.

While that song goes round and round in your head, let me tell you about the morning.

It started as usual on a check out day. Meet in the lobby, load the car and drive off in to sunrise.  Well our hotel had an agreement with the underground garage for a special rate. We turn in our ticket for a spacial credit type looking card and and we get a half price . Just wave the card at the gate and you are gone. So we go to the elevator we used when we came in and no matter what we tried the door to the parking garage would not open. Of course there is a number to call but the mechanical voice on the other end is in Catalonia which only people who live here speak. Remember they voted to leave Spain 1 year ago? Different story. So I walk back to the hotel and then they tell me which exit to enter the parking garage with and then all will be OK. Enter garage and load car and figure out which exit is the Exit ( remember everything is in Catalonia not Spanish). Get to gate and it doesn't open. So I press the buzzer again and an English speaking person answers and tells me what to do. That doesn't work. Eventually a lady shows up, does the the same thing I did and you guessed it. Doesn't work for her either. She motions me to a different gate, opens it manually and we are on our way to Valencia. Of course we have to rely on the GPS because, you guessed it, all signs are in Catalonia.

I almost forgot to mention that the GPS took us through Barcelona (not around) so we drove by the Sagrada Familia church and one of Gaudi's houses. Only got a picture of the house.

The closer we get to Valencia, the brighter the sky is and the rain stops. The drive skirts the Mediterranean Sea so it is a nice ride but long. Now to navigate Valencia.

It is Sunday so there is little traffic the whole way, But it is Sunday and certain sections of old city Valencia are closed to traffic. I drive around and around in the old city enough times to qualify to be a taxi driver. Stop next to (Not in front) of our hotel, unload the bags (You take the brunette, I'll take the blond) and they  will check into the hotel while I park the car. Yes I drive around enough to now be a Valencia Bus Driver and finally find the certain underground garage for the car.  Back to the hotel. It is on the second floor and our rooms are on the third. Someone who booked this place failed to see if they had an elevator. But we get into our rooms and by now it is way past time to eat.

In France you have to eat before 2:00 PM or you are out of luck, (Remember Malemort?). But in Spain you need to eat before 4:00 Pm or wait till 8:00 PM.  we rush to the pedestrian eating area, finally find some seats, order some Sangria. But when the waitress brings us our Sangria, she says the kitchen is closed

 Plaza of the restaurant that closed its kitchen.

My Selfie from there.

. Quick up to another restaurant where the kitchen is open and we have a very nice well deserved lunch. It is now 5:00 PM and time for a rest before we go to Dinner at 9:30.

The ladies discussing what we should eat. We some great seafood, olives potatoes and oh yea 2 liters of Sangria. Best return to the hotel to rest. And here it is October 29th and we have our first chilly day where we may need coats.

Only question remaining as we head back to the hotel is:
Linda "I hope the heat is on"
Mary Ann "I hope the air conditioning still works"

Sleep and the big lunch of seafood at 4:30 PM has us not very hungry by the time Spanish dinnertime rolls around. So we go out at 9:30 PM and get some pastry and drinks and go back to the hotel dining area to eat. Didn't even finish that. Mary Ann and I watch the end of "Transformers; Age of Extinction" in Spanish with Spanish subtitles, head back to the room and to bed.

Church near our hotel at night.

Good Night.