Great WiFi spots in Valencia's Old City and... a record store

Internet access is a big deal for me when I travel. I just feel cramped if I don't have a comfortable place to write and email. There are "Locutorios" aplenty throughout Spain but many of these I find are not that comfortable, but fine in a pinch, where you are in a crowded place packed with computers and stations. What I look for are the places I can sit for an hour or more and feel relaxed... and the ones below you could sit in happily for hours.

One of the nicest places to go in Valencia if you do NOT have your own computer is The Laundry Stop – a cool little spot in the heart of the hip and funky Barrio del Carmen. You can do laundry here or simply do the internet. What a GREAT idea - unfortunately I am not in need of a laundromat right now, but I wish ALL laundromats had Wifi! Coin operated computers are self-service and for every 50 cents-euros you get 20 minutes of cyber time. The Laundry Stop, c/ Baja 17, (or Baix on the street sign), 46003 Valencia, off of calles Quart and Caballeros, open every day from 9:30 am to 10:00pm; http://www.thelaundrystop.es

If you do have a laptop, the super nice places are the Rivendel Café where you can use their computers or your own. If you are using your own you need to ask for the password at the counter. You just need to buy drink or food (they make fresh squeezed zumo de naranja (orange juice) here!) This is an awesome place if you have a laptop because they have shaded outdoor seating which is lovely right by the old 16th century hospital, and gardens now converted into a public library. If you are using their computer you pay for time. Rivendel, c/ Hospital 18, Valencia. Open from lunch through the evening. For listings of their free music on Friday nights see: http://www.myspace.com/athikus.

Q-Art is a funky bar and restaurant in the shadows of the Torres de Quart (Quart Tower), one of the few remnants of the old walled city. Q-Art has marble-topped tables and a relaxed atmosphere – open Monday to Saturday from 11:00 am to 1:30 am. Here for a drink and/or food you can use their free wifi if you have your own computer. You need to ask for the password at the bar. Q-Art, C/ Guillem De Castro 78, 46001 Valencia; 963 916 115

Cava del Negret, c/ Calatrava 15, Valencia has indoor and outdoor seating and is open from 12:00pm to 1:30 am every day with wifi if you have your own computer, at Plaza Negrito (off of c/ Caballeros).

If you do NOT have your own computer you can go to CyberPhone open everyday from 9:30 am to Midnight. CyberPhone, Carrer del Manyans, 3 bajo 46001 Valencia. At CyberPhone you can use the computers for Internet, make calls, make photocopies, fax and more.

Right next door is a great store - nothing to do with wifi - I digress here - Devil Records, selling new and used rock and punk albums (cd and vinyl) as well as refurbished portable record players! – a flash from my childhood. Man, I loved my little record player. My parents fashioned my pink and white record player on some drawer runners so it would slide and hide into the cabinet in my small bedroom, but I could pull it out and listen to Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Monkees, and the Beatles whenever I wanted. Those were the days! Devil Records, c/ El Manyans 5, 46001 Valencia, http://www.myspace.com/devilrecords; open 11am to 2pm/5-8:30 Monday to Saturday.

Pensions & Hostals in Valencia's Old City

Spain is full of wonderful, reasonably priced pensions, and what they call hostals, which are small hotels. In the old part of Valencia city, there are a number of such places in renovated old buildings within steps of great dining, sites, walking and bicycling, not to mention the main train station. Here is a sampling:

Pension Paris, c/ Salva 12, 46002 Valencia Spain, (34) 963 526 766; http://www.pensionparis.com
Modest, clean rooms with free wifi, that are very inexpensive. All rooms except one are with shared bath. Prices range from 22 to 51 euros per night depending on occupancy and the type of room. The Pension (pictured above) is on a great street, easy walking distance to shopping, dining, metro and train stations.

Acta del Carmen, Blanquerias 11, 46003, Valencia Spain; (34) 962 057 700; http://www.hotel-delcarmenvalencia.com
This is a newly renovated hotel in an old building overlooking a large street and park. It has 25 rooms, free wifi, a restaurant, bar, fitness room, and a terrace with an open-air Jacuzzi. Prices range from 64 to 90 euros a night per room depending upon room, number of days and season.

Edifico Palomar, c/ Palomar 13, 46001 Valencia, Spain; (34) 963 910 619; http://www.edificiopalomar.com
In a beautiful old building, on a small street, the Edificio Palomar (the blue building pictured above) has eight brand new apartments to rent by the night or week with free wifi. Prices per night range from 80 to 280 euros depending on how many people are staying in the apartment. There are some decent deals where in two of the apartments if you had six people in the apartment it would cost 30 euros each person per night (180 total). The extra costs are a 200-euro refundable deposit and a 40-euro end of stay cleaning fee.

Hostal Antigua Morellana, c/ En Bou, 2, 46001 Valencia; 963 915 773; info@hostalam.com; www.hostalam.com
This hotel has 18 rooms each with bathroom, TV and telephone in a renovated 18th century building in the heart of old Valencia. Depending on season prices are 45-55 euros/night for a single room and 55-65 euros/night for a double room.

HiLux Hostel is one of the three Feetup Hostels in Spain (also in Seville and Barcelona), c/ Cadirers 11, 46001 Valencia; 963 914 691; http://feetuphostels.com/dev/
HiLux is a cross between a small hotel and a backpacking hostel with 10 balconied double and twin rooms for 20-30 euros/night per person with shared baths. It is on a cute back street in the old town with clean rooms each with a distinct decor. This books up well in advance.

Blue Moon Apartments is connected to the HiLux Hostel. Blue Moon Apartments, c/ Portal de Validigna 8, 46003; 689 314 813; Valencia; http://www.bluemoonvalencia.com.
The Portal de Validigna is an old gateway in the city and makes for a great old street area. These apartments are newly renovated and can sleep 2-6 people depending on apartment. Prices of 20-40 euros are per person, per night depending on season and day. All apartments have washers, kitchen, and private baths. Keys are picked up from the Indigo Youth Hostel at c/ Guillem de Castro 64; http://www.indigohostel.com/indigo.htm. Indigo is a backpacking hostel with private rooms and dorms ranging from 13 to 23 euros/ night per person with shared baths.

Hostal Bisbal, C/ Pie De La Cruz 9, 46001 Valencia Spain; 963 917 084; Fax: 963 923 737. No Website or email.
This family-run hotel is in an old building on a back street near the Central Market (Mercado). The ten rooms are small but clean, and have showers in the bathrooms - prices range from 60-78 Euros/night.

Biking in Spain

After the Tour de France finished this summer with a Spaniard winning for the fourth year in a row, NPR ran a story on July 29th about biking in Spain and the correspondent, based in Madrid, reported that people in Spain hardly ever biked to work or to run errands, even though Spain produced the last four Tour winners.

Having grown up in New York City – Manhattan to be exact – I know how easy it is to judge (and mistakenly so) a country by its largest city. In any event, while Madrid is not considered to be at all a biker-friendly city, Spain’s next three largest cities – Barcelona, Valencia and Seville – all are, and people in these cities make good use of their bikes for errands, commuting, leisure and sport. Barcelona and Seville both have incredibly cheap city sponsored bike rental programs (Bicing and Sevici), and Valencia has bike shops on what seems like every 10-20 blocks.

There are of course two big issues in Spain for bikers – sharing the road with pretty crazy drivers, and security. Bike rental shops tend to rent bikes with two! locks included and instruct you on how to lock your bike to make it fairly theft proof. I overheard one potential renter exclaim, “They would steal the seat?” and the bike expert replying, “they will steal anything… and everything if they can.”

There is nothing one can do about the crazy drivers, except be careful and stick to bike lanes and sidewalks, and observe the lights.

If you are planning on using a bike for getting around – take note. In Valencia, bikes are only allowed on the Metro during certain days and hours – all day Sundays and holidays they are allowed as well as AFTER 2pm on Saturdays. Otherwise they are not allowed and if you do bring the bike on during a weekday you will find your self being escorted out of the Metro by the Metro policia – I have seen it happen.

There is great biking to be had in Spain for all levels and for all purposes, and you will definitely not be the only one out if you choose to make it your transport choice.

Bastille Day and Tour du France The Green Way in Limoges, Gueret and more

Happy Bastille Day!
You can hear the podcast to New Hampshire Public Radio's Word of Mouth segment on The Green Earth Guide: Traveling Naturally in France at http://www.nhpr.org/node/26019.

I am listing here the details on some of the tips I gave on the show.

The Tour du France route on July 14th runs from Limoges (in the Limousin region) to Issoudun (in the Centre region) - 194.5km (about 120 miles) - right through the center of France. See the Tour du France route at www.letour.fr

Health food stores in the area include:
In Limoges (87 Haute Vienne dept):
La Vie Claire, 9 rue Lansecot, 87000 Limoges; Tel: 05 55 307 671
Bonne Terre affiliated stores:
Planete Nature, 15 rue Hoche, 87000 Limoges, Tel: 05 55 796 997 (off Place Marceau)
Rayons Verts, 11 rue Clouet, Limoges, Tel: 05 55 439 583

In Gueret (Creuse # 23):
La Vie Claire, 4 rue de l’Eglise, 23000 Gueret, Tel: 05 55 528 547

In Chateauroux:
Castel Bio, 15 rue Joseph Bellier, Chateauroux, Tel: 02 54 089 144
Espace Bio, Centre Commercial St Jacques, 36000 Chateauroux

There are markets in Issoudun, Bourges, Gueret and other towns. In Gueret market days are Thursday and Saturdays.


Places to lay your head at night include the following "green" lodging:

Holiday Tipis in France has six tipis powered by solar electricity. Open from May 1st to August 31st, they serve local foods for breakfast included in the tipi charge, and optional dinners three evenings a week. Stays range from three to seven days and prices run from 170 to 350 euros per tipi depending upon length of stay. Located about fifteen minutes from Gueret. Holiday Tipis in France, 7 Folbeix, Ladapeyre, Creuse, France 23270; Tel: 05 55 809 026; Email: info@vacanesdetipienfrance.com; Web site: www.vacanesdetipienfrance.com

3 Place de Sarbres is a vegetarian bed & breakfast in a renovated 18th century house in the town of Felletin about 1hr 45 minutes East of Limoges and one hour south of Le Creuse, considered the French Lake District. The apartment ranges from 189-252 euros per week.
Bed and Breakfast rooms are 50 euros a night - vegetarian meals are extra. In Felletin the water comes from the mountains so it is like bottled water from the tap... also there is a micro brewery in the town. www.3placedesarbres.com; info@3placedesarbres.com; Tel: 05 55 665 229

Northeast of Gueret you will find Le Petit Pauliat, a rural gite rented by the week from Saturday to Saturday in a beautiful rural setting with nearby Le Petit Pauliat, 4 Pauliat, 03380 Treignat; Tel: 04 70 070 885; Email: info@pauliat.com; Web site: www.pauliat.com.

For the thermal baths....
Evaux-Les-Bains is a small spa and thermal bath town east of Gueret. More information is at the town web site: www.ot-evauxlesbains.com; and at the Web site for the baths: www.evauxthermes.com

Walking routes include:
One of the Routes to Santiago de Compostela in Spain (Route of St James), runs through the region of Limousin, starting in Vezelay and heading south of Bourges towards Limoges and St Leonard De Noblat - GR 654. ANother walking path is GR 3 - see the Website for both of them at: http://www.ffrandonnee.fr/itineraires/ideesRandos_selection.aspx - click on the map for the area you want.

Parks: Issoudun has city parks and sites
Regional Natural Park is in Brenne just west of Chateauroux between Limoges and Bourges - Web site: http://www.parc-naturel-brenne.fr/parc/ou/index.html

Excursions:
90 km south of Limoges the town of Brive-la-Gaillarde is home to a famous market where you can find local specialties including walnuts, mushrooms, truffles, apples and violet mustard. The market is held on Place du 14 Juillet and Place de Lattre de Tassigny on Tuesday and Saturday mornings from 8am to 12:30pm.

The Limousin region was home to a strong contingent of the French Resistance including the Maquis guerilla resistance fighters who worked to combat the Nazi controlled government in Vichy. In Brive-la-Gaillard you can find the Musée de la Resistance et de la Deportation Edmund Michelet (The Resistance & Deportation Museum), with memorabilia, artifacts and photographs from World War II and the French Resistance. Musée de la Resistance et de la Deportation Edmund Michelet (The Resistance & Deportation Museum), rue Champanatier, 19100 Brive la Gaillard; Tel: 05 55 740 608. Open every day except Sunday and holidays from 10am to 12pm/2pm to 6pm with free entrance.

Organic and Bio-Dynamic Vineyards:
Biovidis is a biodynamic vineyard in Amboise, Indre et Loire - www.biovidis.com

Here's to Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, not just for the French, but for the planet!