Ubeda/Valencia
Today our tour splits. Four of us will continue to Valencia and Barcelona while the other 15 head to Morocco via Madrid. But first some time together in Ubeda. It’s cold and breezy as we exit the bus in this town of 35000. Built in the 15-17 century we take our usual walking tour including the local church, city hall and some Roman ruins.
The locals have stored their Paso out of the rain and are getting ready to carry it home.
Ubeda is the home to 70 million olive trees and accounts for more than 20% of the world's olive oil production. Olive oil is a juice, extracted by crushing the olives. There are 280 types of olive trees in Spain and Picual is the variety you want. Early picking gives a higher quality but lower yield with only 3l of oil from 100kg of olives. Probably not on our supermarket shelves but we’re told to buy the current year and it will last up to 6 months. Take no notice of non-filtered, cold press, first press etc, it’s all just marketing and keep it away from light, heat and air.
Time for a tasting. Now we remember the shot glass of olive oil in Croatia. Not an experience we planned on repeating but, forget the colour, smell the oil, sip the oil, grit your teeth and inhale over the oil, then swallow. It still catches at the back of our throats, but not as badly. Is it extra virgin, virgin or lampante (lamp oil). Fortunately not the last and we’re now better educated in choosing what we use at home.
Time to farewell the majority of our companions but time for one last group photo. A local, older woman strikes up a conversation. Aah, Australians, some of my favourite people, I should be in your photo too. And so we grow to 20 before farewelling the 15 and taking Jose, our guide, for our exclusive group to Valencia.
Valencia was a walled city with 12 gates. They've made some changes over the years with the walls demolished in the 19th century and following a devastating flood in 1957 decided to be innovative, reroute the river to bypass the city and turn the riverbed into a green corridor through the centre of the city. Everybody in Valencia runs.
The Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe is in the science and arts space. The architecture is amazing and we find some Moreton Bay Figs, the oldest trees in the city. The old tobacco factory is now the court of justice, we pass the Post office, City hall, Market square, the cathedral and the Palace of the marquis of two rivers, now ceramic museum.
Valencia's animal symbol is a bat. Look carefully and you’ll find one on almost every building. We contemplate horchata de chufa, a white, milk-like drink made by crushing tiger nuts but opt for paella instead as the bells of both the cathedral and bell tower echo around the square before boarding our van and heading for Barcelona.
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