On a boat in a cave

We are either continuing a theme of going into tunnels, or going for contrast by leaving mountains behind and descending into caves. Given the Coves St Josep are near the sea, I’m going with the later.

The Coves de Sant Josep feature the ‘largest navigable subterranean river in Europe’. The part that we were taken through on a boat was over a kilometer in length and there’s a lot more than that.

The clear waters and colorful walls made for a beautiful spectacle, and gliding along in a boat powered only by the guide punting with a stick made it very peaceful. The only downside was it was all a bit touristy. The navigable river was the product of some dynamiting in the past and a lot of the stalactites were broken or damaged. But there’s no question it was an unusual experience.

In the early afternoon we drove into Valencia – and around in many circles as we got lost – and got rid of the car. They very nicely ignored the scratch – so that was good.

I am staying in Valencia for the next two weeks; Jennifer for only two days before she goes to Toulouse. So first stop was my cute little apartment on a small plaza near the Cathedral.

After lunch and some grocery shopping we climbed the Cathedral tower in an attempt to get oriented. The view was good but it did little to untangle the twisted streets of Valencia’s old town in our minds. The views from the plazas around the Cathedral are quite lovely; it’s apparent that Valencia is going to be an interesting experience.