Valencia, Spain

I woke up today around 11:00, showered, dressed, and relaxed in my room for a while. Then, at 14:00, I exited the hotel and walked to the historic city center of Valencia. I walked along the green parks north of the city center and then turned southward in to the old city and to the Valencia Cathedral, for I had one goal today, and that was to see the Holy Grail (also known as the “Holy Chalice”). I had seen two so far (in Genoa and Vienna); however, out of the three, this one had the most credibility for being the real deal. Anyway, I walked to the Cathedral, paid the entrance price, received my free audio guide, and began to tour the inside. The Valencia Cathedral (also known as the “Metropolitan Cathedral–Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady of Valencia” and “Saint Mary’s Cathedral) was built between the thirteenth-century AD and the fifteenth-century AD (it was consecrated in 1238 AD). The Cathedral is mainly constructed in the Gothic style, but it does have elements of the Romanesque, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical styles (several of the chapels inside are clearly Neoclassical). I took the audio tour inside, walking down the nave, to the altar in the apse, around the ambulatory, and then down to the Holy Chalice Chapel (saving the main attraction for last). Inside the Holy Chalice Chapel, I was only able to get within four meters of the Holy Grail (the “Valencia Chalice”), which was behind glass. The Valencia Chalice is a hemispherical cup made of dark red agate which is mounted by means of a knobbed stem and two curved handles onto a base made from an inverted cup of chalcedony; the agate cup, without the base, fits a description of the Holy Chalice by Saint Jerome; also, after an inspection in 1960 AD, the Spanish archaeologist Antonio Beltrán asserted that the cup was produced in a Palestinian or Egyptian workshop between the fourth-century BC and the first-century AD; finally, an inventory list of precious items on vellum that is said to date from 262 AD describes the Valencia Chalice and states that it was used to celebrate mass by early Popes after St. Peter. I stood in the Chapel for a while, taking photographs and studying the Chalice. Once satisfied, I exited the Chapel and the Cathedral. Next, I walked down a side street and stopped at a local restaurant for lunch. I had vegetarian paella and beer. After my meal, I walked to the northern edge of the old city and took some photographs of the North Gate. Then, I walked back to the hotel. Once back in my room, I relaxed, had some beer, and checked to see if my iPhone was working yet – it was not, so I put it back in the Ziploc bag of rice to dry out some more. Later on, I decided to watch some movies via YouTube and drink some wine. First I watched Michael Powell’s and Emeric Pressburger’s ‘Gone to Earth’ whilst drinking a bottle of Spanish red wine crafted from Moristel, Tempranillo, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Then, having run out of wine, I left the hotel and walked to the nearest supermarket to buy another bottle. Once back in my room, I watched Ingmar Bergman’s ‘The Touch’ (starring Eliot Gould, Bibi Andersson, and Max von Sydow) while drinking the bottle I had just bought, which was a Rioja made from 90% Tempranillo and 10% Garnacha grapes. Shortly after finishing ‘The Touch’, I laid down in my bed and passed out, falling asleep sometime after 02:00, and wasting away most of the wine. Damn shame.