When we are on city breaks, we try and build in a day outside of the city to explore further afield by train or bus, trying not to spend more than an hour each way. I had researched local towns of interest and we settled on a place called Segunto, a little way North of Valencia. We could travel there from Valencia North station, next to the Metro where we had arrived a few days ago. It is always complicated working out the correct ticket to purchase but I managed by using the automated machines and then it was the challenge of finding the correct platform. The train was due to depart at 10.50 but didn’t actually pull out until 11.05 and as it initially set off travelling South, I was panicking a little that we are actually on the wrong train but luckily this was not the case.
It took around half an hour after we had eventually departed and it was a lot quieter than Valencia. We walked the ten minutes or so into town only to discover that the Tourist Information office that we had headed too was in fact closed (despite me checking the day before). This forced us to stop for a cortado coffee and a manzanilla (apple pastry).
I located an alternative to the ‘Tourismo’ and with map in hand we walked uphill towards the Roman theatre. This turned out to be as the Rough Guide had suggested, the least sympathetic restorations I have seen with large concrete blocks where the original seating was once located. There was only a little of the surrounding walls left and a massive modern wooden stage. Oh well.
On up the increasingly steep hill to the castle (free entry). This was more interesting and had a very impressive vantage point above the town with 360 degree views over the surrounding land so it would have made for a very effective defence for the city. The views were far reaching but not actually that attractive as there was a c event works in the future and the town was pretty scrappy. We walked down the steep steps from the castle and back down through the Jewish quarter of the town with feral cats nipping out form under parked cars in front of us. We spotted a cafe we had walked past on our way in - Africa Cafe - which yet again did a good Menu del Dia - Colin had squid and I had pork cutlets and we finished off with a egg dessert and a large beer.
We walked to the last sets of Roman remind to be seen in the town… the bridge was somewhat underwhelming as although there was a wide riverbed, it was totally dried up. The other ruins were well described on boards but needed a little imagination to interpret.
We then made our way back to the station and timed it well as the train pulled in a few minutes after we had arrived. We were flagging a little but had time for a brief rest back at the apartment before heading out for what should have been my birthday dinner but the restaurant was closed on Wednesdays. I had been looking forward to a great steak and had booked the restaurant online a few weeks earlier. We dd not receive the warmest of welcomes but were seated fairly quickly. Things went downhill from then on. We ordered wine, a shared grilled vegetable starter and two steaks - mine cooked ‘muy poco’ (blue) and Colin’s rare. Our wine arrived but no starters as the steaks just arrived soon afterwards. They were throughly disappointing. Although hot (the one positive) both were tasteless and Colin’s was full of gristle so he had to leave about a third. They were no well seasoned either. In the end Colin did the right thing in complaining. We have been lucky enough to have eaten great steaks around the world. Some in high end restaurants (in Buenos Aires) and others in little local places with no other tourists to be seen. The staff apologies and offered us another but we had already eaten them. They didn’t charge for one steak but we didn’t want to stay for dessert or coffee so asked for a cork for the remains of the wine and left. What a disappointment and a lesson to ourselves to wait and check the look of the restaurant before booking in advance. The reviews were glowing but mine will not be!
I dropped the bottle off in our apartment and we decided to walk around to get a dessert elsewhere. Colin mentioned crêpes which sounded a good idea and using Google maps I found a place. It was excellent - a traditional Breton cafe run by a French woman who was impressed that we had visited her home country and area. The pancakes were delicious - salted caramel as usual for me and lemon and sugar for Colin. We washed them down with a jug of cider and the evening ended on a definite high.
