Spring sunshine in Valencia

My suggestion for a spring break near Paris (Springtime in Paris) was greeted with sighs of indifference by my unappreciative offspring. Apparently Mickey and friends are sooo last year among the teenage and tweenie cognicenti of Bristol.

Undeterred I logged onto the Easyjet website to search for a cheap flight out of Bristol - preferrably to somewhere with warm weather, a beach for the children and a bit of culture for me. Valencia seemed to fit the bill on all counts.

The city has an interesting old quarter, a vibrant café life and a port that hosted the America's cup last year. I can already feel the sunshine warming my cheeks and the smell of paella in the spring air. I liked the look of the futuristic complex of The City of Arts and Sciences, perhaps to wander round the L'Umbracle, the greenhouse full of tropical plants from all over the world.

Sadly we'd miss the Fallas carnival in March, where the the city indulges it's pyromaniac tendancies, burning enormous papier-mache sculptures and setting off fireworks.

Searching for a hotel that wouldn't break the budget for a family of five, I came across this amazing place, Rooms Deluxe. It's the most upmarket of the three Hôme hostels and each of the 28 rooms has been designed by a different artist.

Read more of this article on my new travel blog at Heatheronhertravels.com

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