Accustomed as I am to Oxford’s severe Gothic, the Baroque of continental Europe never fails to floor me. The cathedral of Valencia combines both: a Gothic bell tower rubs shoulders with its sweeping facade, renovated in the latest style of the eighteenth century.

My first day in port, I had joined an excursion into city center. The guide highlighted the Colosseum-style bullfighting arena, the massive gates of the historic city walls, and the bizarrely futuristic aquarium complex as we rolled towards Valencia.

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