By Dean Irvine
CNN

(CNN) — It’s not as achingly hip as Barcelona and it’s more manageable than Madrid: Spain’s third city has plenty of flavor, an urban edge and uniquely Valencian oddities.

Where else could you glimpse the Holy Grail in the morning, gorge on paella on a Mediterranean beach for lunch and then wander along a old river bed transformed into a park and visit architectural blockbusters that look like a Star Trek vision of a colonized planet?

After an early morning shot of coffee and, depending on your sugar tolerance, churros, the Cathedral in the heart of the old city is the best place to start the day. Located on the Plaza de la Reina, the cathedral is an impressive mix of gothic, baroque and Romanesque architectural styles.

As striking as the many parts of the cathedral are, the sight of the Holy Grail my leave you underwhelmed — to the unenlightened it resembles something closer to a plastic mug circa. 1973.

If you’re in town on a Thursday, catch the enactment of a tradition almost as old as the grail. The Tribunal de las Aguas, or Water Court, is the meeting of the city’s elders, who gather outside the cathedral’s Plaza del Palau for around twenty minutes. It generally involves a number of old men sitting down not doing very much, while one pronounces what has been decided, and it’s a bit of a tour-group hot spot.

Full Article Here