Welcome to today's installment of Tile Tuesday! The second half of my adventure with Tile of Spain took us to Valencia, location of Cevisama the annual trade show held to showcase the latest innovations introduced by the Spanish tile industry.
We traveled by train east from Sevilla to Valencia, which is situated on the coast about 300 miles south of Barcelona. At first glance Valencia appears to be very modern with a predominance of what I call “the new Spanish architecture” featuring waves, curves and a visually interesting asymmetry.
But there is an older Valencia to explore as well. The heart of the city features structures such as The “Iglesia de San Juan del Hospital” which dates back to the 1200s! The current city grew from this center. What a crazy combination of styles! You can see Roman, Gothic, Renaissance and more because different sections were constantly added to the original structure.
Again we had a passionate knowledgeable tour guide who did not allow us to leave one inch of Valencia uncovered! 
One of my favorite spots was the Mercado de Colón, a beautiful example of the Art Nouveau style. Glass and tile adorn this early twentieth century marketplace, now a gathering place full of interesting bars and restaurants.
Hallmarks of the Art Nouveau style include free flowing organic shapes, rich earth tones and lots of tile! At the turn of the nineteenth century there was no aspect of living that was not touched by the movement. It was a global trend as well. In Germany it was known as Jugendstil, in Spain Arté Joven and Secession in Austria. The American version evolved into the what we know as the Arts and Crafts Movement, a simplified, more linear version. According to Art Nouveau philosophy, art should be a way of life. No wonder I'm always intrigued by it!
If you're looking to "Nouveau" your kitchen here are somethings you can include:-Rich brown wood stains-Green, green and green
-Some curvy shapes (more affordable to do this with your counter top than with cabinets)-Oak wood floors or cabinets
-Certain flora and fauna like the dragonfly, the ginko leaf and the thistle are all images often seen in Art Nouveau styling-Ceramic tile backsplashes (preferably with the above motifs)Next Tile Tuesday: More Cevisama and the future of tile.