Valencia is on the east coast of Spain, right on the Mediterranean Sea! It is a beautiful city, and was a perfect first trip! It was our first time working the bus system in Spain, and I have to say overall, it was a bearable experience. We took the train from Alcala to Madrid, where we caught the 6 pm bus which got us to Valencia by 10! The bus was great (even though it had no bathroom, Mom and Dad you could only imagine my state after 4 hours...) and had some nice reclining leather seats for us to relax in the whole way. It was too bad they did vibrate or give massages though.
Anyways, after we arrived in Valencia and got situated in our hotel/hostel! It was an interesting experience to say the least! There were 8 people in one room with bunk beds and then we had a bathroom and kitchen we could use! I was a little skeptical about the open-ness but there were security lockers for all over our belongings and the place was really clean and friendly! We went out to a VERY late dinner (11 pm) and as you all know, I get VERY cranky when I am hungry. I was slightly disappointed with my meal but , whatever, food was food at that point. Unfortunately, during dinner it started to DOWNPOUR so we ventured to the nearest bar in the pouring rain. The bar was hip and trendy, definitely geared towards young people, thank God. There were two separate rooms, one more techno and the other more cozy, with roses hanging from the ceiling. It was a mellow night, but we still had a blast!
Saturday was FABULOUS! With our map of Valencia in hand, we navigated ourselves to the bus stop, with ease, and were en route to the beach!!!!! I must admit, I was like a child at this point - I could NOT sit still in my seat and was smiling from ear to ear with anticipation. When we arrived, the view was breath-taking. I could not believe I was at the MEDITERRANEAN SEA. There were palm trees everywhere; soft, carpet-like sand, and crystal clear blue water. It almost brought tears to my eyes being so luck to have been there! I am proud to brag that I have now swam in the Mediterranean, something I have always wanted to do, thanks mom and dad :)
We hung out at the beach for a while, then our stomach's started getting hungry. We decided to stay at the beach and ate at a seafood restaurant right on the water! It was gorgeous! Despite the blustery wind that made it a little chilly, we all ordered and shared Paella, a traditional Spanish dish that originated in Spain! It is yellow rice, mixed vegetables and our had an array of seafood in it. They cook it in a huge pan that can serve 4-6 people and bring it out right from the oven! It is AMAZING! Definitely my favorite food in Spain so far!
We spent the rest of the day exploring the city and being your typical tourists, stopping every few feet to snap from pictures and drool over the hand-crafted, stunning architecture of this Mediterranean city. We saw the Plaza del Toros (where the Matadors have their red flags and the bulls run through them), but weren't able to go in due to construction. The outside, however, was incredible and I still cant believe I got to see a Plaza in real life! Some other spots we saw were the train station, post office, banks etc. It was is amazing how unique the architecture in Spain is. Every building is perfect and beautiful and restored so well from when it was originally built. The architecture in Valencia was much more Grecian and Mediterranean than Madrid where it is more majestic and palatial. Also, Valencia was yet another city that they kept impecabley clean and put together! The sidewalks (made out of marble, may I add), barely had any scuff marks, let alone litter or cigarette butts! As you can tell, no matter how many Spanish cities I go to, they each continue to amaze me with their architecture and organization!
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| Plaza de Toros |
After a long day, we needed a little R&R so of course we had to explore the night life of Valencia a little more! We made our way to a few bars, each a little different, one more of a pub, another more chic and the last one more club like! We had a blast together and met a group of Bristish men that were vacationing for one of their Bachelor parties - no weird costumes this time! The night life in Valencia was pretty similar to Madrid in the variety, but the attire was slightly different: in Madrid people wear more "club clothes" - more revealing, bold etc. In Valencia I would say it was more black-tie attire, with people wearing nicer, facnier, probably more expensive clothes. I am definitely more a fan of the Valencia scene over Madrid.
Sunday, before our bus at 5:30, we went to the Ciudad de Arte y Ciencias (The City of Arts and Sciences), one of the things Valencia is most famous for! It is a complex of art museums, zoo's, science centers, an IMAX theater and aquarium! With only a few hours, we decided on the aquarium, something we knew we all would enjoy! The aquarium, THE largest in Europe was spectacular! It had 9 under-ground aquariums with animals ranging from sharks and whales to walruses to crabs, birds and fishies! It was amazing! Grace, you would have loved it there! The architecture of the outside of the complex is really what was most appealing to the whole place. It is quite futuristic looking, being mostly white buildings that are very modern and angular, something I have never seen in the States. The building are all different shapes and sizes and there are bright turquoise reflecting pools in the middle that add the beachy tone of Valencia to the place! It was quite different than any aquarium I have EVER been to in America between the architecture, cleanliness, accessiblity, SIZE and amount of animals! If any of you EVER have the chance to go, please please PLEASEEEE do! I can't wait to go back and go to all the other parts of it!
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| Glass tunnel of fish! |
After a few hours at the Ciudad, we decided it was time for lunch and found our way to a DELICIOUS and much needed italian restaurant. We all got pizzas :) It is crazy how much I miss American food here! All these beans, potatoes and ham are really starting to get to me... Id give anything for chicken and sun dried tomatoes mom and dad.......!!! After a long day and weekend, we boarded the bus back to Madrid at 5:30 and were safely home in Alcala by 11! It was a wonderful weekend and great growing up experience traveling alone without an adult, a real adult that it. It made me even that much more excited for ours trips to Oktoberfest in Munich in ONE WEEK, and then to Rome the following weekend! I am finally getting to do all the traveling I've always wanted. Mom and Dad I really can't thank you enough for all of this, I wish you were both here with me. PS Can you all believe I've been here a MONTH already! Only three more, its really flying by! 89TJP, I love you!
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