I spent Friday and Saturday of this weekend I Valencia through an organized IES trip. Never heard of it? Impossible. Ever bought an orange? Well, there’s a good chance it was from Valencia. Yum! Unfortunately the orange trees that line streets and plazas are strictly decorative and the oranges are bitter and virtually inedible. At first I was annoyed that anyone would consider growing a decorative fruit. That seems stupid to me. But if the oranges were the delicious kind and just grew on the sides of the roads, the trees would always be bare because no one can resist a tasty Valencia orange. Other than oranges, Valencia is also known for its kick-ass paella! I was so thrilled to be reunited with one of my favorite foods! Madrid paella is kind of crappy and often resembles Rice-a-Roni, so I’ve been craving finely crafted paella for quite some time now. Horchata (a drink made from tiger nut and resembles sweet milk) is also pretty popular in Valencia. You can get it almost anywhere in Spain, but Valencia’s version is some of the best.
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| Huge paella pan. Odds are looking pretty good that I'll be bringing home a dish this size (aka giant) to make paella all the time. Unfortunately this wasn't all for me. |
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| YUM. |
As soon as our bus got to the hotel on Friday, we all ran to change into bathing suits to hit the beach in the little bit of free time we had before the walking tour. It was a gorgeous beach on the Mediterranean, but one of the windiest I ever experienced. I was pelted with sand for the two hours we enjoyed the sun and sounds of waves, and I am still finding it in my bags, shoes, pockets, and ears. I deemed Valencia the Guinness World Record Holder for Most Humid City Know to Man. It seemed appropriate since while on the beach my hair expanded. It may also be the Windiest City Known to Man. But that’s debatable.
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| Vamos a la playa |
We went on a walking tour of the older, historic areas of Valencia and saw some more beautiful buildings (they’re all the rage in Europe). I was glad to be in the group with my favorite tour guide (The same students from local universities give us tours every time we go somewhere, and Carmen is my favorite. She has a soothing voice, knows what seems like the history and legends about everything Spanish, teaches me fun phrases and vocab, and once told me I could pass for a Spaniard.). We saw the cathedrals (they’re everywhere), plazas, University, and various other buildings. Since a cathedral wouldn’t be complete without it, there was another massive bell tower. And what happens when you see a bell tower? You obviously have to climb to the top. So did I? Of course. Has Mother Nature gotten her revenge on me since I hiked against her will yet again? Certainly. But at least I got cool pictures.
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| Statue in the University. This guy was a famous grammar nerd. We'd get along. |
The tower had 203 steps that were stacked so steep that I didn’t think I’d make it to the top. They were also amazingly fashioned in a very dimly lit, incredibly narrow staircase. And for the record, there was only one staircase, so those climbing up and those descending were getting in each others' personal space as they tried not to send anyone spiraling to an untimely doom. Needless to say I had a death grip on the rusty handrail. If you have vertigo, this was not for you. Slow and steady was supposed to win the race, but everyone was so anxious to reach the top that it was a fast and steady sprint instead. If you have cardiac problems, this was not for you either. I proudly have pictures to remember this accomplishment, but less thrillingly I have a semi-swollen left knee and Charlie horses in my right calf. As tough as it was, Masada still takes the cake on knee-crushing hikes in my lifetime.
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| Proof. |
If Valencia were a person, she’d be a feverish, possibly menopausal woman. Saturday morning started off gray and chilly. Gray and chilly soon became mild thunderstorms. Thunderstorms later turned to toasty and sunny. You may also call her Florida (equally fickle, but more historic). That put a damper (literally) on my day at the aquarium (which was divided into multiple buildings based on exhibit, so I was frequently out in the rain). I took some pictures, but I didn’t use my camera at all at my favorite part – the seal exhibit. Who knew seals were so freaking cool? I just stood at their tank for about 20 minutes, completely mesmerized. They’re cute too! The aquarium was on the newer, more modern side of town. It contrasts (and kind of clashes) with the older, historic side that we toured the day before. However, the buildings are super cool to look at.
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| Old architecture. |
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| Slightly more modern end of town. |
In retrospect, the city was pretty neat. But it still doesn’t rank in my Top 10. Future travelers, unless your paella or orange cravings are overwhelming, feel free to skip Valencia.
