A Long Weekend in Valencia

One of my first trips out of Bilbao when I started my time as a language assistant was to Valencia. At the time, it had been pouring down rain in Bilbao for weeks on end, and I was desperate to escape it. This was easily remedied by 6-hour bus ride to Valencia. I was eager to explore the city I heard was beautiful, see the beaches, and eat paella, of course. 

Orange trees! Not too common in Bilbao

The first day was spent exploring the city. I stayed at a small hostel in the old part of Valencia, and the winding streets were especially charming. Even though it wasn't very warm, I was just happy not to be schlepping my umbrella around with me. I stopped in the Mercado Central (Central Market) to take a peek at all the fresh seafood, spices, and fruits it had to offer. 

Exploring the streets of Valencia

Day two was spent at Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències, which is the modern-looking science museum/aquarium/IMAX theatre complex. It has such a futuristic feel, and is every photographer's dream. It was very cool to walk around the grounds and see the cool architecture. I ended up seeing an IMAX film, checking out the science museum, and attending a dolphin show (which was my favorite!).

   

My last day in Valencia was spent with two of my favorite things: food and the beach. Breakfast was churros con chocolate, which is always a good way to start the day.  It was a bit overcast, but I took the bus to the beach to check it out. It was pretty deserted, but I could imagine it in the summer overflowing with people. For dinner, the classic Valencian rice dish, paella, was on the menu. I found a small restaurant tucked away on one of those winding streets in the old town. I was thrilled to see it was packed with Spanish-speakers, so I was pretty sure the paella was going to be amazing. And it totally was. I'm a big fan of eating the local cuisine wherever you are, and I can confidently say I have never had a paella as good as when I was in Valencia. 

Empty beach

Valencia was definitely a success, and I was glad to be able to see this well-known Spanish city. Hopefully I'll be able to go back sometime in the summer to really enjoy those beaches!

Bonus: I also found a hilarious Spanish-English translation mishap, which always brightens my day. 

Originally posted 3.6.13