Make Out Kings and Queens

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Makeout Queens and Kings

Valencia is a beautiful city. I must admit after spending four days here, I think I like it better than Barcelona. It has such a wonderful feel to it, with lots of delicious Paella Valenciana, stunning architecture, friendly locals, a lovely beach, and the most amazing park. I would move here in a heartbeat. There are so many people out with their dogs every single day so I really do believe that my dog Bill would be happy here too. Oh and Lee, there is the coolest park ever to go running through 😊



We arrived in Valencia right after the famous fire festival called Las Fallas. The festival is held in commemoration of St Joseph. Each neighborhood is responsible for creating their own falla which is then burnt out in the streets. For five days and nights people are out on the streets celebrating and playing with fire! As much as I would have loved to see the festival, I am a little bit glad that we missed it because we most likely would have not been able to find anywhere to stay! The festival draws lots of outsiders and the streets are physically packed for the five day festival.




March 23

Marry and I made our way to the train station in Barcelona and bought tickets to travel to Valencia. We accidentally ended up purchasing first class tickets and paid way more money then we would have liked, oops. The train ride took just a bit over three hours. Naturally, I passed out for most of that time.

When we arrived we walked away from the train station and I instantly loved the city. The architecture was stunning. We walked around for a bit until we stumbled upon a hostel that looked quite nice. We ended up booking it for two nights. After settling in we went out to find a place to eat. We stopped at a place that looked on the more expensive side but we could not control the watering of our mouths when we read the description of their Paella Valenciana. It may also have something to do with the waiter who came out to try to get us to eat there... or rather his butt. It was AMAZING! ...the paella that is. Needless to say, Mary was smitten.

When we arrived back at the hostel is was around 2330. You really do adapt quickly to eating dinner at 2200 and not going to bed until sometime around 0300. As we were wide awake still, Marry and I goofed around in the room since we were the only two booked in the four beedroom dorm for the night. We laughed and spend quite a lot of time video chatting with one another whilst laying three feet apart. We went to sleep sometime around 0230.




March 24

We were awakened by the sun shining through the balcony doors outside of the terrace just outside of our room. We readied ourselves for the day and made our way to the bus station. The beach is about a 30 minute bus ride from where we are staying. The beach in Valencia is nice and has a fairly long walking path lined with palm trees. We spent our day walking on the beach and eating gelato of course.

It is so nice in Spain because the people really do love to be outside. Everywhere you look there are families eating lunch together and spending time together. They are so family oriented here; it is quite nice. The only part about it that gets old is the make out contest that seems to be going on constantly.

Man do people here love to makeout in public! I had forgotten how open Spain and most parts of Western Europe are with Public Display of Action and boy are they active! Everywhere you turn you see young and old couples really having a go at tounge tag... It still is hard to not stare in awe at the lack of care these couples express.

We came back to the hostel later on in the evening and met our new roommates that were booked into our room with us. They are a guy and a gal from France with their pet rat!! It is so funny because when they leave to go out they take the rat with them! He just sits atop the guys shoulder which he prefers to the pocket.

We went out and had tapas for dinner around 2200. After which we went to the train station where we were meeting up with my friend Clara from Sweden. She is living in Valencia now finishing up her course work until June. It was so amazing to get to see her again after five years! We went out for drinks and had a really nice evening. We had forgotten that the clocks were changing and so by the time we headed home for the night it was 0330.




March 25

I love Sundays in Spain. Everyone is out and about with their families enjoying the day. It really is quite the sight to see. The Spanish are so family oriented and Sundays are reserved especially for spending time with the entire family and close friends.

Oh what a fun day! Sunday morning we went to leave the hostel and walked through the market that takes place in the streets on Sunday afternoons. We loved it so much that we ended up turning around and went back to the hostel and checked right back in to the same room we had just left... what dorks. After getting re-settled in all over again, we went back out to the market. Our next destination, Tarragona, would have to wait another day. I was happy that we waited because we still had yet to visit the River Turia which was converted into an elongated park.

We stopped at a little cafe close to our hostel and had lunch. Halfway through our meal I looked up and saw a girl way down the street with a huge pack on and so it caught my eye. As the figure approached closer and closer I realized it was our new friend Gemma that we had met at the hostel in Barcelona, how ironic! I yelled to her and signaled for her to come over. Once she sat down with us we learned that she was actually looking for the same hostel we were staying in! I still can´t get over how bizzare it is that we sat down to have lunch in just the right location that allowed for me to see her coming, and that she had booked two nights in the same hostel we were staying in! Had we not turned around and decided to stay another day, we would have missed her altogether.

After going back into the hostel to help Gemma get settlted and put away our purchases from the market, the three of us headed out to find the Gardin park Turia. We were amazed once we found it. There are many spots at which to enter the park because it is a gigantic riverbed. It was beautiful outside so we took our time walking down the entire length of the park. It really was the perfect day. Because it was Sunday the park was filled with families picnicing and dogs playing. Children were running all over the place and there were a number of futbol matches going on. What an amazing atmosphere!

The Park--
In 1957 there was a terrible flood that devastated Valencia. Since then, the river was divided into two parts with one running clear outside of the city until it meets the Meditteranean, and the other half dried up, the old part, running right through the city. This old sunken riverbed is the park that I am speaking of. It is called Garden of the Turia which boasts so many things that make it one of the best parks I have ever been to. It has flowers galore, trees, ountains, football pitches, cafés, outdoor gyms, artwork and so much more. It is impossible to capture the beauty with a camera. It is a great way to travel around the city bypassing noisey roads and traffic.




Accommodation

We stayed at Home Youth Hostel in Carmen. We highly recommend it. There are no bunk beds and many of the rooms have their own terrace looking over the streets. The rooms are extremely affordable being around €15 per person in most the the three and four bed dorms. It is within walking distance of almost everything and just a short bus ride to the beach. We really enjoyed our stay!

http://www.homehostelsvalencia.com/

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Photos

Silly Sign
No peeing while jumping?!