A Real Rest Day


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October 13th 2005
Published: October 13th 2005
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This is a legitimate rest day, something that we don´t end up doing too often because of our personalities or because there seems to be all these things we ¨should¨see when traveling or because as Americans we are always aspiring to do more and have as many experiences as possible.
This is our thrid full day in Valencia, a vibrant city that retains much of the charm of a small town. We first arrived here after what we foolishly anticipated would be an easy day of 50 km that turned out to be a trying endevor pocked by sections of stone and sand roads (not cobblestones, just a road made of stones the size of baseballs) that lasted for a couple of kilometers here and there. (This is more detailed in entries on the handheld computer I have yet to upload). By the time we got to Valencia, it was almost 4:00, adn we had yet to eat lunch, so once we settled in to this funky but welcoming hostel called ¨Home,¨we ate our way across town from 5 til 9, pretty much satiating ourselves on horchata (the local milkshake like drink made fmo tiger nuts and traditionally served with fartons (seriously)), bocadillos (little sandwiches), ice cream and other diverse treats from one eating establishment to the other.
On our first full day here, we split up and did the town, hitting sights from the bullring to the art museum, and again wandered the town grazing for food at dinnertime (which goes from tapas time at 4 or 5 until the restaurants open at 9, until they fill up around 10 and then, we are told, become big time party bars at about midnight. All I know of this late night action is that when I woke at 2 I thought there was a party in our hostel (there being enough young folk here to render this a legitimate possibility). But no, the loud roar of crowds talking was merely the hoards on the streets below, just the overflow from the real bars and cafes a few blocks away. As the oldest folks in this hostel, we do feel like perhaps we are missing something in this city known for its nightlife (with a bar named Why Sleep?), but the idea of going out at midnight, even without kids, seems so foreign to us Vermonters as to be impossible.
Yesterday was spent at the City of Arts and Sciences, this incredible architectural wonder designed by S. Calavetera and housing a science museum, IMAX dome, and aquarium. This took all day, including the massive lunch buffet there that allowed us to sample the requisite local Paella, as well as about 8 desserts and piles of sliced meats, fruit, etc. It was National Day, so the streets were packed when we got back to the main part of town, and we had our requisite local orange juice and horchata and fartons in front of the Cathedral as the sun set, and then headed to the popular 100 Montadito shop (1 euro each) for a dozen little sandwiches for dinner. So we were out and about from 9 til 9 and the idea of taking one more day here to relax before the final push on to Granada seemed a reasonable option to us all.
So today has been mostly hanging out. Koby and I went to the 1000 stall Mercado Central to buy breakfast provisions. It took us about 10 stalls to get eggs, varied fruits, cheeses, etc, and then our morning fresh OJ at a little street side stand. Since then, we have been mostly here at ¨Home¨reading, doing ¨home¨work, internet checking, and for me, trying to shake a sore throat, napping. We plan to head out soon for the Fallas Museum, where they show the best floats from the annual festival that are saved by the judges from the bonfires that highlight this event. Tomorrow we will get back on the bikes for what we think is about 10-12 more biking days to Granada. The route gets a little tricky closer to there, and much map scouring hasnt made it completely obvious how to get through this section between Spain´s highest mountains and another smaller range and then the big highways that seem the only route through in some sections. We hope to get a better idea when we get closer.

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14th October 2005

13 October
Hello you guys - I have enjoyed reading your postings Rick (I think you have been writing them?). I am so glad your trip has gone well so far, as it sounds from your musings and reports from the road. We weathered a rain storm here which had Keene flooded, southern VT faired better, but Natl Guard were called to Keene for assistance! Alstead really got hit, houses submerged and some people were lost or lost everything. anyway, just wanted to say hello. Elaine, I got that MacArthur grant, we will be moving to Rwanda in Feb some time. xob
19th October 2005

Glad to hear you are well and having a great trip. It's all so fascinating, and we look forward to more of the journal in weeks and months to come. More later....

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