my 1st oktoberfest for 2011


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Europe » Spain » Valencian Community » Valencia
September 1st 2011
Published: September 27th 2011
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I wake up in Valencia and have little idea where I am going to spend the night. Ibiza? Madrid? Or Toledo?
I am not worried about it. I sleep in, check out of my hotel, leave my bag with the bell hop and make my way to the beach, with a 2 hour self guided walking tour of the city with no map in the heat. There is a large green belt around much of the city that was a river, but about 60 years ago the river flooded and the city decided to divert it away. Politicians wanted to make the new dry river bed into a large highway but the people got their way and it is one HUGE park with soccer fields, museums, running and biking trails small ponds all from what had been a wide river for centuries- good call Valencia. The more impressive modern architecture I have seen so far on my trip was in this park. It was a collection of 4 or so large white buildings made of a lot of glass in odd shapes that can be loosely described as what would be seen as the top curve of a dolphin’s back when cresting the water.
After walking for some time I found my way to the beach and sit down at a restaurant which was just feet from the sand. The beach in Valencia is really nice, warm water but I did not put on my bathing suit today so I just walk up and down the beach for 45 mins or so and decide no Ibiza for this trip, I am off to Madrid.
I gather my things back at the hotel and walk over to the train station. Right next to one of the train stations is an old bull fighting ring where I see people walking in with lederhosen, wait this is Spain? I walk closer to see what is going on and hear polka. Turns out Valencia is celebrating Oktoberfest in the middle of a bullfighting ring starting today and going on for 10 days or so. It looked pretty impressive to drink in the middle of this old stadium. I do the obvious thing and make this my first opening day of Oktoberfest for 2011 (1 or 2 more to go depending on when SF has theirs). I decide Madrid can wait, I miss my train and grab a beer stein and sit with some Kiwi’s.
After a beer (which was huge) I want to get to Madrid and catch the last train out (with 2 mins to spare). *Note- It can take a while to buy train tickets at the train stations in Spain, up to 20 mins…. Plan accordingly.



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