Valencia

The next weekend my travel partner, Katelyn, and I went to Valencia. Valencia is located on the Eastern coast of Spain. This was my first trip within Spain but outside of Andalucia.

It is a beautiful city with an interesting past, but most importantly it is a city charging into the future. It has innumerable cool bars and cafes, it has the architecturally stunning building of Arts and Sciences and best of all is home to the paella dish.

The Arts and Sciences building is like something right out of Minority Report. Valencia is the only city to have the vision of creating this Arts and Sciences mecca with its spectacular futuristic layouts, concepts and contents. On the inside the buildings resemble OMSI, the Portland Children’s Museum, Montaray Bay Aquarium and Florida’s Seaworld all in three buildings next to each other. These concepts are more recent in Spain and people come from all over for their family vacations to visit the new center.

The first thing we did when we arrived in Valencia was take a bus tour of the city. I think when traveling, if there is time, taking a bus tour of the city is always a good idea. You get a good feel for the layout of the city as well as an opportunity to see all the main sights and then you can go back and fully tour the one’s that interest you the most.

Katelyn and I spent a day in a half touring the most interesting places and then we spent a day on the beach. This was the first time ever dipping my toes in the Mediterranean Sea!
What we found on the nearly deserted beach was a few naked Spanish women and nearly naked us. As the day grew warmer more tourists dotted the beach, most of them topless regardless of age or shape. So this is what the Mediterranean brings, nudity. Small price to pay to view the expanse of tropical water as far as the eye can see?

The only thing I really knew about Valencia going into this trip was it is home of the Spanish rice dish, Paella. Valencia is the place where paella first simmered over a wood fire. Let me tell you, I found it to be delicious. Paella consists saffron flavored rice with chicken, pork, chorizo, seafood or vegetables. When you find a scrumptious dish you can bet its perfectly seasoned and served on a sizzling plate topped with toasted garlic and savory gravy. In fact it was so appetizing and mouthwatering we found ourselves going back again the next night. They serve the paella in one huge pan based on the amount of people it is serving.

(Small sidenote: When I met up with Shannon in Barcelona I wanted to make sure she tried some of my favorite Spanish dishes. So one of the nights we went out for Paella. Shannon ate so much paella she was sick for the rest of the night and had to sit out all of the dancing at the discoteca).
P.S. Thanks to Guadalupe's husband I have learned how to prepare Paella and I will be making it upon request after my return home.