Isabella's in Italy: Spring Break in Spain: Valencia

Hey everyone!

Wow, it sure has been a long time since my last post. So much has happened since then! This semester I am taking a Survey of Italian Literature, History of Costume, Immigration, and Linguistics, and we are steadily approaching finals season. That means lots of upcoming presentations, projects, and papers. But that's not what I want to talk about today. Instead, I want to tell you about what I did for spring break...in Spain! This time, any words in italic are Spanish :)

map for reference :)
from lonelyplanet.com

I flew into Valencia on the southeast coast of Spain, where I stayed with family friends. From there, I visited several other cities in the South as well as Madrid, the capital. Here are some pictures and thoughts on my time in Valencia.

Valencia

A couple days before coming to Spain, we had a discussion at dinner about our favorite cities in the world. I said I didn't have one but now, I believe I have found it. If I had to live in a city, Valencia would be my first choice. Why is Valencia so great? Well, it is neither too big nor too tiny, the climate is moderate year-round, and it has great beaches, gardens, and museums, just to name a few!

One of the things I loved most about Spain was the abundance of gardens and green spaces in the city. Italy (at least from what I have seen) doesn't have this and I must say, although the architecture in Florence is lovely, I really do miss seeing green things! Another great thing about Spain is that many museums are either free or very low cost (1-2 euros). I was especially lucky because I didn't have to pay any entrance fees to museums in Valencia because I was there during semana santa (lit. Holy week, that is, the week of Easter).

Graffiti at an ice cream shop

Valencia, looking towards the central market.

Valencia's symbol is a bat!

Traditional dresses

the cathedral

Fantastic (and free!) archaeological museum. The ruins are underneath the blue, see-through flooring!

Stopped to eat my lunch under the orange trees :)

When I came back to Valencia after visiting the south, I saw the more modern part of the city during a trip to the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (city of arts and sciences). I also went to the beach and saw a huge sand sculpture!

Along the way, I stumbled across this awesome playground of Gulliver from Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. The book recounts all of Gulliver's adventures and this playground is inspired from his first voyage when he is shipwrecked on the island of Lilliput. He becomes the prisoner of its tiny inhabitants, the Lilliputians.

So fun!!

Another difference between Spain and Italy is the siesta. While most businesses in Italy are open throughout the day, in Spain the majority of stores and museums close for lunch around 1 or 2 and then reopen at 4 or 5pm. In Spain, lunch is the main meal of the day and happens in the early afternoon and is often followed by a siesta. Because lunch is had later in the day, dinner isn't until at least 10pm and staying up late is the norm. Thankfully, I didn't have to adjust my schedule too much because I am already used to late dinners in Italy with my host family. We eat around 9pm, although I am told that by Italian standards that is late and most Italians eat around 8pm.

Speaking of food, one of the things I loved most about Valencia was the market! It's really beautiful and full of delicious foods and fresh fruit juices. In addition to sneaking many free turrón (a type of candy made from honey and almonds) samples, I had a glass of coconut milk as well as a glass of horchata (a sweet milky drink made from chufas or tigernuts) for 1 euro each! I also bought my own turrón, pan de higo (a fig cake made from only figs and nuts), and a special kind of pure dark chocolate that is made in Valencia. I also found a stand that sold products from Latin America, so I bought some guayaba (guava) and alfajores for my friends.