Valencia, Spain.

Hola! My third trip to Spain, I started out back in Alcalá de Henares via Madrid and made my way to Valencia for the weekend. I got to Valencia from Madrid via the ever-reliable RailEurope trains. It was a quick two-hour ride, and the first class car was pretty affordable. The weather was unusually sunny and beautiful for winter, about 73 degrees, so it was a great weekend to be out and about. Before we did any further research, we set out to Valencia with a goal of two things: oranges, which it’s famous for, and paella, which we had recently learned was created there.

We arrived on a Friday evening and stayed at a hotel near the coast. We were also very close to the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (City of Arts and Sciences) complex, which left me incredulous about if we had arrived in the Modern Stone Age. (Jetson’s reference for the youngins.) Our hotel was near a strip of restaurants, so we didn’t have to go far for dinner. Saturday morning, we went to brunch at Brunch Corner in the city square, because brunch is the best part of Saturday morning in any city. The freshly squeezed orange juice with the Valencia oranges really elevated the mimosas. From there, we walked around city, and couldn’t help but notice all of the orange trees lining the streets. Oranges in the street were as common as leaves at the beginning of fall. We thought it a rebellious idea to snatch one from the tree only to find out the street oranges are acidic and putrid. Sunday morning was a bit more drab, which was the perfect opportunity to do the indoor activities in the City of Arts and Sciences. We went to the aquarium where we saw a dolphin show, and went to the science museum which was very interactive and exciting. Honestly, beholding the architecture was just as fun as being inside of the museums. Thankfully by the time we needed to leave the museums, it was perfect outside again. We went to La Pepica to indulge in the paella in the place it was invented, but they were booked; if you want to go there, make a reservation. We went to La Marcelina next door, and I’m sure it was just as good.

I’ve heard there is nightlife in the City of Arts and Sciences complex, so upon return I would check that out.

All photos taken with Nikon D5100.

Views from brunch

A square in the city

Caught my eye

An familiar face

Valencia Cathedral

Around the Cathedral

Cathedral carvings – on the outside

Oranges everywhere

Caught my eye

El Mercado

Much less chaotic than San Miguel in Madrid

Lucir = to shine

First glimpse of the City of Arts and Sciences

Some shots from the aquarium

You know we played Baby Shark

A Spongebob dream

Loved the architecture

Dolphin show! Fun fact: I was chosen to participate in a dolphin show at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago when I was about 10 years old, and I’ve loved them ever since.