Valencia & Tarragona

Part of IES orientation includes a weekend trip. Ours was to Valencia. The third largest city in Spain is known for its oranges and paella (neither of which we ended up eating) and is located three hours south of Barcelona. When we heard we were going to Valencia, we were all a little bummed. Past semesters had gone to places like San Sebastian, Granada, Sevilla. All much more well known destinations in Spain. Our Spanish friends and even a Spanish guide book made it seem like Valencia was the city to skip.

Nevertheless, as we discovered Valencia is very much a city on the rise. The Ayuntamiento de Valencia (city hall), has developed various project to revive the city including a beautifully designed, Gaudi-inspired arts and sciences compound (see pictures!), a Formula 1 race track, and a renovated port area that is home to the America's Cup (big sailing competition). Also, after a devastating flood, the city redirected the river the city was built around to an outlying area. This created a large river bed, now turned into a leisure park, that cuts through the entire city (I didn't get a picture of it, but it was very cool). All of this on top a rich and extensive cultural history (which is hard not to have in Europe). My bet is that in a few years Valencia will have a much better reputation.

The guide books of Spain mentioned Valencia had a vibrant nightlife, which we were looking forward to. Our tour guide told us Calle Caballeros was the place to go. It was one of those quintessential, curvy, European streets complete with one-person sidewalks and room for a car no bigger than a mini cooper. While in a cab navigating through the seas of pedestrians the driver explained the key was patience. There were a few fun bars we found, including one where we Kelsey ran into an acquaintance from Ithaca who is studying in Valencia (small world), and one jam packed with people salsa dancing. But perhaps we are spoiled by Barcelona.

On the way home to Barcelona, we stopped by Tarragona. Tarragona was the richest roman settlement on the Iberian peninsula and is located only an hour south of Barcelona. It was the summer residence of Augustus and contains ruins of an amphitheater, aqueducts, and ancient city walls and streets. The city felt more like an Italian than Spanish, for obvious reasons. But just like in Valencia, the weather is absolutely GORGEOUS! Around 70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. No wonder they call it Costa del Sol (I even came home with some new freckles). Our guides said that Barcelona will be having the same weather in about a month (not that its much worse, just about 10 degress colder).

Overall, we had a very good time. Waking up around 7:30 every morning took its toll (I was able to sleep on the bus like never before) but it also allowed us to make the most out of the weekend. This might sound bad, but perhaps my favorite thing about Valencia was the hotel room. IES put us in a 4star hotel with big, soft beds, clean, nice bathrooms and the best breakfast buffet I have ever had. Not that my apartment in Barcelona is horrible, it is just no 4 star hotel. Nevertheless, seeing another Spanish city made us all very glad Barcelona is our home, and it never felt more like home than when we were away.