Valencia, Spain. A place I've only read about in books, and today I got to go and see it. Granted I wish I would've been able to spend more time there, it is so beautiful, but it's a place I'll have to come back to later in my lifetime on my own time schedule and soak it all in. The old part of town is gorgeous. The architecture is wonderful and the history is amazing. This city is what I thought all of Spain would be like: winding roads, old buildings just waiting to be explored, and a different undiscovered place around every turn. The description is impossible to write down, that's what pictures are for, but it's a magical place if that makes any sense.
I went with school and took a chartered bus with a bunch of the kids from Florida. We met up at Alicante's Plaza De Toros which was really pretty. I wish we would've had more time there but we had to get on the road since Valencia is 2 hours away from Alicante. The bus ride was wonderful though a little cramped. There wasn't much space between my legs and the seat in front of me but that's okay because window watching was wonderful.
I saw the Spanish country-side for the first time and it was just what I expected to see from the movies: rugged (lots of limestone), with green terrazas for crops and tons of trees. There were old ruins on the side of the road and we passed towns with castles and forts at the highest point in the city (I wish I would've taken pictures).
We arrived in Valencia around 11:30 and the driver let us off at a random corner and then Natalia from school led us on a very short walking tour only an hour and then we were told to go do whatever we wanted.
Our first stop was at the above picture at La Plaza de Virgen who is the patron saint of Valencia. It was a beautiful place with a fountain and a gorgeous gothic church from the 1700s. We continued walking and ran into an animal rights protest which was kind of cool because it was very peaceful but very noisy. Their catch Phrase was "Espana despierta ya derechas de animales" which means wake up Spain and give animals rights already. It was about animal abuse. We had our bocadillos and saw the train station and were sent on our own. Alexi and I wandered the streets for awhile, and a guy from Florida southern, Digit, (seriously, that's his actual real name) came with us, he's a nice guy. We listened to a guy playing the spanish guitar for awhile before we headed back to the bus at 3.
After we all got back (the professor from Florida Southern was 30 minutes late. SO FRUSTRATING! and pissed off the bus driver too) so we only got to spend a half hour in La Comunitat de artes y Ciencas which is this ultra-modern museum center in Valencia. The buildings are so ridiculously futuristic that you feel like you're on a completely different planet. I could've spent all day taking pictures there. We would've had so much fun if we had had more time. 
We left Valencia around 4 and got back to Alicante at 6. we should've stayed longer but that didn't happen. just have to put it on the life list for later.
SUNDAY: FOOTBOL GAME!
After one last day at Playa San Juan with Concha and Roberto. I came home and went to my first pro-footbol (soccer) game! IT WAS PHENOMONAL! I went with some girls from my class some people from school, and Andrés came with us. We met up at school at 7:30 and walked to the stadium. Andrés jumped the line and got the last tickets for the price of 10 euro. We found 8 seats all together behind the goal and then the game started. It was amazing.
Alicante (Comunitat Valenciana) also known as the Mighty Hercules had a wonderful game. They scored the first goal of the game within the first 20 minutes and the place went nuts! The atmosphere was incredible: take all the sports crowds you've ever been in and add them together and that's what you got at the game. Everyone was yelling and screaming and everyone knew every single lyric to their teams cheers.
Andrés taught us one on the way there. "Alicante tiene tres cosas, que en España son muy famosas, sus playas y sus palmeras y el equipo que es mejor."
Translation: Alicante has three things that in Spain are very famous it's beaches and palm trees and the team that is the best.
It was such a cool experience to go to a footbol (soccer) game in EUROPE! it's definitely a way of life here. Granted, not as much as in Barcelona or Madrid but it was still amazing. Alicante scored four times on the end I was sitting on in the first half, and once on the other end. Albacete scored on a free kick which was a ‘gimme shot’, but I don't blame the ref, I was hoping they'd get something on the board since I felt bad for them.
It was the best experience ever.
TODAY: POCO TRISTE
I woke up a little sad today because I only have five more days left here. I'm definitely going to bawl like a baby when I leave because it's been such a wonderful experience but then it's on to Madrid! By the way, I highly doubt that I'll be updating as regularly in the next month as I don't think that my new host mom has internet since she's 71. But I'll try to update as much as I can. If you want to Skype me do it within the next four days I'll be on. The plan for today is study, study, study. I'm having some issues with subjunctive which is on my test. Wish me luck!
Until Next Time,
Avery
GORGEOUS PICTURES.
ReplyDeleteseriously, wow! :)
I was there and I am still impressed.