As I wandered through the streets of Valencia, I knew I’d have missed her had I never even set foot upon her marble paths. Gorgeous arching trees shade the lanes and provide the sweet fresh scent that is Heaven to inhale. Store-fronts boast of 100% Lana, brim with straw baskets and hats, and display colorful fashions. Every bar has a Tapas menu and the prices range from reasonable to sky high. Spanish students crowd into the cathedrals and castles for last minute field trips. Tourists trickle in from all over the globe. After photographing the piazzas and cathedrals, trying to catch that Spanish architecture in just the right way, I stopped at a stand advertizing 3 Euro pailla – a very popular Spanish rice dish. After ordering Valencia pailla, I boosted myself onto the bar stool and began a conversation with the older English couple seated beside me. They told me of their caravan travel throughout the Western United States and of their vacations all over the world. Saddened, they told me that the US requires insurance for the elderly to visit and that the insurance was incredibly expensive at their age – so no more trips to the States.
After lunch, I ambled throughout the city, stopping at unusual clothing boutiques, jewelry stands, and piazzas to take photos of the city’s splendor. I bought a wrap around black and white skirt, big hand-painted wooden hoop earrings, and a headband. For dinner, I went to the restaurant recommended to me by the receptionist at the hostel – but the food was bland and unimpressive. I returned for a good night’s sleep before starting off for Alicante the next day.
At 9:30 Friday morning, I found myself in Valencia’s central market. I bought an empanada – surprise! This was not sweet like in the US! It was filled with thick tomato sauce. I also bought a beautiful muffin topped with cinnamon sugar with a jaunty cinnamon stick angled from its interior. After a little more sightseeing, I tried my hand at train travel in Spain. Wow. This is much more difficult than in Italy. One - I could not figure out the ticket machines! They did not have an option for English or for Italian – only Spanish and the Valencian dialect. When I asked a local for help, she couldn’t figure it out either. The desks only took cash, so I shelled out the funds for the regional train and went into the main area of the station. There were lines with x-ray machines for luggage! Like in the airport! I’d never seen such in a train station. And there is no way to get by without paying for transportation in Spain. Train workers check tickets before entering the queue to embark. On the bus, everyone must enter by the driver, who checks and sells tickets.
When I arrived in Alicante, Peyton was standing by the train and greeted me with a huge smile and a hug. We walked through the construction to drop my bag off at the hotel. Alicante was much more “city-like” than Valencia (the bigger city). Valencia’s beauty rivaled that of Washington D.C. and Alicante, while nice, was not a contender in the competition. The receptionist at the hotel informed me that no, my reservation did not come with breakfast. Dang! I’d thought it had… We went up to the room and ew! What was that smell! A strange odor of smokiness, soured shower curtain, and urinal bombarded us, and we turned around to inform the receptionist. Poor Peyton had to serve as my translator. He did not seem very concerned. No – the hotel was fully booked. No – there would be no compensation. No – he could not throw in breakfast. Since I’d already paid for the hotel, I decided to go ahead and put my bag back in the room and Peyton and I went out for the day. We began with a walk through the Expinada, Alicante’s most popular hang out spot. The Expinada is a marble walkway lined with palm trees and the loveliest red flowers. There are chairs out for everyone and groups of elderly people lounge and chat. African women sit near the walkway, advertizing their braiding and hair-wrapping talents. Marketeers sell jewelry, Turkish pants, and other odds and ends. After enjoying the atmosphere, we shopped around for the perfect place to have dinner. We found our new favorite Spanish restaurant – a local tapas chain. Tapas is the light meal that the Spanish have late evening. This restaurant served an assortment of things such as sausage, sauces, or fish on top of baguette bread. Hot items were brought out by the waiters to each table. We both filled our plates with about four different items and cut them all in half to share with each other. To quench our thirst, Peyton and I ordered the best sangria that I’d ever had the pleasure to consume. Garnished with two slices of fruit, I enjoyed the orange slice immensely. As I bit into the other slice, Peyton’s grin went of ear to ear, “ah! A lemon!” I realized.
For dessert, Peyton and I indulged our sweet teeth by buying an assortment of pastries to share as we watched one of my favorite films, Because I Said So, and drank some of Peyton’s exotic assortment of hot teas. Around midnight, we returned to the hotel to sleep – at least it had a nice feather comforter! We awoke after a nice night’s rest and prepared ourselves for a grand day at the beach. We once again split some pastries and had tea for breakfast from our home base at Peyton’s apartment, and then spread our towels out on the beach. The sun was a scorture but the water was cool. I later realized I might has well have baked myself in an oven – I’d forgotten how bad I burn every year my first day of summer. I was like a lobster – so burnt I could barely walk! But I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the beach! Dying for something cold, Peyton and I found the perfect spot at a café on the Explinada to order a Spanish fruit drink. It was great – almost milky in flavor!
Peyton and I tried another tapas restaurant Saturday night, but this one (although cheaper) wasn’t as good as the first. We made up for it though with fantastic ice cream! Alicante’s wonderful icecream shop, Pinocchio’s, serves three flavors on a cone in the shape of a rose (petals and all!) The presentation only enhanced the sweet and flavorful taste!
Sunday morning, Peyton and I gave up our hike up to the castle because of my ailing form. Instead, we walked around the city and searched for the most beautiful places to sit and chat. For lunch, we returned to our favorite tapas haunt and had an early dinner before my departure. I left hoping that it wouldn’t be long until we meet again!
After lunch, I ambled throughout the city, stopping at unusual clothing boutiques, jewelry stands, and piazzas to take photos of the city’s splendor. I bought a wrap around black and white skirt, big hand-painted wooden hoop earrings, and a headband. For dinner, I went to the restaurant recommended to me by the receptionist at the hostel – but the food was bland and unimpressive. I returned for a good night’s sleep before starting off for Alicante the next day.
At 9:30 Friday morning, I found myself in Valencia’s central market. I bought an empanada – surprise! This was not sweet like in the US! It was filled with thick tomato sauce. I also bought a beautiful muffin topped with cinnamon sugar with a jaunty cinnamon stick angled from its interior. After a little more sightseeing, I tried my hand at train travel in Spain. Wow. This is much more difficult than in Italy. One - I could not figure out the ticket machines! They did not have an option for English or for Italian – only Spanish and the Valencian dialect. When I asked a local for help, she couldn’t figure it out either. The desks only took cash, so I shelled out the funds for the regional train and went into the main area of the station. There were lines with x-ray machines for luggage! Like in the airport! I’d never seen such in a train station. And there is no way to get by without paying for transportation in Spain. Train workers check tickets before entering the queue to embark. On the bus, everyone must enter by the driver, who checks and sells tickets.
When I arrived in Alicante, Peyton was standing by the train and greeted me with a huge smile and a hug. We walked through the construction to drop my bag off at the hotel. Alicante was much more “city-like” than Valencia (the bigger city). Valencia’s beauty rivaled that of Washington D.C. and Alicante, while nice, was not a contender in the competition. The receptionist at the hotel informed me that no, my reservation did not come with breakfast. Dang! I’d thought it had… We went up to the room and ew! What was that smell! A strange odor of smokiness, soured shower curtain, and urinal bombarded us, and we turned around to inform the receptionist. Poor Peyton had to serve as my translator. He did not seem very concerned. No – the hotel was fully booked. No – there would be no compensation. No – he could not throw in breakfast. Since I’d already paid for the hotel, I decided to go ahead and put my bag back in the room and Peyton and I went out for the day. We began with a walk through the Expinada, Alicante’s most popular hang out spot. The Expinada is a marble walkway lined with palm trees and the loveliest red flowers. There are chairs out for everyone and groups of elderly people lounge and chat. African women sit near the walkway, advertizing their braiding and hair-wrapping talents. Marketeers sell jewelry, Turkish pants, and other odds and ends. After enjoying the atmosphere, we shopped around for the perfect place to have dinner. We found our new favorite Spanish restaurant – a local tapas chain. Tapas is the light meal that the Spanish have late evening. This restaurant served an assortment of things such as sausage, sauces, or fish on top of baguette bread. Hot items were brought out by the waiters to each table. We both filled our plates with about four different items and cut them all in half to share with each other. To quench our thirst, Peyton and I ordered the best sangria that I’d ever had the pleasure to consume. Garnished with two slices of fruit, I enjoyed the orange slice immensely. As I bit into the other slice, Peyton’s grin went of ear to ear, “ah! A lemon!” I realized.
For dessert, Peyton and I indulged our sweet teeth by buying an assortment of pastries to share as we watched one of my favorite films, Because I Said So, and drank some of Peyton’s exotic assortment of hot teas. Around midnight, we returned to the hotel to sleep – at least it had a nice feather comforter! We awoke after a nice night’s rest and prepared ourselves for a grand day at the beach. We once again split some pastries and had tea for breakfast from our home base at Peyton’s apartment, and then spread our towels out on the beach. The sun was a scorture but the water was cool. I later realized I might has well have baked myself in an oven – I’d forgotten how bad I burn every year my first day of summer. I was like a lobster – so burnt I could barely walk! But I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the beach! Dying for something cold, Peyton and I found the perfect spot at a café on the Explinada to order a Spanish fruit drink. It was great – almost milky in flavor!
Peyton and I tried another tapas restaurant Saturday night, but this one (although cheaper) wasn’t as good as the first. We made up for it though with fantastic ice cream! Alicante’s wonderful icecream shop, Pinocchio’s, serves three flavors on a cone in the shape of a rose (petals and all!) The presentation only enhanced the sweet and flavorful taste!
Sunday morning, Peyton and I gave up our hike up to the castle because of my ailing form. Instead, we walked around the city and searched for the most beautiful places to sit and chat. For lunch, we returned to our favorite tapas haunt and had an early dinner before my departure. I left hoping that it wouldn’t be long until we meet again!
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