Finally made it to Andalucia!

After being on my “list” for a few years now, I finally managed to make it to southern Spain; Andalucia!

I started my 3 week road trip in Valencia, which I will definitely have to come back to again, because it has a great vibe and reminds me a lot of Cologne, where I live in Germany. It’s also a small city compared to Madrid or Barcelona, but it’s still big enough to attract enough locals, tourists and students to make for a very eclectic mix of people and an interesting living experience.

The city also supports this with very interesting and attractive urban projects, such as the Garden of the Turia, which is a riverbed that is now dry after they diverted it’s path to go around the city after suffering from a huge flood, which they have turned in to Spain’s largest urban park!

Another huge project is the “futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, which contains an opera house/performing arts centre, a science museum, an IMAX cinema/planetarium, an oceanographic park and more”.

I had a chance to meet some locals at a couch surfing meet up and it was great to go out with them till VERY late in the night on a normal weeknight and experience the city through their life style, which is not so easy to get used to.

Basically they work till 2 pm, then have a break or siesta till 5 pm and then later go to dinner around 10 pm, followed by drinks at a bar starting from midnight and finally dancing around 2 am. Of course as a tourist, it’s difficult to follow this rhythm, especially if you want to go sight seeing or on a day trip during the day, but it’s also difficult if you don’t and try to go to a restaurant at 4 pm!

Historically, Valencia is one of the oldest cities in Spain and has seen roman, muslim and spanish conquests and reconquests for over 2000 years, which made the free walking tour of the city longer than I had anticipated. So I had enough time to ask the tour guide about the tomato festival, which happens in the north of Spain and which had just taken place a week before I arrived, but he said that it was just for tourists now and that spaniards don’t really go to it. Unlike the running with the Bulls that takes place in Pamplona, which is still a very local event, and which he himself took part in several times and then he showed us the scars to prove it!

To make a long story short, the bulls are definitely real and if you fall you will get hurt!

At the end of the tour, we found ourselves in front of the food market, which was designed in a way, that kept flies from entering somehow. It was the way the air circulated through the building from top to bottom I think. Whatever it was, it was true. There were no flies in the market, which sold fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, chicken and all kinds of produce.

Of course there were food stands outside the market, where you could get Paella to go. But to get a real Paella, it’s actually recommended to eat it at someone’s home, otherwise order it at a real restaurant and for the best results, to do so a day in advance. Because a real Paella, should be made especially for you and not be ready to serve as soon as you order it.

In general Valencia is quite a scenic city with beautiful buildings around every corner and a very interesting mix of people that changes throughout the day. It also seems to be quite a popular destination amongst Erasmus students, who come to learn Spanish here.

One highlight, which I didn’t have time for this time, is of course the beach, but since I had lots of beach days to come, I saved the trip to the valencian beach for my next trip to Valencia.

One of the many beautiful buildings around the city.

The (crooked) view from one of Valencia’s main squares.

More impressive architecture, which I stopped taking pictures of because the city was just full of amazing facades.

This is the main train station and was right next to the bull fighting arena (which didn’t look as good at night).

Signs of islamic design can be found throughout the city. This one reminds me of the doors in Morocco or Zanzibar.

The infamous market hall.

In the middle of the two buildings, you can see one of Europe’s narrowest buildings. We also have one here in Cologne and I think the narrowest one is in Amsterdam.

This is probably Valencia’s most famous square and is full of people at night and a good place to watch locals and tourists enjoying life.

Inside one of the older buildings that used to be a market hall.

One of two main towers in Valencia with apparently great views of the city.

I didn’t get a chance to ask about this, but there was an area full of shops selling weaved products like this, that it seemed like a valencian specialty.