Bienvenidos a Valencia

 Hola, faithful readers.  I've been meaning all week to write about my excursion to Valencia, but I have so much free time that it's hard to decide which of it to spend on Honoldblog.  Anyway, thanks for the patience.  Oh and I have a camera now.

A View of a Church, from a Church - Valencia

  So last Saturday morning, September 17th, all twenty-four students in my program boarded a bus headed for Valencia, which sits on la Costa Blanca two and a half hours north of Alicante.  Upon arrival, we had a quick bus tour followed by a walking tour.  On the bus we learned that, like many Spanish cities, Valencia was originally built under the Muslim caliphate, which ruled most of Spain for most of the middle ages.  It is a medieval phenomenon that Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived more or less in peace here throughout this period.  As evidence, there are both mosques and cathedrals in the old part of Valencia.  We walked through one of these cathedrals, which was far from the most impressive church I've been to but quite ornate none the less, its distinctive feature being a garden with trees of inedible yet incredibly fragrant oranges.
   During a one hour break, my amigo Nick and I walked into a little music shop and jammed, thereby discovering that we are each other's equals in musical enthusiasm.  And this was my first time playing bass in Spain.  Quite the thrill.  Nick and I are taking a flamenco guitar class together beginning in October and we've agreed to look for more opportunities to jam.  Doubtlessly there will be more on musical happenings in future posts.

Oceanogràfic - Valencia

   After the break, we got back on the bus and headed to La Oceanagràfic.  A facility of modern architecture with swooping buildings that evoke the ocean's waves, this is the largest aquarium in Europe.  There we saw many citizens of the aquatic community like penguins, sharks, walruses, beluga whales, and a variety of ugly fishes.  But none of the fish tanks could compare to La Programa de los Delfines, which gave me a new and profound appreciation for dolphins.  For one thing, it's clear that they are very close to human intelligence.  Also, they smile a lot.  We saw them dance to The Rolling Stones' "Who Do You Love?" by lifting themselves out of the water and back peddling on their flippers.  We watched as one trainer with his feet planted on two bottle shaped noses was brought to the bottom of the tank, then launched twenty feet in the air.  And we witnessed the dolphins themselves leap in synchrony from the water, doing as many as three flips at a time.  ¡Que magnifico!
    Afterward, much of the group boarded the bus back to Alicante.  I am grateful that my friend Bobby, who was feeling a little under the weather, offered me his place in a hostel for the night.  Thus I was part of a crew of four compañeros who stuck it out for the night.  So Blake, Gayle, Amy, and I checked into our hostel and went looking for a place to eat, but we discovered more than expected.
    Strolling by Valencia's Plaza de los Toros, we heard a ruckus.  It was a German-esque ruckus of polka music and the shouts of people who could only have had large mugs of beer in their fists.  That's right, it was Oktoberfest on Tour, so we went to investigate.  After a pint, we made plans to recuperate at the hostel before returning to Oktoberfest for the night.  And we did just that.  After 10pm there was ten euro fee which granted entry and a liter of Paulaner ale, thus everyone was obliged to drink at least that much.  Following the flow of beer was the flow of Spanish, so it was easy to make friends with those around us.  And we danced the night away, as the music alternated between American oldies and that of a questionably authentic German band.  ¡Que magnifico!

View from atop the castle

    The next morning, we woke up with the intention of seeing as much of Valencia as possible before our 5:15pm bus time.  After breakfast we stumbled upon a castle in the old part of town.  We climbed to the top, where there was a great view of the Valencian cityscape, inclusive of antique bell towers and modern buildings in the distance.

Enwizened Gentleman Reading
El Jardìn Botanico de la Universidad Valenciana

 




    Then we happened upon the botanical gardens of Univeridad Valenciana and enjoyed a stroll past elaborate gates and fountains, through the shade of exotic trees.  Apparently many stray cats inhabit this garden, along with elderly folks reading books.
    After an hour in the garden, we continued our route in the general direction of the bus station, and came across a large park that separates the old and new parts of the city.  But we turned back in order to find a place to eat lunch.  The first establishment we tried denied us due to siesta hours (if my American readers can believe it), but the second was willing to serve us hot bocadillos and cold sangria.

Human Evolution in Skulls

    Then we were fortunate to come upon a museum, one half of which is dedicated to archaeological human history, the other to Valencian cultural history.  To my surprise there was a row of skulls from various periods of human evolution and all the Homos were present, including Sapien.  In addition, there were many tools and pottery pieces from several thousands of years ago.  On the other side of the museum, I saw perhaps the most magnificent pair of corduroys I've ever laid eyes on.  They were patched together from different earth-tone shades of fabric sometime during the early twentieth century.  Now to my lament, I didn't take a picture.
    We concluded our excursion with a walk through the aforementioned park, which runs about one hundred meters wide and two miles long, with many winding paths, tall tress, plazas, fields, and fountains.  After walking a ways, finding a bench, and having an in depth conversation about mortality, we made our way toward the bus station.  It had been a long and tiring excursion, though worth every minute, and we were ready to go home to Alicante.
     Having been on this trip, I have gotten a taste of European travel, and I'm excited to venture elsewhere.  As of now, I have plans for traveling to Barcelona, Madrid, and Granada as well as two weeks set aside after my semester ends for seeing Europe.  So as always, stay tuned.  And I'll make my next post sooner this time.  Maybe something about graffiti...