So, i left Barcelona on Saturday after spending a week(ish) there. I was sad to leave, but ready to continue my spanish venture, heading towards Valencia via train. The train ride was really comfy.. i was on a nice train as that was the only one heading to Valencia that day. I read (devil wears prada.. and finished that on the train) and watched a movie. Once i arrived in Valencia, i made my way from the train station to the hostel i had booked. After i checked in etc, i made my way towards the center of town, not first before being solicited by some prossies ( it was awkward.. i just stared at them and kept walking) I had a day and a half in Valencia so i resigned that on the first day i would explore the city center and go to some museums, just get a feeling for the city. I did just that, and really took a liking to the town. There is a giant riverbed that once was, obviously, a riverbed but has since dried up, and has been turned into a giant subterranean park circling the entire city. I was confused at first because on my map, it looked like a body of water, but when i arrived there.. it definitely was a garden ( a massive one no less) So basically i just explored for a few hours, went to a few museums and sat in a garden and sketched.. it was lovely.
After the museum, the sun was starting to set, and i was exhausted so i decided to make my way back to the hostel and grab some food, but the people had started to come out of the woodwork and the entire city was full.. which was strange because earlier i had seen very few people. On my walk back i saw that i church that i had earlier tried to get into was now open (with free admission) so i ran inside for a bit, surrounding by spaniards.. who i felt like a giant amongst... everyone seemed shorter. I also saw some really bitchin graffiti along the way until my battery started to get low.. so i decided to stop taking pictures and went and got a kebab (the best i have had in europe so far!)
Time for a little explanation.. once i arrived in spain, i noticed a difference in the electrical outlets.. unlike Italy's who just had the three prongs flat on the wall, spains sockets at a plastic circle covering the outlet.. thus my adapter / converter did not work, and i could not charge a damn thing.. i was hoping my camera battery would last..but two weeks is a little much for that poor thing.. it only lasted a week. So i was super pissed because i couldnt charge anything.. cell phone.. camera.. ipod...etc so i went to a store (Fnac) to try and purchase a converter.. and of course.. there was another store that had it down the street a bit. so i walked there.. got lost, asked for directions.. eventually found it... found that it was CLOSED.. i was getting super pissed now and returned to the hostel and asked if they had any extra converters/chargers and they had one that i thought might work so i tried it and of course it had a piece of extra plastic that prevented me from charging... so at this point i just resigned to trying to finish off valencia with whatever camera battery i had left and try and find something in sevilla. So i bought a bus ticket, made my way over to the Arts and Sciences center (done by calatrava) and turned my camera on to start taking pictures and low and behold it died.. right then. I WAS LIVID... walked around for a bit... exploring... becoming more pissed.. and decided to return to the hostel and try to make that charger work.. so i returned, attempted cutting the piece of plastic off with my pocket knife (obviously, i was getting desperate).. and then in an even more ludicrous attempt, tried crushing the piece of plastic off, and to my surprise... it worked!! i was so relieved.. i went and bought a beer and waited for my camera to charge.. and once again made my way to the arts and sciences center.. with a working camera.
Basically the arts and sciences center decimated me.. it was sunset and the ceramic tile was glittering as the sun died.. with the interior of the buildings starting to become illuminated. I walked around... ruminating on every moment as the light faded.
So all the drama was worth it in the end.. and i really adored Valencia... and would definately live there in a heart beat. There was something which i haven't quite put my finger on which made it so desirable.. but it definitely is in my top ten of places i have visited.. and hope to visit again.
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