Valencia
Trip Start
May 02, 2005
1
15
47
Trip End
Dec 21, 2005
Valencia, Spain
Saturday, June 18, 2005
I said good bye to kath and kate and hopped on a bus to Cordoba.. which is a small city once ruled by the moors and then re-captured by the spanish. The outskirts of the city are not really so nice - lots of low rise apartment buildings, but the centre of the town, the "old town" is really interesting... typical eurpean style with lots of winding streets the are fun to get lost in. The main sight in Cordoba is the cathedral, which is a huge mosque build around 900 years ago with a cathedral built in the centre. Its hard to describe but really interesting seeing the two styles and religions mixed together (http://www.kleekaemper.com/Homepage/Spanien/Spanien_95_Sued/image9.htm). I have included some pictures from while I was in Morocco (you may have noticed) and will gradually try and put more on as I go... I just dont carry the CDs and cables with me when I walk around!
Theres also a nice river on the southern side of the city with an old roman bride spanning it. I met an american student and a guy from northern spain and we went out for tapas.. I think ive already said, its a great meal! Then later on, the american guy (sorry I have already forgotten names.. Paul i think) and I went out to a bar for a few beers to celebrate his 20th.. funny back in the USA he couldnt have done that!
I left cordoba for a very long bus ride to Valencia (about 7 hours.. due to the bus stopping every half hour!). It was a bit more interesting because I met a brazilian guy, Marceo who was here on holiday (his 2nd time to spain) and like me loved the country.
I arrived in Valencia around 9 pm, checked into my pretty funky hostel in the centre of town, and about an hour later I was off to see Garbage play (for free, i think due to the America's cup being held at the time) with a heap of people from the hostel in the huge park that runs through the centre of the city (built in a dried up river bed). Did i mention that I love Spain?!
Valencia is not huge on "sights", there are cathedrals and museums etc, but nothing really must see... which is great, because it meant I got to just enjoy the city and do not much. I walked around a bit .. there are lots of baroque buildings, which are different to the rest of spain and parks. I spent a day at the beach, my first in Europe, with the Americas cup boats sailing around near the beach. All I can say is European beaches are a lot different to back home ;)
I fell asleep however and woke up a bit burnt, dont think the sun block is inteded for falling asleep for a couple of hours! - however I have more colour than I think I have ever had in my life - i think even my hair is going a little lighter.
