trusses, xocolate y xurros: valencia in 48 hours

I was ecstatic to receive my friend from UCLA, Dennis in Valencia earlier this week! It was a completely spontaneous trip (Dennis went to France to go skiing with his family in the Alps, and bought his ticket to Valencia from France about 10 days before arriving) but everything worked out smoothly and we both had a great time. It felt reeeeally nice to be able to talk about UCLA, Westwood, Engineers Without Borders, our Nicaragua project, and of course gossip. I've been so deprived, not of the English language but just of that part of my life which one year ago took up the majority of my time.

So Dennis arrived on Sunday afternoon, and after picking him up from the airport we headed to Colón and Barrio del Carmen. We climbed the Micalet (Cathedral's watchtower), saw two Sunday masses, and also went to a flamenco bar. Climbing the 200+ steps of the Micalet is one of those must-do's of Valencia but it was my first time. Also it was my first time going to Valor Chocolate, an extremely popular and famous brand of Spanish chocolate. This was obviously the place to be on Sunday afternoon, because there was a line outside, but we waited for about 10 minutes and it was absolutely worth it. We shared a classic chocolate con churros, and also a sampler of 4 types of chocolate that came in tiny espresso glasses (there was 53% dark chocolate, white chocolate, iced chocolate, and the classic). Also, I should clarify- in Spain, "chocolate en taza" means literally liquid chocolate in a cup and has nothing to do with American hot chocolate (milk with chocolate powder). After our indulgent snack, Dennis and I vowed to have more chocolate.





Monday morning, Dennis and I started the day off at the beach. Luckily the weather was amazing and Dennis even stuck his toes into the Mediterranean.

Then we walked around the port, and the City of Arts and Sciences, had an extremely huge lunch, and I headed off to class. This was Dennis' opportunity to explore and get lost by himself.

Tuesday, Dennis and I were practically running around trying to fit all of the things I wanted to show him into the few hours left of his time in Valencia. We rode bikes in Turia, and then benefited from the "Day of the Touristic Guide" and attended a free 2-hr tour of Valencia. It was really nice to have a guide, actually, and I learned so much! Just like many other cities in Spain, Valencia was built by the Romans, then taken over by German barbarians for a few centuries, then was Moorish for several centuries, and later taken "back" by the Catholics. Valencia developed into a huge trade port, but then its importance diminished in the 15th and 16th centuries ships sailed for America and Sevilla became more important. La Lonja (the beautiful silk exchange, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site) still has records of the trips and funding for the New World, including some loans that Christopher Columbus took out in Valencia. However, Valencia was actually built around the river by the Romans and was not a port city until hundreds of years later. In the Plaza de la Virgen, there is a very famous fountain that represents Turia, the river, and his 8 tributaries. Even today there's a Water Tribunal, an institution recognized by UNESCO, that still functions; representatives from 8 zones meet every Thursday at noon to discuss and solve problems. Another amazing fact- I haven't seen it yet but the Holy Grail is claimed to be located in Valencia's cathedral. (Really! Even check with wikipedia.) Apparently the king of Aragon gave the cup to the cathedral as collateral but failed to repay his debt and therefore the cup has remained in Valencia ever since. The tour also lead us to the other historical highlights: Calle de Caballeros, the Roman ruins of the city and the central market.

For Dennis' last meal in Valencia (this trip, at least!) I decided that he had to have the most typical and famous local dish: Paella Valenciana. A delicious way to end a whirlwind 48 hours in Valencia with a great friend.