Welcome back Kiwis,

here it is finally the last post about our trip in Spain. I know we were gone in October 2017 and now it’s January 2018, I needed a while for write it! It’s always difficult to resume everything and make you a post to read in ten minutes. Therefore I am not even able to do that in real life! Well, I can start saying that of all these towns we visited the one I prefered the most was Valencia. Valencia is my favorite town because you could really feel the south Spain. We travelled from North to South Spain by train, while travelling down you could realize how the landscape changes. My eyes lighted up when on the way to Valencia the earth turned from brown colors to red. Who knows me, knows also that I love to travel by train, this was really one of the best travel ever I did by train. I was just in love of this landscape, when you turned left you could see the sea at one step of your nose and when you turned on the right side you could see until the horizon Orange trees on the red earth. Just an unforgettable picture that can’t fade away from my mind!

These two days spended in Valencia was a long sequence of great moments. Everything there looks amazing, the style of that town is majestic, a perfect mix of old and modern style. I cannot not mention the Underground station of Alameda and it’s stunning effect when you join in it. When you are still in the dark of the tunnel you start to see everywhere sparkling, when the light come everything shines of white pale mosaics. A real unexpected place that you can discover just if you pass through or if your hotel is in the near. Strangely this place isn’t written in any guide of Valencia or Pinterest/Instagram post.

Something else I didn’t read in Valencia guides is that on the underground trains plays all the time classic music. Listening classic music on a train in the early morning was really romantic and relaxing. I find it also fits with the image that Valencia give. By the way one negative thing about the underground I have to say it. I must avoid that at the beginning was not that easy to understand how to use it. The reason was that many trains for different destinations stopped on the same rail. This system is not that intuitive as many people expects, therefore not if the city you visited before was Barcelona! In facts there are not many underground destinations, you must walk really a lot (I guess one day we walked over 25 km!!!) but is a good thing for discover unknown places and take the risk to live an adventure!

On the way to the Oceanografic we stopped on a Shopping Mall for take a short break (believe me, after doing over 15 km everyday my feet hurted really much!). There we discovered with pleasure the shop of Haagen Dasz, what a better break combined with a cold snack?! About Oceanografic I will do an extra post because there’s much to say, so stay tuned on Creative Kiwi!

Something we wanted absolutely to try in Valencia was the thypical drinks from this town. So before start our travel we did a short research about the “must try drinks” in Valencia. We tried first the famous Agua de Valencia, a kind of alcoolic orange juice, very refreshing and tasty in summer! Sincerely I wouldn’t have take a second one, I would have get drunk probably as I didn’t ate before! Before to leave Valencia we profited to try the Horchata near Mercado de Colon. My sincerely opinion? I didn’t like it at all, not my kind of taste or simply didn’t fullfill my expectations. I expected me a more milky, fat, thick taste, delicate yes but more thick. In facts this drink was much watery and too much delicate that it even nearly didn’t taste anything. I was a little bit deceive from it but maybe it was just I bought it in the wrong shop.

When I said we walked really much, I meaned a day like the one we visited the sea in Valencia. Let’s say it, with the Underground reach the sea is really uncomfortable. If you don’t understand where the bus goes and at which time comes the only chance left is to go by feet! You just have to walk kilometers long for reach it! That’s exactly what we did for have the chance to see the Mediterranean sea from another side then Italy!
It was just magic there, and I swear it, we had see Kiwi footprints on the sand! (Photo here below)

While returning back from the sea in direction Ciudad Vieilla we just walked through a small street, there we found this old building dated 1919. I just found was amazing to see the Bouganvilles behind it and these yellow colors that gives to Valencia its special “watermark”. I like the idea that everytime I see such colors I think “that’s the colour of Valencia”, like if this town owned the rights of/for it.
Just for who didn’t notice it, on the balcony there’s kinda bear with open mouth singing!

There’s something which who visits Valencia can’t forget, can’t get out of mind so easily. Valencia, a town that’s impossible to don’t love it, its ochre stones, its old ochre buildings, so special to made it unforgettable. I don’t hide it, when I have been in Valencia, I don’t know exactly for which reason but I have felt to be home.

I wanna spend some words about Hotels. Of all the hotels and hostels we visited in that tour the best one I booked (for the cheapest price also!!!) was the Hotel Check In Valencia. This hotel is a real luxus, a real amazing place where to spend your vacations! Is a little bit out of the center, you always must take the Underground but if you wanna have your peace out of touristic places full of people this is perfect for you. The workers are really kind and friendly, the rooms are more than big, amazing paitings on the walls and amazing materials used, just the best!

Something else in the list “must do” in Valencia is the Jardin de Monforte. The Jardin de Monforte is a tiny sweet garden at the doors of North Valencia side. Particularly appreciated of this garden is the Bouganville tunnel, a triumph of pink and fuchsia shades that melt with summer lights. At the center of this public garden there’s a fountaine with fishes and all that surrounded by centuries old trees. In Jardin de Monforte I had also got the chance to cuddle a wonderful spanish “Gato” cat.

And now after have tell you the main things we did and visited in Valencia I wanna give you some more tipps.

Tipps for have a great time in Valencia:

• If you wanna stay just some days and walk is not a problem for you, I don’t advise to buy a Valencia card. The best and cheapest solution is to buy a T10 underground card. This card you can use it 10 times but you can change different undergrounds lines using the same “drive”.
• If you don’t wanna walk as much as we did, the best is to inform you about how often and which are the bus. Unfortunately Valencia is not much connected with undergrounds, so is much easier take a bus!
• Don’t eat in restaurants in the center of Valencia, many of that doesn’t have real traditional food. The best thing is to make a short research on Trip Advisor before you start your travel.
• Don’t follow the good feedbacks about the restaurant “Casa Roberto”. We walked there kilometers long, we ate extremely less for pay extremely much, it didn’t taste at all good. Worst of all were the unfriendly workers, they came every minute asking you if you had choose what you wish. They fullfilled your glass even if you didn’t wanted to drink anymore. If you wish to have an intimate romantic evening that’s not at all the right place for you!!!
• If you wish to try 100 Montaditos go in strange times like 15:00 o’clock. The risk is to wait hours long for get two montaditos, not worthy!

If you were there and I have skip something great to see please comment here below. I will be great to discover new places, who knows, maybe I will return anywhen again there!
I hope my tipps will help you to organize your Valencia trip and avoid some mistakes you could encounter.

Hope to Kiwi you soon!

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