Happy Monday! It’s week three for me here in Spain, and it has been my calmest week thus far (calm is relative).
Last Saturday I tried Sangria and Agua de Valencia for the first time at a little outdoor restaurant down the street from the Peset! The above photo of me and Hannah is from that evening.
Sunday we visited the Mercado Central for the first time- something which I really loved. The place was bustling with people and vendors selling everything from pastries and fresh produce to sandwiches and pig’s feet. I also notably saw a whole severed pig’s head, eyes still in it.
After the market, a few of us found a nice sunny set of steps to sit on. While we were sitting there basking in the sun and chatting a guy with an old fashioned camera took a photo and printed it for us. It was so cool cause it was like a little faux newspaper sheet that had some photos of Valencia on it and all of the text was local history!
That evening we celebrated Manuel’s birthday with some tiramisu we found at the Mercado! Manuel is one of our program directors and professors and he’s just about the sweetest person you’ll ever meet. The other photo below is of Oliver attempting to “psycho-tickle” James at dinner. I don’t think it worked, but it was certainly entertaining to witness.
I caught a bit of a cold on Monday and Tuesday, which was not a surprise by any means. Slowly but surely each person in our program has been taking their turn getting whatever cold is being passed around. It was inevitable, but thankfully my symptoms let up by Wednesday when we took our day trip to Xativa.
As you’ll see below, Xativa was absolutely amazing. We took the train about an hour from Valencia, and then began to hike the mountain. Our first stop on the walk was the statue “Pelota”, an ode to the local sport of handball. We continued up to one of the oldest churches in the Valencian region, Sant Feliu. It was built in 1265 following the Christian conquest of the region. To think the church I was standing in had existed for over 700 years was a bit difficult to wrap my head around, but I could certainly feel it in the cold air of the stone-walled room.
We continued up the mountain to the two-parted Castillo de Xátiva, which stood high above the rest of the landscape. Talk about things feeling old! (Well at least once we got past the newer restrooms and small cafe at the entrance). The views from the top were just absolutely stunning. It was also interesting to notice all the ways the castle had been built to defend against intruders. From its high vantage point, thin windows, and layered stone walls it was evident that this castle had once been an imposing force.
On our way down from the castle, we got to explore some of the buildings that supported life in the castle and the surrounding area. From large storage spaces to ancient refrigerators that used winter snow to keep goods cool or frozen year round. The place was just full of history. I think it’s probably one of my favorite things we’ve done so far!
On Thursday after classes, our group went to Cafe del Duende and got to watch a flamenco show! The venue was pretty intimate at about 65 people, and I think it made the experience all the more immersive. I really enjoyed it and I’m hoping to return with my mom and my sisters when they come to visit in March! Special thanks to Hannah for the video she took!
The photos below are from my walk home after class on Friday! The first one is from El Monstruo, a vintage shop near me. I befriended the sweet woman running the store after she complimented my outfit and we bonded over the highs and lows of language learning!
Since we had class off on Wednesday for the local holiday (hence our day trip), we had a make-up day on Friday. After classes though, a few of us headed down to the Turia to throw the frisbee around and go for a walk. It was the first time I walked down there and it really was just so beautiful, and filled with people running, biking, and walking dogs!
There were lots of adventures from this weekend as well which I will include in the next post!
Until next time!
Sincerely,
Caroline
P.S. I forgot to include but last week Anna Rose, Caroline, and I all got crepes and they were delicious. That’s all!
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