Because of my trip to Girona and Besalú, my weekend was cut short allowing only about 36 hours to spend in Valencia. My friends and I, of course, took full advantage of our short time in this beautiful city. Our first day was spent wandering aimlessly throughout the city center followed by a trip to the beach and subsequent sunburn. The next day, we relieved our science withdrawals by visiting the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, or the City of Arts and Sciences museum.
The streets of Valencia were lined with these beautiful and colorful buildings.
The architecture of the city incorporated such intricate designs as seen in this building.
With the exception of architecture, valencia reminded me a lot of Florida- many of the locals were older individuals who moved there for the winter months, often bundled up with a down jacket in the 75 degree weather and looking at me (wearing a short sleeve and sandals) as if I was crazy.
The Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias was probably one of my favorite parts of the trip. Because I am taking so many arts classes in Barcelona, I was in desperate need of science. Luckily, Valencia is famous for its science museum (especially its aquarium).
Just outside the museum lies a beautiful garden. This garden was filled with butterflies, exotic birds, and, oddly enough, a lot of stray cats.
Valencia bid me farewell with a beautiful sunset while I was on the way to my train, making it that much harder to leave.
Foods and Drinks
Valencia is famous for its oranges and orange trees found throughout the city (another reason why Valencia reminded me so much of Florida).
Oranges are found in a lot of Valencian cuisine- especially in their alcoholic drinks. Agua de Valencia is a locally famous drink made from freshly squeezed orange juice, cava or champagne, vodka, and gin.
Another famous Valencian dish is paella. A traditional paella is a Spanish meal that includes a rice base with crawfish, rabbit meat, chicken, snails, and spices. This dish is pictured in the background but, personally, I had the vegan paella which was just as good!
About Abroad 