A weekend in Valencia

As a smaller group, we decided to explore as much of Spain as possible during our stay, and our first trip was to Valencia. From 16.02 to 18.02, a group of five girls explored the city in the east of Spain.

We got quite cheap tickets from a local bus company and then drove to Valencia very early on Friday (I got up at 6 am) for about four hours. Upon arriving, we went on a tour of exploration after a quick check-in at the 'Red Nest' hostel. However, it was quickly paused for a delicious salad for lunch. The first impressions of the city were very positive, we discovered many beautiful buildings and above all: palm trees and orange trees. These grow almost everywhere in the city, not without reason the 'Valencia Orange' is for sale. In the evening, we met with some fellow students from Kamp-Lintfort in a cute tapas bar in the heart of the student district of Ruzafa. For us, this area (in addition to the great buildings in the old town) was definitely the most beautiful district in Valencia. There are smaller bars and cafés everywhere, including the Dulce de Leche, which I will talk about later. The evening was a lot of fun, and it was nice to exchange experiences about the previous Erasmus experiences in different cities. After a few tapas (which were admittedly better than those in Madrid) and drinks, we didn't go to bed too late, as we had a lot planned for the next day.

We started with a small breakfast in the hostel to strengthen ourselves for what was to come. We participated in a 'Free Tour' of the old town, which is conducted by volunteers and is primarily financed by tips. On this tour, we learned about the most important buildings and their history, such as the cathedral (La Seu de Valencia), the basilica, and the Mercat Central, a large market hall. After that, we went to the beach, and the journey took longer than expected. In addition, the area around the beach was not really attractive, so we were somewhat less envious of the presence of the beach in Valencia (Madrid, as the most central city in Spain, naturally does not have one). Finally, we visited the Ciutat de les Arts i les Cíencies, which you may already know from pictures. There you can find futuristic-modern buildings and museums. Definitely worth a visit!
After resting and getting ready at the hostel, we went to the student club 'Le Premier' before falling into bed tired in the middle of the night.

On the last day, before our departure in the afternoon, we explored other points in the city, saw them from above on the Porta de Serrans, and ate and drank very well at the Dulce de Leche. Absolute recommendation! The café is not only beautiful to look at, but the dishes are also very tasty, whether savory or sweet. At 4 pm, we took the bus back to our new home.

Overall, we had a tiring but very nice weekend in Valencia, a city worth seeing. Nevertheless, I was happy to be back in 'mi Madrid' in the evenings and to experience my semester abroad here.