After the best holiday ever to Barcelona last year, learning to love another Spanish city was pretty tough. Our apartment was nestled amongst pseudo modern high rise flats, hotels and offices and it didn't make the best first impression, but as soon as I started exploring I realised how delightful Valencia is!
I loved the old town centre and its maze of streets and cafes. We explored the market hall and the Cathedral, climbing all the way to the top of the tower to take in the magnificent view. There is something amazing about seeing a city from its highest point and watching the tiny people below.
Our apartment was opposite the winding river bed that has been rebirthed as a city-long park and the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencas (the City of Arts and Sciences), a recent architectural project consisting of a variety of art and science museums and spaces, including an opera house and an oceanographic aquarium which we all loved. The walruses were by far my favourite, though I didn't manage to get a good picture of them.
Whilst I wasn't overly impressed with the cocktails in Valencia after the beautiful and cheap mojitos in Barcelona, the food was perfect. I enjoyed the regional paella (butterbeans, chicken and rabbit), but one night I shared a chicken, sausage, chickpea and tomato paella with my mother and it was honestly the best thing I have ever tasted.
What I really like about both Valencia and Barcelona is their position on the coast. I am not one to go for a resort beach holiday (although Vassiliki was pretty close!), so I loved the combination of city bustle and beach life. The sea was warmer than anything I have ever swam in before, even my mother swam! Which, if you know her, is a miracle.
All in all, I had a great eight days in Valencia with my family. The weather was gorgeous, if a little hot at time (42 degrees!) and the city was vibrant and beautiful. It really felt like Valencia was a city that was lived in, it wasn't swarmed with tourists, it wasn't presenting itself as anything it wasn't, there were parts that were rough around the edges and parts that were polished and it felt very authentic.
If I was to go back to Spain, I would still go back to Barcelona over Valencia as I really, really, really loved Barcelona. But Valencia came surprisingly close.
