Day 2 in Valencia
Day 2 in Valencia
Once again, I head out without a plan.
I need to have some coffee.
Today, I visited the café where Hailey's boyfriend (a former colleague) works. Haha!
I ordered and sat down to enjoy my drink, but I still hadn't mentioned that I came through Hailey's introduction.
As an introvert, I needed a bit of time. Plus, Hailey's boyfriend seemed introverted too, so I could tell it would be a bit of a struggle to connect.
At the end, after finishing my drink, I gathered my courage and returned the cup.
Fortunately, other customers kept coming in, so I could have short conversations.
One of the reasons I love Spain = Horchata.
This café was a bit more upscale than a local restaurant, and I had to order drinks separately, but everything was delicious.
In Dublin, this meal would probably cost around 50 euros! Haha.
Next, I headed to the park to enjoy the rare sunshine we don't often see in Dublin.
But wow, the southern part of Spain is really warm.
30 degrees in the third week of October? What is that?
I think this is the most famous aquarium in Valencia!
I've heard it's the largest aquarium in Europe.
Should I have gone?
I bought Horchata from the supermarket, which is popular in the Valencia region.
Horchata is a traditional drink made from plant-based ingredients in Spain and Latin America. In Spain, it's primarily made from tiger nuts, while in Mexico, it's often made from rice and sweetened with cinnamon. It's served cold and has a smooth, sweet taste, often enjoyed with a local pastry called fartón.
It had a familiar taste, and I realized it reminded me of a sweeter version of morning sunshine.
Then I found Tko Tacos.
Each taco costs just 1 euro! Crazy!
Even with the current exchange rate, it's cheaper than in Korea.
I also tried the famous Agua de Valencia cocktail at a bar known for it.
I was a bit worried it might be expensive since it looked upscale, but even the nuts were just 7 euros!
It was slightly pricier than other places, but the atmosphere was great, and the bartenders seemed professional.
Comparing again, 7 euros is actually the price of a pint in Dublin.
I also bought gelato. Am I eating too much?
I'm spending money on food instead of going to the aquarium.
There was a chain store collaborating with Netflix that had Dalgona-flavored snacks.
The alley decorated for stray cats was cute and cozy.
I didn't get to meet the owner.
On the last morning, I went to a truly local restaurant.
They didn't speak much English.
I decided to try the local specialty coffee.
I noticed many people enjoying it as I passed by.
Cremaet is a traditional drink from Valencia made by adding rum (or another liquor), sugar, cinnamon, and lemon peel to espresso and setting it on fire.
It was sweet and made me feel tipsy right from the morning.
This is really a vacation!
People also choose various ingredients to put in baguettes for sandwiches.
I added an omelet, ratatouille, and something similar, but I think I might have added too much.
The potato chips and olives were complimentary side dishes.
I was so full, and the coffee cost just 7 euros.
While walking around, I spotted a store called New New in the city.
Is it the same New New in Dongdaemun? They were selling earrings here too.
I was quite surprised!
Then I went to Albufera to see the sea. They say the sunset is beautiful, but since I had an evening flight, I thought even if I missed the sunset, it would still be lovely.
What I expected (Wikipedia)
Reality… Haha.
It rained three days ago, and the water was muddy.
Still, I felt it was a waste to take the bus this far, so I decided to stroll through the nearby forest path.
It was incredibly hot, and the sun was intense with no shade.
I hurried back to the city for lunch.
I found a place with good ratings on Google Maps, but there was a line of locals waiting outside.
The excitement of a potential food find!
Once inside, the staff was running around and extremely busy.
For three dishes and a beer, it cost just 13 euros.
I wanted seafood rice, but it was sold out, so I switched to duck with baby octopus and fries, plus a pudding-like dessert.
It seemed more like a value-for-money place than a gourmet spot, as the restaurant I visited the day before was much better.
Did you know that the traffic lights in Valencia have a woman depicted?
With some time before my flight, I visited an art museum.
There are a few paintings by the Valencia-born artist Sorolla, so if you like his work, it's worth a visit.
Best of all, it's free!
In the end, my flight was delayed by an hour… ^^
And the next morning, I went to work.
This has become a regular occurrence for me.
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