After studio today Erika and I rushed back to our apartment to pack for our weekend trip to Spain! After frantically packing we headed towards the main bus/train station here in Florence, Santa Maria Novella. We usually walk the 25 minute trip to the station but for the sake of time and energy we planned ahead to take a bus that picks up a block away from our apartment (€1.20). The line we took runs mini electric buses through the city since the streets are so tiny…it was like a ride at Worlds of Fun!
At the station we ran around trying to find the stop for our bus to Pisa. It’s a special bus that goes directly between the station and the airport so it wasn’t lined up with all of the other buses. Of course it was 20 minutes late to arrive…everything is late here! The bus to Pisa was approximately 70minutes so I squeezed in a nap on the way.
The Pisa airport is small and unorganized, of course. We had to check in, go to another desk to pay a check in fee, check back in, go through a looooong security check line, and then wait in line at the gate for 45 minutes because seats aren’t assigned. It definitely makes me appreciate the ease of the Kansas City airport.
Our plane took off around 6:30pm and we were to Valencia, Spain by 8:30pm. Valencia is located next to the Mediterranean Sea so as we flew in we could see the beautiful coast lit up by the city lights. *Insert squealing excitement. From the airport we snagged a metro headed to the city center where our hostel was located. As soon as we emerged from the underground stop our faces lit up with smiles. The night air was much warmer than Florence, probably around 50 degrees. On our walk to the hostel we came across a few pretty parks with giant palm trees and illuminated fountains. Needless to say we made numerous pit stops for photo ops.
At the hostel we were greeted by two of the incredibly friendly staff members. They seemed so excited to see us and gave us a great Valencia welcome. The interior décor was bright and funky. Erika and I had a blast wondering around looking at all of the finishes.
Once we dropped off our bags in the room we headed back out to find a restaurant recommended by the front desk staff. Valencia is the home of paella so we couldn’t leave without sampling some. The restaurant, La Riua, was only a street over from our hostel. The interior was adorable with heavy wood tables and chairs, lace curtains, stucco walls covered with colorful ceramic plates, and tile floors. It looked pretty authentic to me…but I don’t really know what authentic looks like.
Since we weren’t planning on spending any money on Valencia’s tourist attractions the next day we decided we could spend the extra money for a nice meal. To start we shared a plate of manchego cheese drizzled in oil and topped with the most amazing toasted nuts complimented by the cheap house wine. I have no idea what kind of nuts they were and our server didn’t speak English so we weren’t able to ask. Any ideas readers? For our main course we shared the seafood paella served in a giant cast iron skillet…whole shrimp, squid rings, clams and oysters. SO GOOD. By the end of our meal it was almost midnight so we headed back to the hostel with food comas, ready to pass out.
I'll have to ask Salud about the nuts. My mouth is watering with dreams of paella! When I went, all my friends were too scared to eat the seafood with heads and legs so, of course, I loved every moment of it!
ReplyDelete