Valencia, Spain

Our first taste of Spain was a flurry of vibrantly coloured buildings with huge pieces of art scattered around every corner, hot sun that brought tears to our eyes and paella. Lots and lots of paella!

It's difficult to write about Valencia as just one city, as it feels so much more than that. We had three completely different experiences here, and they are all totally disjointed from each other.

First of all, we rode through the Old River, now converted into blissful gardens in the middle of the city, stretching all the way from the Northern East point to the beach. At the end of the Old River, there is the City of art and science. Although we didn't go in, the buildings and lakes were marvellous. The hot damp air unrelenting, we kept to the shade as much as possible, before making our way to the beach.

The beach of Valencia was different again. The relaxed beach vibes with a bar serving jugs of sangria and the most decadent red velvet cake I have ever had the pleasure to know, is a stark contrast to the manicured and futuristic "water-gardens" of the City of Art and Science. We spent many afternoons relaxing on the sand, wandering up to the restaurants to get our paella for lunch before lounging back again and watching the last rays of daylight slip away.

Lastly, La Tomatina. Although not strictly "Valencian" and now more of a tourist festival, it is inseparable from our time in Valencia. I will write more about this in our next blog, but the chaos, stress and joy of La Tomatina was like nothing I had ever experienced before!

From the city of sunshine,

Tate x

Tips for Travellers:

- When in Valencia, Horchata is a must drink. Not for the faint of heart, Horchata mostly tastes like pancake mixture (including the floury texture). If not executed properly, it can end up tasting like floury grass cuttings. Order a "Farton" (sausage shaped croissants) or two with your Horchata, however many it takes. Dip them into your Horchata. They soak up so much creamy goodness and they make Horchata taste good! Well worth the extra couple of euros!

- Hire bikes. The back streets near the beach are a treat to ride in the afternoon. Second to that, Valencia is actually pretty big, so having a bike really is the best way to get around, especially if you ride through the Old River.

- If you would like to order a hot chocolate at a cafe, they will give you hot milk with chocolate powder for you to mix in yourself. You must order "cola-cao" to get a hot chocolate. If you say "chocolate caliente" they will have no idea what you're talking about.

- 100 montaditos is THE. CHEAPEST (and best). FOOD. around! You can order little tapas rolls and salads, nachos and fried cheese balls for about €1 each. Some nights are cheaper than others so check out their menu whenever you pass, so that you can get an idea of the cheapest days. There are 100 little roll options, so you're set for every night of the week.