I am so sorry for the delay in updating my blog! These past few days have been jam-packed. With the little free time I had, I took naps in hopes of fighting my jet lag. I will write about each day in separate posts to spare you the lengthiness of reading three days worth of information at once! Although I have been in Spain for less than four days, I have already experienced more than I could ever imagine. While I did not end up going to the beach on Tuesday like I hoped to, it turned out to be a pretty amazing day. We had our orientation at the University of Virginia Hispanic Studies Center in the morning. Luckily, the location of my apartment is less than a ten minute walk to the school! There are some students who have a 40 minute commute. At the orientation, we met all of the professors and staff members, talked with our advisors, and received a lot of information about the UVA Hispanic Studies Program. This orientation was also our last opportunity to speak English in the school, as we all signed a "Spanish only" contract that prohibits speaking any language except Spanish on university property.
Following the orientation, we went on a walking tour of Valencia's Old Town, which is the city's historical downtown area. It is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. We saw the Plaza de la Virgen, the Cathedral and the Basilica (just from the outside), the Central Market (ALL fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese, nuts, etc.), and countless other intricate buildings. From my apartment, the downtown area of Valencia is located on the opposite side of El Rio. "El Rio" means "river," but it is unique in the sense that it has not had water for hundreds of years. El Rio is basically a huge garden that cuts right through the middle of Valencia. It's a very lush area with walking/biking trails, playgrounds, soccer fields, exercise equipment, and more. Many people go there to picnic, nap, exercise, etc. After the tour, the tour guides decided to leave us in the middle of the city, and it was up to us to find our own way home. It was difficult, considering we all live in different places throughout Valencia. We ended up taking the bus (in the wrong direction) and got lost for about an hour. However, I don't even mind getting lost here because there is SO much to see. Valencia is the third largest city in Spain, yet everything is so beautiful. Most major cities in the United States have one really nice area, and the rest tends to be rundown. Here, when you look down an alley, you don't see dumpsters, broken windows, and homeless people. You see apartments painted with vibrant colors, balconies decorated with blooming flowers, and sidewalks and roads made of tile and stone. Every corner you turn there is something you want to take a picture of!
Following the orientation, we went on a walking tour of Valencia's Old Town, which is the city's historical downtown area. It is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. We saw the Plaza de la Virgen, the Cathedral and the Basilica (just from the outside), the Central Market (ALL fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese, nuts, etc.), and countless other intricate buildings. From my apartment, the downtown area of Valencia is located on the opposite side of El Rio. "El Rio" means "river," but it is unique in the sense that it has not had water for hundreds of years. El Rio is basically a huge garden that cuts right through the middle of Valencia. It's a very lush area with walking/biking trails, playgrounds, soccer fields, exercise equipment, and more. Many people go there to picnic, nap, exercise, etc. After the tour, the tour guides decided to leave us in the middle of the city, and it was up to us to find our own way home. It was difficult, considering we all live in different places throughout Valencia. We ended up taking the bus (in the wrong direction) and got lost for about an hour. However, I don't even mind getting lost here because there is SO much to see. Valencia is the third largest city in Spain, yet everything is so beautiful. Most major cities in the United States have one really nice area, and the rest tends to be rundown. Here, when you look down an alley, you don't see dumpsters, broken windows, and homeless people. You see apartments painted with vibrant colors, balconies decorated with blooming flowers, and sidewalks and roads made of tile and stone. Every corner you turn there is something you want to take a picture of!