Valencia Part 2

The next day I walked over to the city center. Oh my, now this is what Spain is supposed to be. Windy streets, Medieval meets Gothic meets Baroque, meets Colonial etc. It was just the prettiest town center I have seen so far. (too bad the rest of the city is absolute crap). The cathedral was really cool and I spent way too much time in it. About 4 I finally sat down to get some food and a glass of wine.

Well, the cafe I chose to sit at because it was just the best place to sit with lots of sun shining down (oh, was I thankful for that beautiful sun) didn't actually serve food and I was not leaving that spot, so I just had a glass of wine.

I went inside to use the bathroom and hear a guy speaking Spanish to the bartender. But I stopped, there was something completely off about his accent, something that reminded me something I couldn't put my finger on. So I asked him where he was from. Flint Michigan, of course you're from Michigan I can spot a Michigan accent a mile away and even in Spanish. Martin my friend who had called me the day before lives just outside of Fint (we grew up together in Detroit). So I sat down and talked with my new friend Dave. He's a political professor at the University there. This was his favorite bar and I assumed that he probably ran into many American women in it. He said actually, they're either 20 or 60, never 40. Which has been my experience too (ladies, you all need to start traveling more, take a vacation). Then a Romanian joined us. Then another Romanian. By this time I was starving and Dave had to go teach a class (what a life, sit at a bar all day long then go preach your political opinions to bunch of college kids, I need that gig).

So the Romanians took me to dinner, then to a Romanian bar then to a disco. They bought all the drinks and my meal and we had a lot of fun. Not much English spoken, but enough and who needs to talk while you're dancing. I finally decided I had enough and kept refusing the shots and got in a cab. When I went to go pay the cabbie, I realized that all my money was gone, $150 euro! Those bastards didn't buy all the drinks and dinner, I DID! Oh well, I've spent more and have had less fun and thankfully the cabbie took American Express (they did leave all my ID and credit cards, thank god)

The next day I walked to the train station and bought my ticket home, but the train didn't leave until 8, so I took the metro to the beach to get some paella. Dave explained to me that the best paella was at the beach, I needed to look for a place that served a minimum of 2 persons and used the big pans, so you get all the good crispy stuff.

I finally found a place that was just like Dave had explained and sat down. But then came the trouble. I explained which paella that I wanted and that I knew it was for 2, but I'd just pack up the leftovers and take it home, or give it to a homeless person. NO! The paella is for 2 people. Yes, I understand that- I will pay for 2 people. No, it is for 2 people. Ok, look lady, I'm from America and this is probably my only time in Valencia, you all have the best paella and I'm not missing out on it just because I'm by myself. I AM eating paella.

She huffed and pointed to one and said, that one, we'll make you that one for one person. I don't want that one I want this one. That one is for 2 people, you get this one. Sigh, fine.

It was soupy and didn't have any good crispy stuff people talked about, but at least there were no tiny crabs, and the flavor was good.

By the way, the beaches in Valencia are crap too, surrounded by horrible looking project type buildings that look like they're going to fall down at any second. I couldn't wait to leave the beach area, so I hopped on the metro back (and I only got lost once on the way back, not too bad).

I found myself back in the city center and just wandered for hours. It's just amazing that this beautiful city center can be surrounded by such a horrible city, remember that in Valencia it is all about location.