Valencia: Sunstroke, Ceramics, and a Very Loud Pigeon
okay, so valencia. it’s…a lot. i landed with absolutely zero expectations, just a crumpled boarding pass and a vague memory of paella. the flight number was 56083, which feels important somehow, like a secret code to unlock the city’s weirdness. i arrived on the 17th of something, honestly lost track.
first impressions? *hot. like, really hot. i just checked and it's…a furnace right now, hope you're into that sort of thing. the weather report said 30.12 degrees Celsius, but “feels like” 32.47, which is just a fancy way of saying “you will melt.” the pressure’s at 1007, humidity’s 57%, and the air is thick enough to chew. honestly, i’m surprised i haven’t spontaneously combusted.
i’m a freelance photographer, and i’m always chasing the light, but this light is aggressive. it’s bouncing off everything - the ceramic tiles (seriously, so many tiles), the Turia Gardens (that dried-up riverbed is a genius idea, by the way), and the faces of the tourists who clearly underestimated the spanish sun.
i’ve been wandering around El Carmen, the old town, and it’s a labyrinth of narrow streets and hidden plazas. it’s beautiful, but also…intense. there’s a constant buzz of scooters, chatter, and the aforementioned pigeon who seems to be personally offended by my existence.
someone told me that the best horchata is at a tiny place near the Central Market, but you have to elbow your way through a crowd of locals to get a seat. apparently, it’s worth it.
i spent yesterday trying to photograph the City of Arts and Sciences. it’s…futuristic. like someone dropped a spaceship into a perfectly normal city. it’s impressive, but i’m not sure it feels very Valencian. it feels like something you’d find in Dubai or Singapore. i overheard someone complaining on a local forum (https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=489189) that it’s “overrated and a waste of space.” i think they had a point.
the food, though. the food is incredible. i’ve had paella (obviously), tapas, and something called “esgarraet” which is basically shredded salt cod with roasted peppers. it’s surprisingly delicious. i found a little place on Yelp (https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Restaurants&find_loc=Valencia%2C+Spain) called “La Pilareta” that everyone raves about. it’s tiny, chaotic, and the waiter barely speaks English, but the food is worth it.
i’ve been trying to find some good vintage shops, but it’s proving difficult. apparently, everyone here is obsessed with fast fashion. i heard that there’s a flea market on Sundays, so i’m hoping to have better luck then. if you get bored, Alicante and Sagunto are just a short train ride away.
a drunk guy at the bar last night warned me about pickpockets in the Plaza de la Virgen*. he said they’re particularly active around lunchtime.
i’m staying in an Airbnb in Ruzafa, which is a bit more hipster and less touristy than El Carmen. my neighbors are…interesting. they play very loud music at all hours of the night, and i’m pretty sure one of them is a professional flamenco dancer. i’ve also seen a lot of people walking around with dogs dressed in tiny outfits. it’s a whole vibe.
i’m starting to think i need a siesta. this city is exhausting. but in a good way. it’s messy, chaotic, and utterly captivating. check out this TripAdvisor link for more info: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g235168-Valencia_Valencia_Province-Vacations.html. i’ll try to post again soon, if i haven’t melted into a puddle of sunscreen and regret.
You might also be interested in:
- https://votoris.com/post/why-i-ate-a-churro-in-a-town-that-sweats-more-than-a-sauna-and-felt-like-a-lost-soul
- https://votoris.com/post/dust-echoes-in-jaipur-seriously-what-even-is-this-place-2
- https://votoris.com/post/crime-statistics-in-sinnris-is-it-getting-safer-or-just-better-at-hiding
- https://votoris.com/post/dust-echoes-in-asheville
- https://votoris.com/post/jaipurs-dust-and-dreams-a-botanists-slightly-chaotic-take