Couchsurfing in Valencia
After
a day of hiking with some Couch-surfing friends I decided that the time had come to give surfing a go and contacted Anna in Valencia, who accepted to host me for the weekend and it couldn’t have been a better first experience! Anna treated me like her oldest friend, and on the first evening her closest friends came round for dinner and drinks before we headed to a club in the centre called Mirror for a standard night of Spanish partying until the late hours of the morning.
On Saturday, after a traditional Valencian paella, Anna took me for a ch
illed tour of her city, during which we saw all the main attractions without me even having to worry about checking a map! The cathedral was beautiful, and made more interesting by the different styles mixed into one building. Although originally built in gothic style, parts were added on in following centuries so that the Cathedral that now stands has three doorways, one gothic, one romanesque and one baroque. Although I am not a fan of baroque churches this strange mix gives the cathedral a character unlike any I had come across before. From the top of the tower we had a great panoramic view of Valencia, which showed the surprisingly clear line between the lower buildings of the old city and the blocks of flats in the newer town.
Another architectural feature is the UNESCO recognised silk exchange market “La Lonja
de la Seda”, one of the few civil buildings in gothic style still standing today, which boasts an impressive hall of twisted stone columns. We also took a stroll through the barrio del Carmen, an area of the old town which has become the trendy hangout area of Valencia. During the day it is peaceful and full of alternative shops and terraces to have a coffee on but at night it becomes the centre of Valencia´s nightlife, with countless bars and clubs opening to keep people of all tastes entertained. Unfortunately I only experienced this area in the afternoon but will be sure to return to explore this area full of character and hidden alleyways.
Another highlight of Valencia is the Rio (River), which is, confusingly, not a river and in fact a park. The park lies in the bed of the Turio River which was diverted around Valencia after severe flooding in 1957. This park is truly beautiful for me, not just because of the greenery itself, but the concept of it, and the opportunity it gives to almost the whole town to be within walking distance of a green space in which to relax, exercise
, or simply spend time with friends or family. At one end of the Rio the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, designed by Santiago Calatava stands out with its odd shaped buildings surrounded with crystal clear expanses of water.
Valencia is a city in which I felt immensely comfortable, and had a fantastic time: a combination of a great city and host.
a day of hiking with some Couch-surfing friends I decided that the time had come to give surfing a go and contacted Anna in Valencia, who accepted to host me for the weekend and it couldn’t have been a better first experience! Anna treated me like her oldest friend, and on the first evening her closest friends came round for dinner and drinks before we headed to a club in the centre called Mirror for a standard night of Spanish partying until the late hours of the morning.On Saturday, after a traditional Valencian paella, Anna took me for a ch
illed tour of her city, during which we saw all the main attractions without me even having to worry about checking a map! The cathedral was beautiful, and made more interesting by the different styles mixed into one building. Although originally built in gothic style, parts were added on in following centuries so that the Cathedral that now stands has three doorways, one gothic, one romanesque and one baroque. Although I am not a fan of baroque churches this strange mix gives the cathedral a character unlike any I had come across before. From the top of the tower we had a great panoramic view of Valencia, which showed the surprisingly clear line between the lower buildings of the old city and the blocks of flats in the newer town. Another architectural feature is the UNESCO recognised silk exchange market “La Lonja
de la Seda”, one of the few civil buildings in gothic style still standing today, which boasts an impressive hall of twisted stone columns. We also took a stroll through the barrio del Carmen, an area of the old town which has become the trendy hangout area of Valencia. During the day it is peaceful and full of alternative shops and terraces to have a coffee on but at night it becomes the centre of Valencia´s nightlife, with countless bars and clubs opening to keep people of all tastes entertained. Unfortunately I only experienced this area in the afternoon but will be sure to return to explore this area full of character and hidden alleyways.
Another highlight of Valencia is the Rio (River), which is, confusingly, not a river and in fact a park. The park lies in the bed of the Turio River which was diverted around Valencia after severe flooding in 1957. This park is truly beautiful for me, not just because of the greenery itself, but the concept of it, and the opportunity it gives to almost the whole town to be within walking distance of a green space in which to relax, exercise
, or simply spend time with friends or family. At one end of the Rio the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, designed by Santiago Calatava stands out with its odd shaped buildings surrounded with crystal clear expanses of water. Valencia is a city in which I felt immensely comfortable, and had a fantastic time: a combination of a great city and host.
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