After a long night comprising of a soccer game and then a group of guys staying up to watch the pens game, the team met together in the lobby for our normal Spainish breakfast. We then began a walking tour of the beautiful city of Valencia. Marta, our tour guide, lead us through all of the hot spots of her hometown.
The architecture of the town was stunning to say the least. Every building was precisely carved out and painted. One of the buildings that stuck out the most was the Palacio del Marqués de Dos Aguas. It had very intricate carvings and a decadently decorated inside . Next, we walked through the city center and browsed the various booths set up at the market for some homemade souvenirs.
Upon leaving this small market, an alley way lead up into a large Catholic Church very near the city center. We awkwardly took pictures and toured the church while the priest was delivering his homily. I am not quite sure if it is blasphemous to take pictures and tour the church during the homily, but I figure I can always use the language barrier to my advantage if I get yelled at. Concluding the walking tour we viewed a large meat and vegetable market and the public library which were both large and beautiful structures. Finally, after a couple hours of walking we were able to hop onto the bus for a quick view of the city and a free ride to the beach, which is about 5 kilometers from the hotel. One of the most remarkable sights on the tour was two towers that guarded the city. There were large chunks taken out by cannonballs during times of war, adding to its character.
The end of our bus journey brought us to one of Valencia's beaches where almost the entire team stopped. The weather was beautiful and hot, but the water was murky and full of seaweed. Despite this unfortunate water condition, the beach was wonderful and we absorbed many sun rays as we laid back in the sand. When it came time to head back , the navigator in all of us came out and eventually guided us via bus and street to our hotel. After a long day we relaxed and feasted upon a wonderful array of meats from a local bar restaurant. The feast was over 2 hours of non-stop food being served, fattening up the team. All in all, twas a great day!
