I kinda fell off the radar for a little while…. Totally my bad, but I am trying to get back on track!

Anywayssss, I want to cover a few trips I have had over the past few weeks!

A few weeks ago Sarah’s cousin, Petra, (yes that is her name!) was just casually travelling around Europe for a month or so and made a pit stop with Sarah and me! The three of us trekked to Bilbao, España, and Valencia, España. Bilbao is a city in northern España where the most amazing museum was. This picture more so shows us always trying to figure out where to go haha.

The museum was the Guggenheim and it was at this museum where I started to feel more in touch with visual art.

I felt like I could finally start understanding motivations/inspirations behind certain pieces as well as identifying certain attributes of artistic styles/movements. I have expected that I thoroughly enjoy impressionism with Claude Monet as my number oneJ This museum was also one of the first I have been to where about 95% of the museum was not allowing pictures. I understood it, but I just found it interesting. So this means I do not have many pictures from inside! If you have time, you should look into Richard Serra’s Torqued Ellipses Exhibit in the Guggenheim. It is an entirely different experience actually being inside the structures, but perhaps reading about it can provide some insight.

 

Anywho, I believe Bilbao is roughly a one-day trip or maybe two days at the max. We ended up going to a wonderful Cathedral that is said to house the holy grail there. There is a beautiful square in front of the cathedral where I took this photo in front of a gorgeous water fountain.

Also pictured is, apparently, the holy grail :0

The other thing we did in Bilbao was go to a bluff overlooking the wonderful city and ate a typical type of food called pinchos! Pretty much finger foods…

 

After Bilbao, the three of us made it to one of my most favorite places I have been so far. Valencia is a city on the Northeastern coast of España. So, you have a wonderful city as well as a beach.

Definitely a highlight was the Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencias. Pictured here is the opera houuuuuuse Palau de les Artes Reina Sofia. I shall return and see an opera here. Do not worry.

And then the entire area was even more stunning…

The Ciudad de las Artes Y Ciencias contains the opera house, a botanical garden, an Imax theater, a huuuuuuuge aquarium, and a science museum. This aquarium, called L’Oceanogràfic, is just……phenomenal. Do not be swayed by the price tag to go in because, in my case, it was well worth it. We spent at least four and a half hours in there… Truly wonderful aquarium, because it was laid out as different stations categorically. You could go to a predator exhibit and then move to the tropical exhibittttt. It was just awesome. AND Sarah and Petra got to see their first dolphin show. You can picture children seeing a dolphin show for the first time. Exactly them.

 

So. More stuff. There were two things two consume in Valencia, apparently. OH, there were three things. One was the paella. There is some special Valencian Paella but we opted for a seafood paella instead and MAN it was good.. They brought out a giant skillet that was 2/3 or more the size of the table, and three forks. We just went to town on it it was so good. You will do the same. ALSO, we happen to be eating this at a fancy restaurant that was out on a pier! I believe eating that paella while looking at the waves and hearing the water crash against the rocks was a moment in time worth staying in. Great segue into the beach! Okay, so the ocean was not what one may call warm.. But it was not cold! Just… chilly. So, yes I got in and loved it. I think I will always love the ocean and think I will always be drawn to it. I took some alone time to walk along the shoreline for a little while when Sarah and Petra were resting. I think everyone has a special way of rejuvenating themselves whether as an introvert or just emotionally recuperating. This was definitely one of those ways for me and I hope it always will be. Nothing quite like it.

Back to the other two things to consume! There was a lottt of horchata in Valencia and a lottt of it went in my stomach. Some places had terrible horchata and some places had amazing horchata. Either way, there is a lot of horchata and you should try some when you goJ

The last thing is called Agua de Valencia. You could approach this beverage like a cocktail but the idea is similar to Sangria. You make a big carafe of it and usually share it at the table. They usually contain champagne, orang juice, vodka, and gin. So, just like a mimosa but with a challenge.

Just wanted to throw in a picture of this giant sand castle that was at the beach!

One of the biggest highlights of Valencia was meeting up with a fellow musician, classmate, colleague, and friend of mine from the states! Malena Marcase, wonderful musician and person, is in a master’s program as Berklee’s Valencia campus. I spent many a day in Kate Paradise’s Commercial Seminar with this woman. It was equally wonderful and admiring to hear of her musical and life adventures happening in Valencia. Also, in her hands was a beer that…. Oh man… it is definitely somewhere close to the top of my list. It was a local Valencian beer called Turia. It is a Märzen which is also one of my favorite styles. Just mentioning all this because you should have one when you go.

Another person I met up with was Malena’s roommate, Genevieve Servoss. FanTAStic woman who seems to enjoy herself no matter what environment she is in… She actually also went to Belmont, but missed the opportunity to see her at school. Better late that never, though. I look forward to visiting Valencia more and perhaps that will involve these lovely ladies!

All in all, this excursion has been one for the books! I promise to get back on track for those who are caring to read these! More to come, though.