Day 3: Beyond Home Base
Yesterday was a day of adventure. We’d made a plan the day before of what we wanted to accomplish on Tuesday:
- Get transit cards
- Buy bike helmets
- Leave our neighborhood
We did all the things, without any hurrying.
We started at Dream Coffee again though we didn’t get there until closer to 11 this time. The vibe was similar and we had the routine down — pick a seat, make eye contact with the waitress, order, sip leisurely, pay when ready. It was a lovely start to the day and the spot is a prime spot for puppy viewing since there’s a park right behind the cafe.
New Spanish learned: Puedo acaricar a su perro…Can I pet your dog?
Next stop was the Tobaconist. No, we haven’t taken up smoking (though it sure seems like everyone else here has), these smoke shops are also where one buys transit cards. I’d done my research and was ready with what I needed to ask. The nice woman behind the counter was very patient with me even though she had questions for me that went beyond my rudimentary knowledge of Spanish. Hand gestures and smiles got us through the transaction and Bill and I walked away with two shiny new Suma10 transit cards. Now, all of Valencia was available to us!
It doesn’t *feel* like Covid is still a thing here (I know it is, bear with me), and so much of life is lived outside or with doors wide open that, in our few days here, I’ve managed to get out of the habit of always having my mask with me. Also, jet lag. Whatever the reason we found ourselves at the bus stop and I noticed a sign with a picture of a masked person with the word “REQUIERDO” above it and realized my error — no riding the bus without a mask! We weren’t far from home but I opted to go back to the tobaconista to see if she had masks available. I managed to ask her for what I needed and understand where she told me to go instead!
New Spanish learned: mascarilla…mask
Back home, back to the bus stop, and we were back in business. It turns out you need to flag down the busses here, even if you’re standing at the bus stop. Also, they’re not kidding about the mask requirement. Also also, their tech around the transit system is really helpful IF you don’t panic and get off the bus a stop early. Lots of learning to be had on this adventure, let me tell you!
Our destination was Decathlon, something I was imagining to be like Dick’s Sporting Goods. Despite the premature departure from the high-tech bus we did make it there and — wow — it was HUGE! Because Valencia is on the water and the weather is, well, perfect, almost the entire first floor was devoted to water sports. As we were looking for bike helmets and yoga gear this wasn’t so helpful. I found a pair of employees and asked, poorly, for help finding the helmets. Ok, I had no idea how to say “helmet” in Spanish so instead asked for bicicletas and mimed putting on a helmet. It worked (though he responded in English) and we found our way downstairs. Two helmets, a yoga mat, block, strap, and a pair of shorts for Bill and we were ready to navigate the checkout aisle.
Everything was self-checkout. Their tech here was strong, too. Instead of scanning items yourself you just put them in the bin and, somehow, the system knew what you’d added and the item name and price appeared on screen. Of course I had one item that didn’t do anything when I put it in (the yoga mat didn’t have a tag) so I got to ask for help. The employee and I managed to sort things out and I even braved asking about a change in price from what was on the shelf. I’m not sure if she was more surprised that I was objecting to the lower price or my badgering her language but so be it. :)
Instead of heading back to home base we decided to search out food “nearby” which, ultimately, took us into Tourist Central. We got to see the Turia — a river turned into a park, some castles, cathedrals, and a plaza with an opulent fountain. Not too shabby when all we were looking for was food that wouldn’t poison me! The languages we heard changed as well as the prices, but the kindness of the people stayed constant. The restaurant we were aiming for was, as is becoming a norm, closed for summer vacation but we managed to land at a spot with “paella de Valencia” served up in the pan so all was right with the world.
We made one more stop in the tourist zone. Cafe De Las Hora was just around the corner from where we were for lunch and, according to Graham, is famous for their Agua de Valencia (think a hearty French 75 made with freshly squeezed OJ) so we almost had to go. They serve the stealthily alcoholic beverage in pitchers and, clearly, expect us to have a higher tolerance than we do. We did *not* finish the pitcher, and will bring a friend or two with us next time.
We tried one more stop before heading home. There is a gluten-free bakery on the opposite side of the Turia that we’ll have to trek back to in September. This “everything is closed in August” isn’t 100% true but, wow, there are a lot of places closed up through this week. It makes me wonder how different everything will seem come September! So, we saw the *outside* of the gluten-free bakery and set out to go back home.
Navigating the bus this time was much easier. We figured out where to stand. Bill flagged the bus down. We got off at the correct spot. We found our way back home from there (walking past Nimes again — all roads lead to Nimes).
Some general observations now that we’ve seen a bit more of Valencia:
- Graffiti is everywhere
- I haven’t seen a single unhoused person since we arrived
- My only fear so far is of pickpockets/petty thievery
- We have no need for a car (and wouldn’t want to drive here)
- I’m not sure I’ve seen a cloud since we got here
- People are very patient with our fumbling attempts at Spanish (and falling back on English isn’t really an option)
- I like it here
We’d left home at 11 and made it back by about 6:30 pm. According to my watch we’d walked 4.51 miles (I haven’t flipped it to kilometers yet) and I’d taken over 10,000 steps (I rarely get more than 5000). My body was tired and my heart was full.
