10-11 Valencia - The City Experience

Michael and I drove to Valencia to visit our granddaughter who has just started her freshman year of college there.  She wouldn't get home from her last class until about 6pm - so we planned to arrive just a little after that to pick her up.  This is one of those experiences where you say to yourself - We should have known it would be like this!  Because there is no parking near Jojo's apartment building.  We double park at the beginning of the block and call her to tell her where we are.  No time for hugs - we need to get out of there.  So she jumps into the backseat and we drive on to our Airbnb.

Our Airbnb host had assured us that there was parking available near the apartment building.  Ah, but it is Friday night!  There is no parking anywhere.  Cars are parked at weird angles in the small parking lot provided - some are even double parked.  the house cleaner comes down to let us into the apartment, she speaks only Spanish.  She indicates that we can not leave the car there.  When asked where we should park (using google translate), she just shrugs her shoulders.  She insists the car must be moved immediately.  So Jojo and I grab all of the luggage and follow her into the apartment building while Michael sets upon his quest of finding a parking space.  

The housekeeper shows us up to our apartment - no 33 on the 9th floor and starts to leave.  I say - please give me the WIFI information.  She points to a paper taped to the kitchen wall, but then indicates that it doesn't work.  She points to the router in one of the bedrooms and we are able to see the name and password on the bottom.  She quickly leaves before I can ask anything else.  

Jojo settles on the couch, but I am concerned about where Michael and the car are.  He has been driving around for quite some time now.  I can see a fairly large parking lot out the living room window - This is in the back of the apartment building.  It is really busy, but every few minutes someone leaves and some lucky soul who has been driving around and around the parking lot gets to park his car.  We are right next to the City of Arts and Sciences.  I am not sure if this parking lot is part of that complex or just a neighborhood parking lot.  There are many apartment buildings around us.  I text Michael about the parking lot - but he is driving - and also using his phone as a GPS so can't answer me.  I finally call Michael - he decides that since he is in the City of Arts and Sciences complex, he will park in one of its underground parking lots and walk back.  We will worry about the car later.

After Michael relaxes for a bit, we head out for dinner. So much time has passed that the restaurants are now opening.  Jojo has found a Bolivian/Spanish restaurant nearby that sounds interesting.  We stop at a grocery store to buy bread and ham for breakfast and then walk to the restaurant.  

This was my dish - Bolivian I believe.  From the description it sounded like beef and sausage with chips.  I did not know that it would come out like this.  The fries are at the bottom soaked in sauce.  The beef strips and small cuts of hot dog are tasty.  The eggs are good and all the vegetables are fresh and uncooked.  There are several problems for me with this dish.  Tomatoes and raw onions do not agree with me and I hate soggy fries.  It makes no sense to me to fry food item up nice and crispy and then soak it in liquid!  

Michael had gotten a dish which had very tender flavorful beef and fries on the side.  He offered to switch - but we ended up sharing and all was good.  Jojo ended up with porkchops and fries.  I don't think she liked the meat - it was cut very thin and overcooked.  

After filling our bellies we walked back to the Airbnb.  In all the confusion of no parking and getting into the apartment I thought I knew which building we were in.  There are three buildings in our little complex - and all of them look exactly alike.  After you go through the door - the steps are straight in front of you - there is a ramp on the right leading to the elevator.  Someone is just leaving the building and holds the front door open for us.  We go up to the 9th floor and head for apartment 33.  The key does not work.  I try several times with each of the two keys - nothing.  Suddenly the door opens and a young Spanish man steps out.  The three of us are so surprised.  He speaks in Spanish at first - until he realizes we don't understand it and switches to English.  We quickly figure out we are in the wrong building!  But he is so nice and asks us where we are from and we chat for a bit.  This could have gone so wrong!  For the most part I would say our experiences with the Spanish people have been very positive.