Viva Valencia

Europe is a big place, with way too much to see in just four short months. I write this complaint at the risk of sounding ungrateful for the amazing opportunity I have to be traveling around Europe. While I want to visit as many places and countries as I can, one of my worries is not being able to see enough of Spain, the country I am actually living in. Luckily, CEA has made it possible for me to do this pretty easily. They offer trips to places around Spain like Madrid, Girona, Besalu, and Valencia. While traveling all over Europe is tempting, having an excursion included in my program with amazing guides that plan everything for you is pretty hard to turn down. After my trip to Valencia with CEA, I can admit I am glad I did it.

The ancient ruins of Valencia are on exhibit under water, while the colorful modern city surrounds them from above.

Barcelona is an amazing place, but its not typical when it comes to Spanish cities. In fact, the majority of Catalunya, the region Barcelona resides in, does not consider itself a part of Spain at all. Visiting Valencia was a unique opportunity for me to see what a more "typical" Spanish city looks like. Their language is more consistent with the rest of Spain, but they also have many unique aspects of culture that are all their own.

Legend has it that the Holy Grail resides here in the Valencia Cathedral.

One of my favorite things to discover was that Valencia is the birthplace of paella. Our tour guide (who was the best person ever) recommended a place to try traditional Valencian paella, and I genuinely believe it was the best thing I have ever eaten. Another highlight from the trip was visiting the beautiful cathedral, which they believe houses the holy grail (an interesting and controversial claim for a Divinci Code fan). They also have beautiful beaches, an elegant modern art museum, and their gorgeous city of arts and sciences, which seems to transport you  300 years into the future.

Our tour guide also brought us to the IVAM modern art museum for a cultural morning.

The best paella I have ever eaten, which was also served by the nicest people I have met in Spain!

The people were welcoming, the food was amazing, and the city was beautiful. I am so grateful that I got to see some more of this diverse country I temporarily call home. While there are so many incredible places to see on this continent, I'm glad CEA encouraged me to see more of spectacular Spain.

The City of Arts and Sciences, which is regarded of one of the 12 treasures of Spain.

Julia D. is the Spring 2017 MOJO Blogger in Barcelona, Spain. She is currently a Junior studying Communications & Film at University of Michigan.

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Julia Dixon is the Spring 2017 CEA MOJO Blogger in Barcelona, Spain in Barcelona, Spain, and is currently studying at University of Michigan.