va-va-va-vaaalencia!!!

after a 9 hr. bus ride (no ac), it's safe to say a bit of "type a" erin surfaced in the form of mild anxiety attacks. and then, i shocked myself! i've only been eating on the go- grab a tomatoe, quick sandwitch, a granola bar, whatever. oh, and tapas. but that's easy, "una cerveza, por favor." BAM! beer and food. (well maybe not BAM! the pace here is about 8 times slower.) contrary to popular belief, spaniards don't speak spanish. they are patient with you if you try to speak their language, for about 45 sec. i was wondering around the city at siesta time and there was nothing open but this one place. pallela! i've never had pallela before and it was invented in valencia, so there is no better place!! and i ate it with seafood!!!! (not the ones with the eyes still on it though.) it's delicious. (i've decided not to mention how good it kept getting through my stay for your sake and so that i don't have to reveal how much food i ate in a 3 day period.)

later this night i found myself in a conversation with a kiwi, an italian, and a spaniard (who was loco and kept asking me if i played american video games and went through every simpson's episode he has ever seen. in spanish.) it was ridiculous. arms were flying everywhere, people were yelling, then a french girl tried to help translate- it went spanish to italian then italian to french and then french to english to spanish and then italian. it was the most fun i have ever had at that level of annoyance.

and then my favorite things, everybody together now- free walking tours!! this one though... so every guide always mentions how the official city guides hate these free walking tours. because it's free. (but you give tips... i know.) the officials think these tours are taking away their business. like any backpacker would voluntarily give up 30 euros for an old lady to walk you around town. this perticular afternoon we had a rager. she even called the police! everyone was freakin out, the germans are trying to sneak off, and nobody has their passport. then one of the police officers informed us that we were doing nothing illegal. we were hanging out, having a good time, and learning something new. sounds to me like livin' the dream. and this was a jealous woman who was thinking she was losing some kind of power and needed it back by using fear. the police. 50 years ago, we would all have been tortured or killed for gathering in a group larger than 2 people. there are still people alive today who lived in franco's spain, and these are the people who fought for freedom. the freedom we were practicing, and the freedom this perticular officer vowed to never let leave her city. so, the woman screamed and our tour went on! (spanish history makes my heart pitter patter.)

one of my favorite bands (vampire weekend) sings a song called 'horchata'. well guess what- horchata is a drink that comes from valencia! i was on a mission. and unfortunatly for my amigo (who has never heard the song- or the band) i sang the song over and over again until we got there. and then a little while we were there, and maybe once after. "you remember drinking horchata.." sometimes i would change the words up a little "we are gunna drink a horchata.." or maybe "are we almost at the horchata?..." so charming.

it's like a smoothie made with 1 lb. of sugar, almonds, and ice.

since we were then all jacked up on sugar we decided to climb to the top of the belltower. it is so steep, so narrow, so small- there was one point when i couldn't tell if i was going up or down. you can't tell how much there is infront of you or behind you. 261 steps = legs like jello.


later in the evening i walk into a bar- and what do my wondering eyes behold??? anthony!! (tight guy from lisbon.) we drank, we danced, we laughed!

i was woken up the next morning by an italian boy, "erin, i propose to you??" NO! NO! NO NO NO NO NO!!!! just kiddin'. kinda. the italian boy (named italo) was a roomate who had his english words confused. he meant to say "i ask". i hope. (and he also never wore pants. me: italo! where are your pants?? italo: pants? what are pants? me: pants! [pointing to mine] pantalones! italo: pantalones?... oh, yes! pants!! he still didn't put them on.) well we went to the future. i can hear you saying, "the future?" yes, the future. cuidad de las ciencias. i felt like i was in the '1984' orwell novel. also mixed with the motion picture 'independence day' staring will smith! but i think my favorite part was when i said my hair looks pretty wild, italo responds with, "yes. your hair is giving the buildings some competition for attention."