Toledo & An Epic Night Out

We woke up and happily left our sketchy hostel, made a quick stop at our favorite donut place, and then were off to the headquarters for Juliá Travels again. This time, we were off on a day trip to Toledo, a beautiful city north of Madrid. The drive there was about 1 hour each way, and I entertained Julia by making her listen to my beloved Spanish music playlist on my iPod. Once we

Catedral de Toledo

arrived, we walked around with our guide and 20 of our closest friends, and learned the medieval history of the city. I noticed that the information he gave in this Spanish speaking version versus his English speaking version was much more detailed, and he actually skipped out on repeating some of the interesting facts when he would repeat his speech in English. Luckily Liz and Julia had me there! ;) We stopped for a while in front of the cathedral, and then made a quick stop at the museum dedicated to 16^th century artist, El Greco. The museum is built inside of an old cathedral, and at one point it had been a Jewish synagogue as well. The fusion in the architecture was probably my favorite part to see. I was also happy because when I originally visited Toledo in 2007, I took a photo of a beautiful Spanish house with flowers under the window, and I coincidentally walked by the same house again and was able to re-create the photo. The walking tour then finished up with us having an overlook view of the river and surrounding hillsides. It was a short-but-sweet tour, but I am glad my friends got to see this small and charming Spanish town!

View from Toledo

The Re-Created Photo!

Back in Madrid, we left the tour office and walked to a nearby restaurant for some tapas. I personally think the tapas selection in Valencia is better than what they have in Madrid- but then again I’m a little biased! After lunch, we headed back over to Parque del Retiro. The last time we went, we just explored the huge park on foot, but this time we decided to experience it via rowboat. We rented boats on the large pond in the center of the park, like so many visitors do, and it was a great experience! We had so much fun relaxing, resting in the sun, and just taking it all in. I was fortunate enough to get to sit in the middle, so Liz and Julia did all the work!

Rowing at Parque del Retiro

Once we left the park, we went back to our “beloved” hostel, and got ready for a girls night out. No melting power outlets this time! We decided to once again head to the “La Latina” district, and things were off to a great start. The first place we went to upgraded our sangria glasses to a giant pitcher. I’m not sure why exactly, but it was amazing. This pitcher was not for the faint of heart either- delicious, and potent! After the sangria, we were all feeling very cheerful, and so we headed to a British style pub for some cider. While there, I could see that two fellow travelers kept looking over at us, and so being the nice girls that we are we struck up a conversation with two friendly Brits named Joe and Adrian. They had spent some time studying in Spain as well, and of course asked us “where the good clubs were”. Since none of us really had any idea, we all 5 decided to head to a nearby discoteca together. The ensuing free beverages, strobe lights, and loud music made for one of the most fun, if not THE most fun, nights out I have ever had (randomly salsa dancing with guys from the Philippines, as well as Liz relationship counseling a guy from Ireland were just added bonuses)! We all stayed at the dance club until about 5am (yes, Spanish clubs are open that late on a Tuesday night!), and then we parted ways with all our new friends. We came back to the hostel around 6am, and felt very proud of a truly epic night out! The only downside? The girls had to get up at 7:30am to leave for the airport!

One of the few surviving discoteca photos!

Julia & Liz Experience Old Valencia

10/14 For the first full day in Valencia for my American friends, we definitely made it count. We got up early, 

Enjoying some horchata in the morning

had some breakfast in the piso, and took the bus over to the old part of the city. In case I haven’t already mentioned it enough- I LOVE OLD VALENCIA. It has beautiful, unique architecture, an interesting history, and a great authentic vibe. I can’t seem to get sick of it. I hope my friends felt the same.  So, just like the “walking tour” I have given in the past for John and Olivia, we started out at the famous horchata restaurant in Plaza de La Reina. The girls loved their drink, and I’ll be sad to go back to America and not be able to have it anymore! Next we walked down the plaza to the cathedral.  I hadn’t paid to go inside it since I visited here in 2007, and when the girls said they were interested in touring it, I gladly agreed. The only problem? It was a Sunday morning in Spain: Mass was going on. We ended up walking around the areas near the cathedral, and admiring it from the outside. There are still plenty of beautiful sights to see. We ended up sneaking in a side door and listened in for a bit of the Spanish mass. When it ended, we went back around to the front and paid our 5 euros for the entry ticket and the audio tour. We walked around and faithfully hit up all the numbered points of interest, learning all the history of the Catedral de Valencia. The most unique things are the dehydrated arm of Saint Vincent (it’s weird looking), and the fact that the Vatican approved “cup-most-likely-to-actually-be-THE-holy-grail” is in there too. Once we were done touring the interior, we climbed the treacherous 300ish steps up the narrow , winding church tower to the top- called El Miguelete/ El Micalet (in Valenciano). From there we got to enjoy my favorite view in the city. I realized this would probably be the last time I’d make this climb for quite a while, and it made me sad and nostalgic. That was my 5^th time going up there, and I will certainly miss it. After we dealt with wearing skirts in the wind and took all our photos, we headed back down to the plaza.

View of Valencia from the Cathedral

We had a typical Spanish lunch consisting of various bocadillos in the Plaza de La Virgen, and Liz and Julia got to enjoy the great atmosphere of the GORGEOUS surroundings. I just really love that plaza. It’s definitely my favorite in all of Europe (can you tell I’m feeling nostalgic?) Next up, we walked around the city some more, and just explored the surrounding areas. I had intended for us to go inside the Torres de Serranos, but since it was a Sunday, they were closed. Sadly, we just had to admire them from the outside. That did not stop us from taking photos though! We did some souvenir shopping, and then walked around by the Plaza de Torros. At that point, we realized how tired we were. Walking around the glamorous streets of a European city can definitely take its toll! We ended up getting some frozen yogurt at “Toppings” and listened to some live music.

Julia, Myself & Liz on the Miguelete

Liz & Julia in front of Torres de Serranos

After that, we took the metro back to my apartment. We freshened up, and relaxed for a little bit. Around 6 (very early for a Spanish dinner!), we walked the twenty minutes towards Whitney and Raúl’s apartment. She had made una reserva for us to all have dinner together at a cool place right by her building. This was a special occasion because- SADLY- it was the last time I would get to hang out with them in Spain. They

The Farewell Dinner- I miss you guys!

were heading to visit Whitney’s family in America the next week, and I would be out of town. I was glad my friends got to meet her, and we got to enjoy some delicious sangria. I don’t recall exactly what we ate, but I know that we ate a lot and that it was delicious. Also, it was a little different than the typical “Spanish food” that you find everywhere, so I was happy to mix it up. Raúl got to practice his English a little bit, and when Whitney left to use the restroom he talked more than I had ever heard him! When she came back, she didn’t believe us that he had been speaking so much and in good English- guess he is just shy in front of his novia Americana J After dinner, we took some farewell photos, and then I teared up a bit. It was an emotional day I guess. They have been involved in my life in Spain from the start, and I will truly miss getting to spend time with them. Whitney was the best Spanish teacher I ever had L , not to mention she had become a very close friend. It made me sad to realize this chapter in my life was coming to a close. On cue, it started raining pretty hard. Raúl so kindly drove us back to my piso, and I said adios to some great friends. The three of us girls spent the rest of the evening relaxing in the apartment- we were having some plumbing issues, and a hilarious story ensued- ask me if you’re ever curious! 

Enjoying the love from Whitney & Raul

Normal Life in Valencia

9/24 At 4am that morning, John left out little piso and headed to the airport and back to the USA. I was too tired to be sad, but I felt it later. It was so great to have him in Spain, and the visit of course went way too quickly. I spent the rest of my day editing photos and being lazy, and then once Bárbara got off work I went with her and Nathan to get some drinks at the little café on our street. We were celebrating Bárbara’s high score and the fact that she passed the dreaded TOEFL exam she had been studying so hard for the past few weeks! I had some tinto de verano, and then later we ordered Telepizza and ate it on the couch in the piso. A nice relaxing day in Valencia! The highlight of my day on 9/25 was an impromptu meet up of some friends at the park near the old river. The river Turia used to flow through the whole city, but once it flooded in the 60s it was drained. It is now a park full of running trails and gardens that follows the path that the river once did. It’s a little strange that you can sit in grass under the old medieval bridges, but it is a very fun and pretty area. People still refer to it as “the river” though- (it took me a while to realize that there actually is no river anymore). We all packed bocadillos, chips and some vino, and we sat down on a blanket in the park. It was dark by the time we were all there, but the lights from the city were good enough. It was myself, Bárbara, Nathan, Whitney, Rachel, Marissa, and a new couple I met that night named Carlos and Christie. Christie is American and met Carlos, her recent fiancé, while studying abroad in Valencia 1.5 years ago. All in all there were 5 Americans there, and only 1 doesn’t live permanently/forever in Valencia- me :( . Sadness. 

Flamenco Themed Restaurant in Valencia

So the next day 9/26 while Bárbara was at work, I walked around in the Benimaclet neighborhood of the city with Nathan. It is an older less developed part of the city, and as a result there are a lot of really cool old buildings and plazas. It makes you feel like you are really in 19^th century Spain or something. Bárbara and her family grew up in this neighborhood, so it was nice to see her childhood stomping grounds a little. We also randomly ran into her friend Vicente, small world! We stopped and had some horchata at a café, and then we made the long walk back to the piso on Calle Menendez y Pelayo. At 7 that evening, I had a Spanish tutoring lesson with Whitney at her apartment. I walked down the long street of Blasco Ibañez to her apartment, and I got in some quality Spanish knowledge! On 9/27 Nathan and I met up with Bárbara and her co-workers for lunch at Taberna Jaen near our piso. The funny thing about her co-workers is that they used to be my study abroad program advisors 5 years ago. If someone told me back then that 5 years later I would be sitting in a café having drinks with them and speaking in Spanish, I doubt I’d have believed it- oh how far I’ve come ;) After a smoke filled hour of drinks with Manuel, Sara, Raquel, and Bárbara, Nathan and I took the bus downtown to the center. We shopped around for a little bit and went to the bookshop. I got a nice coffee table book on the city’s history! We also ate lunch at a Flamenco themed restaurant that was too touristy, even for me! That evening, the three of us had drinks and bravas before they left on their 12-hour-bus to Santander, where Nathan lives. That night, I was alone in the apartment. It was a little creepy. I thought every sound was a serial killer and I slept with the lights on!

Some of the downed trees from the wind storm

9/28- To start out my weekend, I slept in super late on Friday. It was awesome. I walked around the city a bit and just people watched and explored. I did some cleaning, and then around 6pm I packed my bag and was picked up by Whitney and Raúl in his car. They drove me to their apartment, and on the way the weather took a crazy turn for the worse! I’m used to Valencia being perpetually sunny and dry, so the fact that it was thundering, rainy, and super windy was strange. I saw a car wreck, which is rare there, and several trees were starting to blow over. We parked on the street and in order to get in their apartment we had to pass through a “wind tunnel” in between 2 buildings. It was seriously intense wind! I felt like my body could have been lifted in the air- it was crazy. Once we were safely inside we got a carry out pizza from the place in their building, and then we watched a movie! This was my “slumber party” night with Whitney, and I’m glad I wasn’t alone during the storm. During the course of the night we kept looking out the window and saw more and more trees or bushes that had come down. They have a guest bedroom there so I got to stay in my own comfy bed, and all in all it was a great deal! One sad thing about the evening though is that the abandoned bird they found and have been taking care of, named Tallina, had broken its foot somehow and was basically dying…

Barbara's Note to Me on the Frame we made!

Saturday morning 9/29, we assessed the damage outside. Wind is crazy! At about 1pm Whitney and I headed out and got some tapas at a little place near her piso. She also gave me another Spanish lesson, and I must say she is a really awesome tutor! I get personalized lessons, and I really do feel like I’ve learned more from my sessions with her than I did at the Don Quijote classes. After that we just hung out, then I made the 25 minute walk back to my piso. Marissa had invited a bunch of people over to her apartment in Benifer for game-night that night. I didn’t feel like navigating the metro, so I took the slightly pricy cab to her apartment on the other side of town, and got there right at 9:30. Rachel was there too, and we were joined by Josep, Ruben, Miguel, and Pablo. We played “Uno” for a while, and then I taught them how to play a drinking game called 21. Somehow we all stayed up laughing and having an amazing time until about 5:30 am. I love how late Spaniards stay up! It just fits my life, haha. A highlight of the evening was Marissa & Josep’s dog Coco pooping on the floor because they put a diaper on her and she didn’t know how to react.  Not sure why, but it was hysterical to us at the time. Pablo drove Rachel and Ruben home, and then was nice enough to drop me off to my piso. So, after that fun-filled evening, I of course slept in crazy late on Sunday 9/30. I cleaned and did some laundry, and then around 8:30 that night Whitney came over to hang out with me since Raúl was at work and she was bored. I made us some bravas and we basically just watched tv and chatted. I went to bed around 2, and Whitney stayed on the couch until 6am when Raúl was coming home from work and could just pick her up from my place. Bárbara came in around 5am from Santander, so luckily I was never alone in the piso that weekend again!

Our little balcony in the Piso

John's Valencia Experience- Parte Dos

Risking his life for a photo.

Being the morning person that he is, John made sure we were up and out of the piso by 9am and on our way to explore more of the city. Since he had the chance to see the modern parts of the city yesterday, I decided today to take him on my “historic tour” of the old city. By this point, I have a whole walking route mapped out, and can point out the places of note. I am a pretty good tour guide if I say so myself- I even know random little informational tidbits and have dates and facts all memorized by now. It’s too bad I can’t do this for tips! We took the bus downtown to the Plaza de La Reina, and began our day there. It was nice and hot, per usual Valencian style, so the first thing we did was go inside the Cathedral. This is the main point of the old city center, and so we paid the 2 euros to climb the 300+ stairs to the top of the church’s tower, El Miguelete. This was the 4^th time I’ve done this in my life, and I know more times are to come. The views at the top are spectacular though, and I definitely wanted John to have that vantage point of my beloved city. Next, we swung by the classic horchata place for a drink, and then we explored the Plaza de La Virgen and the surrounding buildings. We got to see the River Turia fountain, the old Islamic entrance to the church, and the old Roman ruins underneath the plaza too. Once I felt John had a real feel for the look and architecture of the central part of the city, we headed over to the Torres de Serrano. Unfortunately, the towers are randomly closed on Mondays, so we only got an exterior view. We then kept walking through the narrow streets (with me leading the way, be proud) and walked over towards the quarter of the city with the old wool market (Llonja de La Seda) and the Mercado Central. We passed by a church called Iglesia de San Juan, in honor of John, and he also got to see giant paella pots for sale. We didn’t end up going inside La Llonja, just had a quick peek, and then we arrived at the market. I figured John would love it, especially given that he enjoys trying random foods. I was right. Once he’d had his fill of taking photographs and buying unique fruit, we headed over to the business and shopping centre of the city, or the Plaza de La Ayuntamiento. This is a beautiful part of town full of tall buildings with gorgeous architecture. The fountains and palm trees all around don’t hurt either!

Walking around the old city center

Me in Plaza de La Virgen, love that place!

Mercado Central Valencia

Plaza de La Ayuntamiento- Government Center

We decided to stop for lunch on one of the pedestrian streets at a Thai place called Lemongrass. I convinced John to abstain from Spanish food for one meal because pad-thai is just so good! After that, we walked across the street to the Plaza De Toros. Since the Oktoberfest event was going on still, we were able to go in and walk around, which isn’t usually the case on a day with no bullfights. He was lucky to get to see the inside part, and I of course forced him to pose next to the matador statue outside too. It was still early afternoon at this point, and we weren’t really sure what else to do. We tried to go to the Museo Taurino, but that also was closed. Since it was getting really hot, we headed back towards the Cathedral and took a few more photos. Then, unfortunately, we had to take the expensive metro ride back to the Valencia airport. Air Europa had texted me saying John’s luggage was finally in, but that instead of delivering it he would have to go pick it up himself. It takes about 30 minutes to get there on the metro, so we wasted over an hour of our day getting his luggage. I was just a little mad. Once that annoying task was done, we took his bag back to my piso. We had done a lot of walking and it was really hot, so we just took it easy the rest of the day. Bárbara, Nathan, John, and I ended up going out to dinner at Montaditos, and had a really good time! The little sandwiches they serve were a good way for John to get to try a variety of the Spanish meats. Afterwards we had wine and goat-cheese at the piso and just hung out and chatted. I think after today John had a good idea or “feel” of Valencia, and now we are ready to venture off to Africa tomorrow!

John in the Bullfighting Ring

The Couple- Reunited!

John's Valencia Experience

Matador Kills the Bull. Ole!

The much-anticipated day had finally arrived! My boyfriend John was here in Spain! I woke up early and took the long metro ride out to the Valencia airport to pick him up. As soon as I saw him, we locked eyes, and I ran through the airport and jumped into his arms. He spun me around and it was so romantic—Just kidding, that is not how it happened at all. Actually, his luggage was lost so I found him in a long line, and helped him speak Spanish. Once that crisis was somewhat averted (no thanks to Air Europa), we took the long metro ride back towards the University district where I live. I got off the wrong exit at my stop though so he got an accidental tour of the streets near my piso. Oops. Anyways, once he dropped off his backpack and got to meet Bárbara and see our lovely piso, we were ready to begin the day and commence his Spanish tourism! First things first, we walked to a little restaurant close by called Taberna de Jaen so that John could have his first “typical Spanish meal”. Bárbara came with us, and we ate a ton of food and had a great time. Poor John, we kept forcing him to talk to our waiter in Spanish since it entertained us to see him get embarrassed. Despite this, he got to have his first paella, jamón Serrano, patatas bravas, and Valencian seafood- all in his first meal. While we were eating, our waiter (who could somehow tell we were foreigners) invited us to check out the “back room” where they keep their bullfighting souvenirs. We agreed, and before we knew what was happening we were all in costumes. John was a matador, I was a flamenco dancer, and Bárbara was a bull. Of course we took tons of silly photos acting out our roles. It was one of those unplanned, random travel moments that turned out to be hilarious and made for some awesome pictures. Maybe it played up stereotypes that tourists to Spain might have, but whatever, it was fun!

The couple at the CAC

Our next stop was the City of Arts and Sciences. I didn’t care if John was tired from his trans-atlantic flight, we were going to beat his jet-lag by not letting him stop moving until night. We walked towards the River Turia area, and got to enjoy the gardens, fountains and little riverwalk along the way to the CAC. It took us about an hour, and once we got there, we spent time wandering around and exploring the place. The architecture always makes for great photos, and I was happy for John to get to see one of the “gems” of Valencia. It was a beautiful day, a bit hot, but the lighting was perfect for my pictures. I was just so happy John was there with me, I’d been talking up the city to him for years, so I was just pumped he could finally see it all in person. Once we’d had our fill of the CAC, we started walking back towards the center. Realizing how tired we were, we gave up and took a cab to the beach area.

As everyone knows, I absolutely LOVE the beach. So I forced John to come see it with me. We started out near the Las Arenas hotel, and did a stroll in the sand. We shopped for a swimsuit for him at the little stalls on the walkway, but for some reason this did not make him want to go swimming. He’s not a big fan of sun or beaches. I guess I had anticipated this, because I wasn’t that upset about not getting to lay out and swim. So, once we walked around and saw the sights, we went to the America’s Cup Port area. This place was lively and hopping back in 2007 when it was hosting the world’s largest sailing competition, but now it’s a bit like a ghost town. All the cool buildings are still there, but a bit dingy and void of activity. The only good part about exploring the port area was that an old ship that looked like a traditional 

Spanish armada boat or pirate ship was there. It also happened to be sunset, so we got to have the beautiful views of the water at twilight. To wrap up his first day in Spain, we ate a quick dinner near my piso, and got ready to face the next day!

L'Umbracle at the City of Arts & Sciences

View of Playa Malvarosa in Valencia

Red-Beard the Pirate by his Ship

La Tomatina!

8/29   Today was the day. It had finally arrived. The day I had been nervously looking forward to slash dreading for a few weeks. Today was the day of the internationally famous Spanish festival known as… “LA TOMATINA!” Now, in case you never took Spanish in middle-school and don’t realize the gravity of this phrase, I’ll fill you in on what it is and how it all goes down:

Crowded Plaza of Bunol

La Tomatina is a festival held in the Valencian town of Buñol, a 30 minute drive away from the city. Participants gather to throw tomatoes at each other, and get involved in a huge food fight purely for the fun of it. Roughly 50,000 people attended  in 2011, and it is the largest recorded food fight in the world. Held on the last Wednesday of August each year, the activities commence around 10am. Now, here is a rundown of the day’s schedule- First is the ‘palo jabón’, or “greasy pole”. The goal is for people (usually drunk young guys) to climb and the reach the top of a greased pole with a large ham on top. As this happens, the crowd works into a frenzy of singing and dancing while being showered in water from the hoses of residents with balconies. Once that lucky someone is able to drop the ham off the pole, the “start signal” for the day is given by firing a shot in the air, and trucks loaded down with tomatoes make their entry. The signal for the onset of the “fight” is at about 11am when a loud shot rings out, and the chaos begins. Several trucks throw tomatoes in abundance in the Plaza del Pueblo. The tomatoes come from the region of Extremadura, where they are less expensive and are grown specifically for the holiday, being of inferior taste. For the participants the use of goggles is recommended (tomato juice in the eyes? ouch!). According to the “official rules” the tomatoes must be crushed before being thrown so as to reduce the risk of injury. The estimated number of tomatoes used is around 150,000, and after exactly one hour of insanity, the fight ends with the second shot. The whole town square is colored red and rivers of tomato juice flow freely. Fire trucks hose down the streets and participants use hoses that locals provide to remove the tomato paste from their bodies. Some participants go to the pool of “los peñones” to wash as well. After the cleaning, the village cobblestone streets are made pristine by the residents, due to the acidity of the tomatoes.

As you can see, it might sound super fun, but I’d heard about its drawbacks from experienced friends. Luckily, I prepared myself for these by wielding goggles, and wearing close toed shoes with clothing that could be thrown in the trash after. Being that I am a tidy and non-aggressive person, the only things convincing me that I should partake in this this were that #1 I’m near the city at the right time of year (destiny) and #2 YOLO (you only live once) so I might as well do it, and #3 “It’s all about the story”- This quote applies to many things in my life that I don’t want to do but end up doing, because it makes for a good story!

So, for my Tomatina experience, I had made plans to ride to the pueblo of Buñol with Whitney in her boyfriend Raúl’s car. They picked me up from my piso early that morning, and we made the drive to the small industrial town. With its narrow cobblestone streets and unassuming location, it was surprising that such a small place was able to hold so many extra people for the fight (over half of which are foreign tourists- primarily Australian and Japanese). Miraculously, Raúl found us a parking spot and we headed into the depths of the town. People were selling food, t-shirts, goggles, and plenty of alcohol to commemorate and prepare for the event, and it was definitely fun to people-watch. Many participants even had “teams” with matching shirts, how cute! Also, it is an unofficial rule to wear white as well, so that you can see how far from white your shirt will be at the end. While walking around in the hot morning sun and taking this all in, I noticed that my camera did not have its memory card in it. Huge error! I was the designated camera person of the day, equipped with a plastic bag and waterproof carrying case from Raúl.  I felt so bad upon realizing this, but before I knew what to do Raúl had already offered to run back to the car and get Whitney’s camera. I felt terrible about that, but while he was gone Whitney and I discussed how sweet of a guy he was for doing that. We also watched several drunk people make fools of themselves :)

As it was now close to the time for the fight to start, we decided to make our way over to the main square. The city is much more compact than I realized, and somehow we found ourselves trapped in a crowded alleyway full of sweaty, drunk people. I felt really claustrophobic at that moment, and to make it worse the locals of Buñol who have balconies just hang out and pour buckets of water on us poor people below. Somehow, we finally managed to escape this torture alley, and that ,was when I was separated from the group. Raúl and Whitney somehow made it into the “thick of things” and I stayed more near the outskirts so I could try to take some photos without ruining my camera. As I have been told though, there is really no “going to the Tomatina just to watch” option. I learned this the hard way.

Raul and Myself : Post Tomatina

In sum, it is a crazy alcohol fueled event but something that everyone who has the chance to do should do- if only for the heck of it. Whitney and Raúl may have been a little bruised up from the obnoxious people who didn’t squish their tomatoes before throwing, but overall we had a lot of fun. We finished up the day by rinsing off in a nearby creek. Because of the messiness and abundant buckets of water everywhere, I was only able to take 1 photo during the actual event. But don’t worry- the internet has plenty more to fill your curiosity.  Upon reaching the car, clothes that would forever reek of tomato juices were thrown into a dumpster, and we pulled out of the lot ready to leave. Suddenly, Whitney realized that when she had thrown away her pants, she had accidentally thrown my money she'd been holding onto along with it! Before we could decide what to do, poor Raúl had turned the car around and against our protests, went dumpster-diving to find the pants and my money. His valiant act was not unappreciated! See, chivalry does still exist! With my money safely returned to me we headed back to Valencia- Mission accomplished!