Our first week in Valencia continued with more Spanish lessons – this time we learned the names of weekdays and months, how to tell time, and all kinds of useful vocabulary related to food and kitchen basics. It’s been really helpful to build up a foundation, especially since we’re surrounded by the language every day. I still have a lot to learn, but it already feels easier to understand signs and little phrases in everyday life.
After class, we decided to take it slow and had a cozy movie night at the apartment. We watched Avengers: Age of Ultron – sometimes it’s nice to just stay in, especially with so many impressions and new experiences throughout the week.
To end our Spanish course, we surprised our teacher Jesús with flowers. It was a small gesture, but he really deserved it – his energy and humor made the lessons fun, even though we were all beginners. On the last day, we reviewed everything we had learned and took a short final test to see how much we had improved in just five days. I think we all felt a bit more confident afterward.
Later that day, my boyfriend and I went out for tacos – and the best part? They were only 1 Euro each! Honestly one of the best deals we’ve found so far. Afterwards, we explored the area around Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. The architecture is stunning – modern, futuristic, and super clean. But if I’m being honest, it also felt a bit too empty and quiet. You end up walking a lot, but there’s not that much going on once you’re there.
We also checked out more of the city center and took a look at the historic Bank of Valencia building. That area had much more life – busy streets, cafés, people everywhere. I really enjoy just walking around and discovering these little corners of the city.
One morning, we treated ourselves to a nice brunch in a neighborhood called Ayora. The toast I had was so delicious, I’m definitely going to try and recreate it at home. The area was lovely, but again, strangely quiet. I’m starting to wonder if we always pick the oddest times to go out – everything seems to be closed or empty when we get there!
To round off the weekend, we met up with Herr Maier, at the beach. We had a couple of drinks and talked about how things have been going so far. It was a really nice and laid-back way to reflect on our first week here.
