When we were planning our Spain trip, we all decided we would each pick a coastal town to visit while in Madrid.
So, we can’t remember who chose Valencia (process of elimination, we think it’s Kathy), but off we went. We trained to València and took a taxi to the beach. We generally walk through a town but this was strictly a beach day. And the walk to the beach and back would be past our max of ten walking miles total for a day.
The taxi dropped us off right at the boardwalk. We walked around, changed into our bathing suits, and set off to find the perfect beach spot. We easily found beach chairs to rent for the day. You pick the spot and the person working the chairs will come and take payment from you. It was 9 euros for a chair with a palapa for shade.
Bryan immediately discovered a little snack and drink hut on the beach nearby. We enjoyed Spanish beer and pina coladas while bobbing in the ocean.
The water was fantastic. The temperature was perfect — not too cold, yet not bathwater warm. Growing up close to the Alabama and Florida coasts, this Gulf Coast girl did miss the fine, white sands of those beaches (still the most beautiful in the world, in our humble opinions). However, we did not miss the current. The Balearic Sea on this day had no undertow currents. You could float all day. We spent most of our time enjoying the water, the views, and the company.
Geographically speaking, we swam in the Gulf of Valencia, which is part of the Balearic Sea, which is a section of the larger Mediterranean Sea. We have dipped our toes in many oceans during our travels, but our other trips had been mostly in the early Spring, so the waters were always too cold to swim.
We did take turns watching our things, so three of us were in the water and one was under the palapa enjoying a tasty beverage. It was a Sunday, and the beach was packed with people enjoying the gorgeous day in the sun. As many people as there were on the beach, there were that many more in the water. It was a great beach day!
For American visitors, it is worth noting that Spanish beaches, like most other European public beaches, are more liberal about exactly what articles of clothing are required. There were many, many topless women and girls on the beach, and the guys wore those skimpy European Speedo suits. And did I mention that Spanish people are beautiful?
Later in the afternoon, we decided we needed food and sangrias. We packed up and went back to the boardwalk to check out food options. Jim found a restaurant that served single-portion paella, so we decided on that place with a lovely beachside view.
After a jug of refreshing sangria (the Spanish term for it is literally, la jarra), we ordered food. Unfortunately, they were out of paella for the day. We had a combination of sandwiches, crunchy chicken, chicken Caesar salad, and fries. There were more sangrias, and then we ordered dessert, which was a piece of mixed berry Cheesecake. It was delicious.
After beach, sun, food, and drinks, we made our way back to the train station. Our taxi driver was blaring classic rock and roll music and driving like a Formula One driver. We were having a loud sing-along with the music. Our taxi driver's only concern was that our swimsuits were dry and not wet before we got in his car.
After several excursions outside of Madrid, we were navigating the train stations and Metro with more ease. We enjoyed our fast train ride back to Madrid, hopped on the Metro Line 1 back to Sol station, and settled in for the night back in our cozy apartment.
I’m enjoying this so much!!!