By Waiching
A week ago on Wednesday, it was the second time I went to Spain during my travels (first and last time was in Madrid, pre-Covid times in 2019) and for my holiday, but it is the first time I have been to Valencia and Barcelona; I decided to head out to Spain and to take time off from work as a) I needed to take a break from work, well me, my sister and her husband did and b) realizing me and her were double vaccinated, I felt I should take my chance and get out of London and not spend my vacation time at my own home. I refrained from travelling until I got vaccinated and Spain's travel restrictions eased for those immunized against Coronavirus. Reflecting on my and my sister's decision to travel, I have absolutely no regrets - but for that, I wished I had booked an extra day off for my holiday, so instead of travelling from Wednesday 17th, it would be from Tuesday 16th November and we had 5 days to venture out to Spain, as well as the mandatory day 2 test we had to book on our return to London, I was better prepared when it came to filling in the passenger locator form and having that form ready.
Or maybe it was different to what I anticipated; whilst I don't dispute the architecture and grand scale of Barcelona through the Sagrada Familia, I sense that maybe the city leaned too much on that and leaned too much on tradition and there wasn't enough balance. I had only 2 days and so, had I had more time, more days exploring and diving into the Catalan city, I would have felt differently. In retrospection, it is one of those cities whereby I need to be part of a tourist group or connected with a local to get to the heart of what makes Barcelona tick as a world destination. Another gripe was that living costs are high and prices have been jacked up. Venturing further down, La Ramblas was the most interesting part of the city for me - and by bypassing the boring stuff that comes before it -, whilst there was a roast chicken restaurant that was recently opened that I loved called Patapollo. Barcelona has some nice looking monuments and buildings especially from Antonio Gaudi, but they are few and far; strip those away and well, it comes off looking vast, big, busy, tries to be showy (the cable car ride at Montijic is all right if that is your thing - and you are not afraid of heights *but say like me*)-, but not enough substance. I also read a bit about Catalan cuisine and Barcelona food, but after a search, there wasn't much in the way of food that was quintessentially & authentically from Barcelona, unless it was Creme Catalana, - but even I couldn't find that and tomato toast/bread called Pa amb tomaquet. Many restaurants had Paella (its origins are in Valencia) and to a lesser extent, Patatas Bravas (a Madrid speciality) on their menu boards. Regarding the locals, very few seem to go out of their way to be welcoming and warm to tourists especially.
I do believe in second chances and I'd be more than willing to revisit Barcelona on my travels some other time in the future by focusing a bit more on central Barcelona and staying in a far better air B&B/hotel, but currently, I am indifferent towards it.
It is a feeling of Barcelona being just too different to the point that, like Bilbao, it is its own separate entity from the rest of Spain, but also it didn't 'wow' me that I'd hoped it would do. There is no disputing Barcelona is a tourist destination and it is cheap to fly there on a single/return ticket; however, it is not a budget destination, and still, you have to search and scour online and in-person for the best deals, prices for shopping, food, accommodation. In Valencia we stayed in an Air B'n'B, whereas in Barcelona it was in a hotel; the air B'n'B was a fraction of the hotel in Barcelona and it was lovely, cosy and in a noise-free part of Valencia (plus, the host was a lovely bloke) -wherein which the latter experience was far from, shall I say it, great and amazing.
Likewise, in contrast, I was awestruck by Valencia's mix of the contemporary with the future and is a trendy, vibrant hot-spot that not only is my type of city but I still feel is vastly underrated that doesn't get its due to this day; it might be tiny, but it is a city of its own that has its own identity. Innovative, daring, creative and so unlike many other Spanish cities and despite being in the shadows of Madrid and Barcelona as the country's third-largest city, Valencia is one of the underdogs of Espana that holds its own.
Alas, it won a place in my heart as one of my favourite places I have travelled to.
It is also a place that I was dying to visit in Spain, and I was so happy that I got to go there; located on the Mediterranean Coast (and 200 miles southwest of Barcelona), it is not as crowded (thankfully), the locals are friendly, some even speak English and make you feel welcome and it is affordable with respectable living costs. Oh and check out the Valencian orange trees that adorn and are scattered throughout the streets, the City of Arts and Sciences Complex (Ciutat de Les Arts i les Ciencies) which comprises a cinema, Europe's biggest Aquarium and Principe Felipe Science Museum, and the Central Market Hall (Mercado central de Valencia); it is well worth it. Mercado Central is a street food market with over 1,000 stalls that sells a range of fresh fruit, veg, meat especially large hams (called jamons in Spain), fish, as well as bread, cakes and pastries at low prices. You can find freshly made smoothie drinks for 2 Euros (under £1.70) and bocadillos (baguette-style sandwiches filled with meat, cheese and different fillings) for 1 Euro each (just under £1). It is a bargain and the market is highly recommended if you are looking for a place to buy food or lunch. Speaking of food, as the home of Paella, this signature dish has to be eaten in Valencia -, and Valencia only. The Paella that we ate in one restaurant in Valencia was really nice and flavourful - if a little too salty.
Valencia is a terrific place to visit on a budget and whilst I was there for just two days, I am planning to return the year after next for 3 days minimum instead of 2, 4 days maximum. I want to go back and explore more of this city. It may not garner large crowds or pull in massive tourists, and it is also that very reason why I love this place. I was so impressed, it has charm and flair in doses. Public transport is good, you can easily travel from one place to another on foot. Understated, and may it stay that way because Valencia is just wonderful as it is, and it doesn't need to be a Barcelona and Madrid wannabe. This is why it has become my favourite Spanish city out of the three that I have been to. I'd wished we went to Barcelona first and then onto Valencia afterwards; in the latter, it is definitely a region in Spain everyone who is into Spanish culture or wants to travel to Spain needs to visit at least once in their lives.
Of note, there seemed to be a lot more mask-wearing in Valencia than in Barcelona, based on my experience of what I have seen, though in Spain, they take it seriously with it being a mandatory requirement in many shops, restaurants, hotels. I had my mask on 99% of the time, but for when we were eating and dining and I was socially distancing.
Spain is a terrific country to explore and for Brits and Europeans, it is the nearest and shortest in terms of distance for travel towards a Spanish speaking country, as is Mexico in Central America is to Americans and Canadians in North America. Despite my disappointment in Barcelona, I still can't fault the Spanish culture and Spain as a country as a whole; having been to the three main cities, Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, I am just glad to have visited all three. As this has been the second time I have visited Spain on my travels, I felt that this year's visit, despite the coronavirus situation and restrictions, was the best yet and the experience was better than two years ago when I was in Madrid. I thoroughly enjoyed myself whilst I was in Barcelona, well, make that in Valencia.
On a personal note, I realised that despite the Coronavirus situation, which still persists, taking time off was extremely important; it hit me that working for months on end and not taking any holidays affects my mental and emotional well-being and level of satisfaction & mood in general. Working full-time for 40 hrs a week and as the weeks dragged on and on and with no respite, I knew I was exhausted and suffering from burnout. I kept on working -, even though I was becoming fed up and irritable; a holiday to me is not sitting at home in London anyway for several days, weeks on end; it is a vacation, a means to get away from the country, from working life, from work, not having anything to do with my daily job. Though in a pandemic, one is having to contemplate as to whether to rest completely and remain at home during my time off or to make the most of that time off - even at the risk of Coronavirus.
I work for the money and to go on holiday and travel to other places in the world. Before Wed of 15th November (2021), I hadn't taken any time off since June 1st this year - and all I did during that one week was staying at home. Whilst in Spain, I did some soul-searching and saw that what I did was just a job, and yet I am and we are all entitled to have a life outside of work. That the people who do matter to me are those closest to me, relationship-wise, and the rest, are well, how do I put it, secondary.
Coming back from holiday I feel energized, refreshed, mentally healthier, and even more determined to go on holiday, as my dedication and focus on work and the Coronavirus pandemic made me realise how much I missed international travel. Looking back, it was a) the best decision I made, b) it is one I do not have any regrets, whatsoever, and c) with that, it has made me love, enjoy and respect my current job role more than ever.
I want to do it again in 2022 and beyond, and that hasn't and will never change.
Travelling with my sister and her husband during Covid has made me realise how vital and important personal relationships are to me, and that family comes first. We work for the money, to go on holiday and take our vacations, to travel - we don't work to make friends with people at work. It is a mantra that I live by, - and one that will never change for me.
That we work to live - we aren't supposed to live to work. For the sake of your mental health, realise that you have a life outside of work, and recognise that taking time off is necessary for your well-being.
