Day 2 and 3 have come and gone here in Valencia and they can be defined by one word- BEACH!!! I’m sure some people would be up in arms at my missing out on cultural attractions and historical landmarks but aside from seeing my sister the reason I came on this vacation is to go to the beach. (Today we should be getting more of those cultural attractions). It’s also been so hot that all I really want to do is be at the beach.
Day 2 we went to a beach called Pinedo Beach. It is close to where I went on day 1 but a little more crowded. I’d like to find that beach from the first day because I think it was still the nicest I have been to yet.
This time Anna and Steve were able to join me at the beach and we had a great time together. These beaches are different than what you get in Hawaii- more of a commercial feel but it is still beautiful and tons of fun!
When we got home Anna made Italian food, we talked and then crashed! I still haven’t adjusted to the time zone change yet and have fallen asleep very early each night I’ve been here. That’s probably why it is 6 am and I am writing this post right now. I am also finding it a bit hard to sleep with the heat. It’s just tough to deal with being hot all the time.
I have started to get more sun despite my best attempts. I think it just goes with the territory when you are the beach a lot. Everyone gets a little pink.
The next day was Sunday so I went to church on my own. That was an interesting experience attending sacrament meeting without understanding a single word that was spoken.
Then I ducked into some little shops which was really fun to interact with the local Spanish people. So far I haven’t had any real Spanish food yet but everything I’ve had has been delicious. There is a pastry shop close to my sisters that was a lot of fun to try the various treats.
We were all so overheated we decided to go to the beach again but this time went to Playa de la Patacoma. This is a very crowded beach but it had nice big waves that were very fun to play with.
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I almost wished I’d had a surfboard but it was fun to use my safe swimmer and ride the waves a little bit. I think you can see in these videos how strong the waves were. It was great!
We were all pretty tired out from the strong waves and 3 days of sun but it was still a wonderful time.
After the beach I started to notice I had been bitten by something in the ocean. This of course concerned me especially with how purple it appeared. I didn’t want it to have some kind of venom that would really hurt me.
But Anna and I went to a pharmacy and got some gel with antihistamine and pain relief qualities. It has already helped a lot.
Between the bite and having more than a little bit of redness from the sun we may not do a beach day today. I think it is good to give your body one day to heal and then be ready for the next day! Like I said we are going to the market today and that should be very fun.
I hope you all have a Happy 4th of July holiday and we will be celebrating America one way or another here in Spain!
Rachel's Musings 
Keep a close eye on that bite or sting, for signs of infection. Forty years ago (my, how time flies), when I lived in Spain for 3 months, going to the beach meant taking your life in your hands. The sand was full of glass shards and other hazardous waste, and large pipes openly discharged filth into the sea. There was no such thing as a Blue Flag beach (the Blue Flag program didn’t start until the late 1980s). Even now, only about half of the beaches have earned a flag, and the same ocean laps all of them, flagged or not, so take care.
Of course, even in our country we aren’t completely safe. I remember reading a CDC bulletin about a foreign refugee who visited an American water park, and Guinea worms came out of her legs into the water (that’s how those critters reproduce and find new hosts). And in Florida (where I lived for four years in the 90s), red tide is a hazard, not only to sea life, but also strong winds from the ocean carry the algae inland and cause respiratory problems.
But despite the risks, travel provides personal enrichment, and were I in any condition to do so, I’d still be globetrotting. 🙂
Good points. I’m definitely keeping an eye on it. It has gone way down with the gel so hopefully will be ok. You’re right. The beach for me at least is worth the risk. 🙂