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Tiger Beer · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 778 Location: Hong Kong

Valencia seems quite overlooked.. why is that? Anyone have much experience or time spent in this city or vicinity?

I'll be living near that city for something non-teaching related for awhile.. however I wouldn't mind picking up some parttime work.. or just moreso getting a general feeling for the city by any others who've been there (even if just passing through).. any impressions you have would be appreciated..

Mouse · Joined: 24 Dec 2003 Posts: 208

I never got there, myself (disgraceful I know), but the feedback I had from friends who went there was that it wasn't bad and wasn't great; a bit hotter than where we were living, but too quiet for them. Having said that, this impression was based on a visit of a day and a half, and therefore slightly suspect as to its accuracy.

My guess is that the problem with Valencia not getting much press is simply a case of a smaller city (is it a city?) near bigger more famous places. Happens everywhere and doesn't mean that there's nothin there (take my country, for example -- next to England, Ireland and Scotland, so many people don't even know we're here).

Tiger Beer · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 778 Location: Hong Kong

Strangely Valencia has its own Lonely Planet title.

Generally though, if I was just visiting as a tourist to Spain.. Andulasia, Barcelona, Madrid would definetely be the places to be..

Thanks for the feedback Mouse.. we can keep the forum alive! Wink

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

I really liked Valencia and the surrounding towns. The beaches are pretty too. It's not a party place, but enjoyable.

Mouse · Joined: 24 Dec 2003 Posts: 208

Uh... I don't know about keeping the forum alive, Tiger Beer... maybe bring it back from the dead? Shocked

Tiger Beer · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 778 Location: Hong Kong

avahanian · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 123

Tiger Beer · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 778 Location: Hong Kong

Yeah, thats the impression I have.. Valencia is seriously overshadowed by Madrid & Barcelona.

I ran into a friend who'd been both to Barcelona and Valencia. He said he loved Valencia because he got to know the Local people better. He was saying Barcelona was beautiful, but very international and so much tourism and such.

My experiences are that visiting touristic cities are great.. but living in popular touristic cities isn't so good - another foreigner isn't anything special combined with high costs for everything. So I'm hoping Valencia will be a great place for living.

We'll see upon arrival.. Wink

avahanian · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 123

Munchen · Joined: 29 Apr 2003 Posts: 76

Just came across this post today. If you are interested in getting a taste of Valencia, go to a site called virtourist.com and there is one for a little virtual tour of Valencia. In fact, it even shows the building where I was an EFL instructor back in the '70s, the building shown with the Cervantes memorial statue. It was the site of the Centro de Estudios Norteamericanos at the time, which is now at a different site.
No, Valencia is not quite the grandeur of Barcelona or Madrid but it has a character of its own and all of us enjoyed our experience there.

Also it was great to experience the annual Fallas festival in March, not to be missed. I was fortunate enough to have been there for it two years in a row. In addition to teaching, I was able to attend the Hispanic Studies program for foreigners in which it was easy to matriculate and have the same excellent faculty that the Spanish students had. All for US $50 per year!! Imagine an education costing that in the USA!!

This was, I might add, still during the Franco regime and pre-EU era.
I think I mentioned in another post, the more things change, the more they stay the same. There is probably much that hasn't changed. So my two bits, go if you can find work and are happy with a more laid back lifestyle than Madried or Barcelona.