Arrival in Valencia

We stood in line at the taxi rank just outside the train station. It was a short journey to our last destination. We’d booked an old-fashioned Spanish-style apartment with a modern interior.

Finding the Apartment

As we arrived and got out of the taxi, I started looking around. After walking two entire laps of the block with no luck, I spotted a lady staying in the same style of apartment as we had booked, and she pointed us in the right direction. It was tucked away down a side street, but when we stepped inside, we had a very pleasant surprise.

There was a little wooden doorway with white steps leading up to the lounge and kitchen. The three huge suitcases stayed at the bottom of the stairs as we ventured up to see what was in store. This was a very quirky Valencia apartment, with the old-fashioned shutters looking over the courtyard and the street. It was a spacious, large lounge / kitchen dining area with modern, up-to-date appliances and a separate bathroom and shower area. The second set of stairs led us to the mezzanine, which was spacious again, with an open glass balcony overlooking the lounge.

We had booked the apartment for four adults. Our girls asked where their beds were. I looked around — there was a large corner settee and a double sofa, but no beds. My heart sank. I had a horrible thought that when I was making the booking, I had put two adults instead of four! Here I was, panicking, looking for extra beds to try and correct my mistake. Can I use the settee?!?… Yes — I can, but it’s not ideal. As I was having a meltdown, my husband rang the owner. I paced around the room, quietly praying a bed would appear. As my husband hung the phone up, he smiled and told me the separate settee could be converted into two beds. Panic over—we were not all sharing the mezzanine.

Discovering the Neighbourhood

We went out to discover our surroundings. We were in such a superb location, on the main street opposite the harbour. It was just a five-minute walk to the beach, and the city was only a ten-minute bus ride away. But for the rest of the first night, the plan was just to have a nice meal and then get settled in for the night.

A Relaxed Morning

My husband and I walked just down the street to a pavement café for breakfast and a coffee the following morning, while waiting for the girls to surface and get ready. We enjoyed the relaxed Spanish atmosphere and laid-back way of life, just watching the world go by.

A Day at the Beach

The girls were finally ready, the sun was shining, so off we headed to the huge, long, and really wide beach. The harbour was on one side, and there was a promenade that ran alongside the beach with restaurants, cafés, shops, and bars. We found an amazing spot right by the sea, with a beach bar right behind us, so we took the opportunity to pay for our sun loungers and parasol right there and then. It was time to relax, enjoy the sun, and take a swim in the sea.

Evening by the Harbour

As it started to get later in the day, it was time to head back, get changed, and find somewhere nice to eat. We walked back past the harbour, taking in some of the beautiful yachts moored up, with the masts swaying in the breeze.

Now the family and I were all dressed up. We headed back out, and at this time the sun was setting. Bright reds and oranges covered the skyline. The trams came shuttling past, dropping people off and taking them to their destinations. We sat at a nice restaurant on the promenade that overlooks the beach. The moon lit up in between the palm trees, and we people-watched for the evening, enjoying good food and an ice-cold sundowner.

A City Adventure

After a great night’s sleep, it was now morning. My youngest daughter and I decided to take the bus into the city of Valencia. We were very excited to take lots of photos and videos. As mentioned earlier, the bus stopped just across the street from our apartment. My husband and eldest daughter opted for another day on the beach to perfect their tans — also because they don’t enjoy having their photo taken. I don’t think they’ll mind missing the photo shoot.

Exploring the City of Valencia

We made it into the town and saw tall palm trees and fountains filling the different squares, while the Venetian historic white buildings surrounded all of the city, standing out against the bright blue sky. We wandered down the cobbled side streets with little stone bridges across. I took a video of my daughter while a violinist was playing his music, as passers-by enjoyed the atmosphere and admired his talent.

A Sunny Break in the City

We now had plenty of photos and decided refreshments were needed. We found that Irish pub in every city — Finnegans of Dublin. We opted for a table outside in the warm sunshine. People were riding past on their bikes or taking photos of this beautiful city. The church bells started to ring and echo around the square. It was lovely to watch the hustle and bustle around us.

It was time to head back and join the other two on the beach. My husband will be wondering where I’ve run off to — or how much I’ve spent.

The Final Night Surprise

As the last night quickly approached, the girls were asking lots of questions about our accommodation for our final night in Valencia. I could tell the suspense was building. I can’t believe we had managed to keep it a secret from them both over the months leading up to our holiday adventure. We were so excited to tell our daughters and celebrate our youngest daughter’s birthday. This unique, fun, and very different accommodation was also not that easy to find! I really had to pull out all the stops on this one.

The Last Day

The next morning our suitcases were packed and ready to go. We could walk to our final accommodation, pushing our huge suitcases along the pavements to our final stop. It didn’t help, though, as it had started to rain — just our luck on the final day of the trip.

Looking back on our trip so far, we have stayed in a modern hotel in Madrid, a very old hotel in Cuenca, and a modern apartment with an old Spanish twist to it in Valencia.

What else could you think of to make this last stop so very different? To find out, you really do not want to miss my next blog. It’s time to reveal this fabulous, quirky, and stunning idea. Don’t forget to subscribe and follow for the next instalment.