Oftentimes places just strike a chord at minute one with me and I feel immediately at ease there. I have written previously about my comfort level in the U.K. and also just recently put up my first bit of “travel fiction” detailing my feelings for a little town in Croatia. Plus, I will be writing a lot more about Costa Brava, essentially my second home this year.
But after all the bluster and activity and socializing of the TBEX travel blogging conference a few weeks ago, I just wanted to go off on my own and recharge my batteries. At heart, I am a very solitary creature and the way that I recharge is being alone. Reading, watching television and movies on my computer, a few beers and a cigar by myself at a local cafe, working.
But in the end, I just need time totally away from people.
No, Barcelona isn’t this scary. On the other hand, me with Instagram filters and apps can be…
I also wanted to check out a new city, instead of sticking to the tried and true. So from Barcelona, I bopped on a train down to Valencia. I was looking for a place on the coast where I could just get some good work done for a few weeks, before I get back on the road later this month.
Valencia just didn’t work for me. Nothing wrong with the city — don’t get me wrong. Its a perfectly nice city. While on the coast, the old part of town is quite far from the water though. And when I took a bus down there, it was basically just a big port area without any places to sit, have a drink and smoke a cigar.
Yes, I was simply in one of those moods. Make fun as you wish, I shall love you anyway.
Interesting note on Valencia that I’d totally forgot. They hosted the 2007 America’s Cup race, which I personally think was the most interesting America’s Cup race ever. Why is that? Well, nothing to do with the actual race; I have no idea who even won until I looked up the results. What was interesting is that the America’s Cup race city is chosen by the team that is defending the Cup. For the longest time, as the US won the race for the first 80 or so years in a row, that mean Newport, Rhode Island. What made Valencia interesting in that regard?
A Swiss team won the Cup in 2003. Switzerland is a land-locked country. Hmmmmmm.
Enter Valencia. The “Swiss host” of the 2007 World’s Cup.
Although Valencia really wasn’t what I needed right now, as I said, there is really nothing wrong with it. It just didn’t strike my personal fancy as a place I would be back to visit multiple times. But I also think I took some fairly reasonable photos there with my new phone… announcement coming soon about that, they promise to lift my gag order on it in the next few weeks!
By the way, if you are on Instagram and want to follow me…. feel free to click on this link and do so. Thanks.
Love me some good street art though
More street art… with a message
from the market…
Been running into lots of weddings lately…
my morning cafe and work location in Valencia
By the way, I did find the town I wanted right after this. Currently, I’m down the coast a couple hours in the much smaller town of Denia. The cafes there are close enough to the water for me to be able to smell the salt. I feel quite at peace here and think I’ll stay for another week or so. I mean…. who couldn’t like a town with this cute little statute, heh?
I love Spain and could easily spend a couple of years there in different parts of the country. Spain reminds me of the US in one respect (and pretty much this only respect) in that it’s different regions are truly different from each other in culture, language, topography. Being in Madrid is very different from being in Seville. Hence you can leave a place like Valencia and even right down the road find a place that is just right.
You’re a great writer. I’ve followed your stuff on Facebook but finally just subscribed by email to your blog. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for following along! I agree about the different parts of Spain being entirely different. You know who else agrees with you on that? The Spanish. Ask them sometimes about the other regions they don’t live in. Wow. Funny conversations.
Travel would be so much easier as an introvert as “scenes of solitude” are frequent and easy to find. As an extrovert, many a great place has been ruined by lack of company to kick it with.
I tend to find places for solitude pretty easily — helps that I look for them a lot though.
I totally agree with you about the need to be alone. I’m just like you in that I find myself happier alone at times than I do with company. Make that most of the time for me. I need that space to express myself to myself and do things like spiritual practices and to just old fashion chill out.
I’ve found that during times of travel though, times by myself were better than those with company and at times took on a near spiritual quality in that I realized to myself who I really was, where I was going in life and what my narrative in life actually is. All these things are healthy and praiseworthy. So I’d encourage you to keep seeking out those times for yourself. They help make you a better, more authentic person and this will show itself in your interactions with other people.
The whole thing about having time alone to figure out what you are all about is a huge part of it for sure. It simply is the best way to contemplate about yourself.
We were in Valencia last summer for a week, and I actually liked it. We stayed in an apartment outside of the touristy area, and it was a great neighborhood, so that helped. I’m with you on the alone time though, I’m an introvert too, and as much as I enjoy being social and meeting people, I really need to have my own space to recharge.