We hopped out of bed this morning and got ready to meet at the Benimaclet metro station for 11:10am for a trip out to El Saler and Albufera! We all met with Vero at Benimaclet and went to the bus stop where we caught the bus out to El Saler. We made sure to load up on sun cream so we wouldn’t burn to a crisp!
We hired bikes in El Saler and cycled out to the beach. To get to the beach we had to cycle for about 45 minutes but it was worth it!
The sea was calm and warm. We parked the bikes up and hit the sand. we spent about 15 minutes there but then had to cycle back to the bike shop to return the bikes. It was so hot that we all dried off in no time on the bikes. We returned the bikes and sat down to have lunch in a small park. I ate my lunch provided by my host family and then bought an ice cream in the bar. I had to eat it really fast because it was melting so quickly! We caught the bus out to the Albufera lake where we got on a boat with a tour guide who knows the lake, and we sailed around the lake. He explained all about the different types of animals living in the lake and about how the lake is used to grow large amounts of rice! In the past, it was much bigger but due to the amount of rice being grown, it has gotten smaller over time. This rice then goes to Valencia to be sold and used in the cooking of ‘Arroz al Horno’ and ‘Paella’ – popular dishes traditionally made here in Valencia! Another interesting fact we learned was that it is fresh water and they try to keep it from mixing with the salty sea water but they had a system in place to allow for the overflow of water if necessary. From the boat, we could see back towards Valencia city and were able to spot the City of Arts and Science! The boat trip was very relaxing and interesting. The girls used it as an opportunity to do some sunbathing as well! We docked back up and disembarked the boat.
After, we headed back out to the beach to finish up the day. We got to spend more time at the beach and had time to enjoy the sun and the view. We then walked back to the bus stop where we made our way back into Valencia. We headed home to pack our maletas (suitcases) and to have one last meal with our host families.
Friday 21st July #LaClaseFinal