A few weeks ago, Mari-Sol, my host mom, informed me that we were going to take a trip to Valencia. She also informed me that I would be skipping class to come with her. Mari-Sol’s son, daughter-in-law, and two grandkids live in the city of Sagunto, in the province of Valencia (on the east coast of Spain). We left last Thursday morning, so I missed class on Thursday, and we arrived home on Monday just in time for my classes in the afternoon.
On Friday morning Mari-Sol’s daughter-in-law, Nunzia, took us into the city of Sagunto to show us around. My favorite part by FAR was the castle, which was on a mountain overlooking the city. It was built by the Arabic people who once occupied that part of Spain. I spent a long time exploring the castle – the construction was very interesting, and there were beautiful views of the city and the surrounding area from almost every side.
On Friday night I visited the city of Valencia. My friend Lilian, whom I met when she spent a couple weeks in Burgos in September, lives there, so she showed me around the city. It was after dark, and I saw a lot of stuff very quickly, but I was able to spend some quality time talking with her and see most of the city. It was so great to see her again!
One of the things I enjoyed most about the weekend was the chance to be with a FAMILY, a mom and dad and their kids, again. I especially had a great time spending time with Mari-Sol’s grandkids, Melania (15) and Giovanni (7). They were a lot of fun and accepted me right away, even though I had never met them before. Being around a family like that really made me miss mine, and I’m glad I get to see them again in just a few weeks!
