Before this whole mess that is 2020, back when we could still enjoy the feel of the sun on our faces anywhere other than our back gardens, I told a friend of mine that I was thinking of planning a trip abroad. She immediately (and quite eagerly) mentioned that her boyfriend had been on a roadtrip across Spain last summer. Upon questioning her further, she admitted that she couldn’t remember where, exactly, he had gone. “Why don’t you go and talk to him about it?” She asked, “It might help you decide where to go.” I told her that perhaps I would, if only she would arrange it. She agreed.

It was sometime in the afternoon of the next day that I was able to talk to Ken, wrapped up in coats and scarfs as we were, it didn’t make talking difficult. “So”, he began, “what did you want to know about?” I told him about my plans to travel and asked him if he had any tips or recommendations. “I do have a really good one that’s stuck with me,” he said, a grin on his face, “last summer, me and a few mates flew to Barcelona, though I flew separately to them. I went to Holland first, to visit my brother Felix, I met up with the others in Barcelona afterwards.” As Ken had been speaking, he had been tapping his fingers on his chest- the area right above his heart, as if to play out its beat. All the while, he sat there with an easy smile, seemingly unaware that he was even doing it. “We didn’t stay there long.” He continued, “we took a rental car and drove straight to Valencia.” 

I was curious as to why he chose Valencia in particular and asked him so. His eyes lit up and he gave a pleased laugh, leaning forward slightly. “Because of the Valencian oranges. Valencia is famous for oranges.” Indeed, he was right, Valencia has a reputation of cultivating these fruits. In the summer months, they are known to be the only type left to still remain in season.

After that, we chatted more about his travel plans: where they stayed, what they did. “We had pre booked a room for each city.” Ken told me, nodding, “So we knew where we had to be for the night.” This was wise, I remember thinking, to have a destination set out for each place one would visit. Though this forward planning was no help in the end, Granada was their next stop. So Ken and his friends had to quickly jump in the car once again and drive the five hours down endless motorway, all the while trying not to get a ticket, to make it for their Hostel check in. “This was all in the same day, mind you” Ken admitted with a sheepish laugh, “We didn’t arrive at the Granada Hostel until after midnight.” At my quiet exclamation, he shot me a large grin. “We did manage to see some of the castles the next day though!” 

Now Granada is located in the Southern area of Spain and is primarily known for its stately medieval architecture, which can be traced all the way back to the Moorish occupation – Alhambra in particular. The views, you can imagine, must be spectacular. Well, Ken and his friends managed to arrive in this town a bit after midnight, pulling up outside their hostel for the night. “I say hostel, it was more like a B&B,” he smiled. When asked which city he preferred the most, out of Barcelona, Valencia and Granada, he couldn’t make up his mind. “They’re all amazing places,” he laughed, “Especially for me, since I’d never been to Spain before. It was a great trip for me. One I can always laugh about, you know?”

It seems that this trip would be an excellent choice for any traveller itching to get out there and explore, especially in these particular locations. While I had been chatting to Ken, I was able to picture the heat of the sun, and that bright blue sheen of the ocean. It was a pretty picture. One that I was very keen to see for myself. So now I find myself looking up flights and hostels in Valencia, even though I know it’s unlikely I will actually be able to fly out there, what with the current times. 

A girl can dream though!