Once upon a time…
Once upon a time, during a dark time of age, they called ‘February 2017’ there lived two girls. One writing a dissertation and the other had just been made redundant…actually, maybe that was after this story? Anyway, they were best of friends, the oldest of friends. Friends that desperately needed to escape the dark depressive cloud that seemed to hit the Kingdom and its people post Christmas. Escape to a new Kingdom, a more Mediterranean kingdom, one with sangria. Like birds in winter, they flew south to the magical kingdom of Valencia.
Enough of the third person, this is no fairytale or fable. In fact, this is a love letter of sorts. No great lesson to be learned or story to be told, just a proclamation of love for the place that inspired my ongoing romance with travel. Also, the point when I realised, I had to live abroad after university, if only for a little while.
Describing Valencia
When people think of Spanish cities, their minds immediately wander to cosmopolitan places such as Madrid and Barcelona. As much as I also love Barcelona, having been many times, my true love lies with the charming city of Valencia. Unassuming and understated. A juxtaposition of pristine pink architecture and gritty wall paint. And, for us only a cheap £60 return flight away.
The reason Valencia stuck in my mind more so than any other city I’d visited, was because of how photogenic it was. A photographers dream; the way the winter light glows at all times of day, the mix of warm and cold colours, the architecture, the street art and the abundance of nature. As mentioned before, I’ve never seen so many citrus trees in one place, they lined every street.
Arriving
When we arrived in Valencia (still hazy from the previous night of partying) we were instantly set into a terracotta trance of rustic houses on deserted streets adorned with oranges and lemons. February was low season, which meant no tourists. Just peace and friendly locals gathering at cafes drinking coffee. It was exactly what I’d hoped for and more. My urge to get out and explore the golden lit streets overcame the sore head and fatigue I had from 2 hours of sleep. We sipped on black coffee, shared a lemon pie, chatted with the kind cafe owner in broken Spanish and checked into our Airbnb as fast as we could.
La Casa
If you have ever spoken to me about travel, you will know how much I rave about Airbnb.com. I find hotels overpriced and hostels too claustrophobic. Airbnb’s have character and give you the independence and freedom to do as you please. Wherever I lay my hat is my home, and that’s how I like to travel. I want to feel part of the place, I want to be an imposter, to blend in.
Our apartment was situated down a quiet street, with an overlooking balcony intended for balmy nights of red wine and long talks. What struck me most about the area was the crackled paint on the outside walls. I appreciate clean lines and precision in design but there is something more interesting in the idea of ‘decaying beauty’. The Japanese call it ‘Wabi Sabi’ and I think, that sums up my overall attitude to design. (Chaos, but pretty).
Living in a Pantone dream
Most days we spent hopping from cafe to cafe sipping coffee by day and Sangria by night, eating paella and tapas. With my 3 cameras at the ready (film, digital and iPhone for the Gram), I couldn’t help but become an unstoppable force of nature when it came to taking photos. Every corner something new would catch my eye.
I would never claim to be a photographer, it’s a pure hobby, but I am obsessed with taking photos – finding the best light, angle, and subject. Walls are perhaps my favourite thing to photograph. A strange choice but I love the weathered shades and unpredictable patterns caused by erosion or graffiti. I think this wall fetish comes from all the Dulux paint strips I used to collect from B&Q when I was younger.
‘Art capital’
Valencia is known as Spain’s art capital, wherever you look there is an expression of art to be found. Street art is huge. Being from Bristol, a UK city that in my opinion is the best UK city for street art…and no, I’m not referring to just Banksy, although we have him too.
I was amazed at the variety and unique style Valencia had to offer for murals. My favourite wall, although not typically graffiti art but still street art was the tapestry wall of roses. Presented delicately on nearly invisible mesh.
IVAM
When it came to art galleries, I let my friend decide the best ones to visit. The gallery that stood out to me the most was the IVAM. Its exhibitions at that time were extremely emotive and dealt with very sensitive issues including HIV, Homelessness and the connotations of masculinity versus femininity. Each exhibition was completely individual and used different medias but they flowed and complimented each other.
This is what I look for in an enjoyable art gallery, fluidity. Art is supposed to make you feel something. Anything, disgust, love, sadness and joy, anything counts. Alongside this, if a galleries installation team can enhance that, add context, it makes the exhibition more worthwhile. It’s the same as a cinematic movie, such as ‘Dunkirk’. If you watch it on a small tablet it’s not going to bring out the same emotions that it would in a cinema setting.
My favourite artist during this exhibition was a Spanish artist called Pepe Espaliu, who succumbed to Aids and passed away in 1993. His work was very much focused on the stigma and isolation of people suffering from HIV and the internal struggle we all have as humans feeling caged in our own bodies.
I know some people will look at the below photos and think it’s art gone mad, but it’s the thought process behind it. The fact that someone, no matter how abstract it may be, had connected the body to that of a birdcage and had the nerve to present it to the public as an expression of themselves says a lot. This all sounds very pretentious, I can hear myself and can feel the paranoia of judgement creeping in, but I don’t care. I love his work! And I love contemporary art.
Yours truly…
Valencia will always hold a special place in my heart as the stepping stone that started an independent journey., that’s lasted 2 years so far. One that I hope will come fall circle and ill return. Part of me wanted to keep it for myself, but I couldn’t help but share my experiences. I’ve also bored my friends to death by recommending it as a travel destination. So needed to get this out my system. If you travel to Spain, it is definitely worth stopping by!
As with all love letters, this is not the end, just unfinished business.
T’estimo, gràcies. x
