Location: Valencia, Spain
September 28th – From Barcelona to Valencia
Good day. September 28th. Adriana was the person that helped me at the place where I stayed. She was from Colombia about 26 years ago, and we were able to have a good conversation even though it was in Spanish and my Spanish is a little rusty. But we made it happen.
In the morning on the 28th, which happened to be a Sunday, I was able to get a coffee at the hotel and grab something else on the way. One of my objectives was to get fueled up since I had timed it so that I didn’t have to buy any diesel in France. The primary reason for that is the wide fluctuation in prices between gas stations in the countryside versus those near the freeway. The difference can be extreme — sometimes €0.30, €0.40, even €0.50 per liter. With two 90-liter tanks, that adds up quickly, so it’s worth paying attention.
In Spain, however, prices are more consistent, usually around €1.50 to €1.60 per liter. It made more sense to fill up there. From there, I continued south and made it to Barcelona after trying to stop for gas in Historico, a neat little town. Since it was Sunday, their gas station wasn’t operating, so I had to refuel along the freeway anyway — no big deal.
I made a point to drive through Barcelona since I don’t think I’d been there before, just to get a taste of it. It was nice to go through, following the coast — not right along it, but close enough to occasionally see the sea and the beach towns known for sun-seeking travelers.
Arrival Near Valencia
By evening, I was getting close to Valencia, where I had two planned stops. The first was this Sunday, and it turned out to be a really neat experience. I stayed at a place recommended by someone I know, hosted by Antoine and Stefan — a friendly Dutch couple who have been in Spain for about six years. They run a small bed and breakfast-type place about 40 kilometers outside Valencia, though not officially a B&B.
When the floods hit around Valencia a year ago, they were right at the starting point. The hillside behind their property collected so much water that it washed out a retaining wall and turned their driveway into a river. They were lucky the water had somewhere to go and didn’t enter their home, unlike many of their neighbors who suffered severe damage.
That night we sat around, spoke some Dutch, and shared stories. It was a great evening in beautiful weather — no rain, just calm and good company. Thanks again to them for hosting me. That’s it for this Sunday. Thanks for coming along on the journey.
