Valencia & Oceanogràfico

Back to big city mode for the rest of our trip.  We left the Costa Blanca, and drove for about an hour to Valencia, our home for the next two nights. The road choices gave us the option to go through some of the smaller tons on the way, or do straight highway, and I chose the small town route, as you never know what you'll find.  As we drove, Sue started noticing one, then two, then three provocatively dressed women along the highway in lawn chairs.  We saw perhaps twelve overall. The kids thought it was hilarious.  We never did figure out the raison d'etre for this spectacle, but I assume it was subtle advertising for a dance club nearby.

After checking into our hotel, and returning the rent-a-car, we set out to explore Valencia, and its City of Art and Sciences. Valencia used to have a river running through it, but it was diverted many years ago, and now the dry riverbed is a 5 mule long park that meanders through the town.  On one part are five buildings, exquisitely architected, including the famous Oceanogràfic (Aquarium), which we decided to visit.

The Oceanogràfic was an amazing aquarium, rivaling the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. Some of the highlights were a massive shark tank with a tube you walked under, and  separate building with two Beluga whales and a pair of walruses.  I saw a sunfish for the first time too. The kids were psyched.

 

Swimming with Sharks

 
The alien-looking sunfish

The ever-curious Beluga

After fully exploring the aquarium, we returned to the hotel to recharge before dinner.  The night features the Champions League Championship game between Bayern Munich and Chelsea, so we settled into a tapas bar across the street to enjoy the game, sitting next to a couple of Brit Chelsea fans.  Bryce, feeling his German roots, was rooting for Munich.  It was actually a really exciting game, with occasional screaming at the TV - mostly by the Brits.  Chelsea made an improbable victory, scoring to tie the game in the 88th minute, and then blocking a penalty kick in the overtime before winning on penalty kicks.  It was cool to see the kids get a flavor for European soccer, and Sue even enjoyed the game.