Back from a Great Weekend

This weekend we traveled to Tarragona and Valencia as part of our orientation week. We were only in Tarragona for half a day but I really enjoyed it. It was formerly a Roman town complete with a Circus, Amphitheater, Forum, and Temple. One part of the Roman wall still exists from the BC era. I couldn't help but think of Mom and Dad traveling Italy and Rome and experiencing similar sites but even on a greater scale. I was mesmerized not only by the antiquity of the site and how in Medieval times they constructed a city with narrow streets in the forum area, but by certain spots in the city where ruins just kind of melt into current buildings. For example, we got to go down certain tunnels which connected the city to the circus and saw the ruins of it, but there's literally just apartment buildings built into the remains. It's just crazy! The amphitheater was absolutely beautiful with the Mediterranean as a backdrop. We also paid to go into the Cathedral there which was from the 13th century. The cloister (or courtyard area) had the most fragrant flowers I've ever smelled and the cathedral was amazing. It drove me crazy just imagining how they could possibly have built such a magnificent and complex building in the 13th century (thanks for that trait, Dad). Haha.
Valencia was also a really cool city. It is very urban like Barcelona and supposedly has a couple millions inhabitants. It's very strange, but they are rearranging the city to host the American Cup in a couple years. They are literally moving bridges and streets to make the race track. Valencia had some of the most breath-taking architecture I have EVER seen. There was a whole section called "the City of Arts and Sciences" and was built by Calatrava who is actually building the ugly "Spire" in Chicago. But these buildings were so incredibly unique I could have spent days just looking at them and trying to figure out the design. For example, one of the buildings represents and eye - the glass retracts like an eyelid revealing the pupil which is an IMAX dome in the center. The complex was surrounded by reflecting pools and even the elevator banks were these strange cone-like shapes. On top of the parking garage, he designed a beaaauuutiful terrace and open-air discoteca. Overall it was just stunning.
We got to visit the aquarium in one of these buildings. It was like the Atalantis in the Bahamas where there are glass tunnels you walk through and giantic sharks swimming all around you. We even saw an impressive dolphin show like Sea World.
The town of Valencia has lots of cool Cathedrals and fresh food markets. It allllso has a great night-life. Tons of discotecas which don't open until 12pm or 1am and close at like 6am. The Spaniards love techno music and dance completely different than Americans...so that took some getting used too. Haha.
Anyways...I miss you all very much and hope everything is well at home. Unfortunately I need to get to sleep because classes start in the morning. Love you all.

DD