Valencia Day 17: Adios Valencia

Today is our last day in Valencia. The week has flown by. On our last day, we were joined by Dr. Cesar Ángeles, a practicing physician who happens to originally be from the state of Florida. Dr. Angeles showed us around the private clinic he started in the 90’s. His clinic looks very much like something you would find in the United States. Much more modern looking than the clinic we’ve seen thus far.

 Interestingly, Dr. Angeles teaches classes on healthcare and food and nutrition. Today we heard a bit about the Mediterranean diet and how the style of eating came to be in this region. It’s more complicated than he might think with cultural, religious, climate, and terrain related contributors. However, it came to be, the research is pretty clear that populations who regularly follow a Mediterranean diet, tend to be healthier and live longer lives.

We’ve been fortunate enough to experience many versions of the Mediterranean diet while here in Spain. My lunch today was a perfect example. For the menu del dia, I ordered a mixed salad to start followed by grilled hike for my entree. This of course was accompanied by bread, olives, and olive oil. It was warm so I ordered a Tinto de Verano (red wine and lemon soda on ice) which is common in Valencia. 

It’s pretty easy to eat healthy when this is the standard.

After lunch, I want to experiment with some of the public transit options in the city. Valencia, you have an option of taking the metro, the bus, the tram, a taxi, or using the city wide bike share. I wanted to test my skill with the bike share so I hopped on a steel horse and headed back to the residence hall. In Valencia, this is an incredible option. To sign up, it’s 30 Euro for the year. Then for each hour you ride, you are charged 1 Euro. The great thing about Valencia is, they have designed their streets specifically with biking in mind. Major roads have a combination of sidewalks, bike lanes, a row for parking, several lanes for cars and buses, and a section for the tram. There is something for everyone!

Bike lanes are completely separate from car lanes which makes for an enjoyable ride. 

Just check a bike out from a station and return it to another station near your destination. Plus the bikes have baskets!

This evening we had our farewell dinner. We called it family dinner because for some reason, that’s how it felt. Without discussing it, most everyone dressed up for the occasion, even though the restaurant was not fancy by any standard. We sat along table and enjoyed each other’s conversation. A far different experience than the first time we shared a meal, which was painfully quiet and awkward. There is now an undeniable bond that has developed between these students. And for me, I’ve never felt closer to a group of students. 

Tomorrow, we take the train back to Madrid, where most of these students will grab a flight back to the States. I’ll be reflecting on this experience and will try to sum things up in one final post. (Oooh, that’s a good teaser for a finale!) Stay tuned…