http://statenews.com Journalism junior and former State News copy editor Lauren Talley is studying Spanish at the University of Virginia at Valencia for the spring 2009 semester. This is her account of life in Spain's third largest city. en-us Gryphon 2.2.3b-tsn (woodward)/Foundry5 Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:26:54 -0400 webmaster@statenews.com http://statenews.com/index.php/blog/spanish_encounters_in_valencia/2009/06/bringing_spain_home Ann Arbor, Mich. — I arrived in the U.S. more than a week ago, but it feels like longer. Coming home was, in a way, just what I needed and, in another way, less shocking that I had expected. Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:26:54 -0400 http://statenews.com/index.php/blog/spanish_encounters_in_valencia/2009/06/bringing_spain_home http://statenews.com/index.php/blog/spanish_encounters_in_valencia/2009/05/a_second_ode_to_barcelona Barcelona, I’m back, and this time it’s different. Sat, 16 May 2009 17:20:43 -0400 http://statenews.com/index.php/blog/spanish_encounters_in_valencia/2009/05/a_second_ode_to_barcelona http://statenews.com/index.php/blog/spanish_encounters_in_valencia/2009/05/spain_provides_plenty_of_finals_week_distractions Preparing for finals is difficult in Spain. I’m without a 24-hour library, midnight screams and the collective stress of 40,000-plus students. Instead, I’m surrounded by the best weather I could ask for, a beach within minutes and a culture that exudes relaxation. Sun, 03 May 2009 16:59:14 -0400 http://statenews.com/index.php/blog/spanish_encounters_in_valencia/2009/05/spain_provides_plenty_of_finals_week_distractions http://statenews.com/index.php/blog/spanish_encounters_in_valencia/2009/04/spring_break_hits_valencia Valencia, Spain — Spring Break por fin! Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:49:54 -0400 http://statenews.com/index.php/blog/spanish_encounters_in_valencia/2009/04/spring_break_hits_valencia http://statenews.com/index.php/blog/spanish_encounters_in_valencia/2009/03/valencias_beaches_beautiful _Valencia, Spain —_Did I mention Valencia is on the Mediterranean coast? Its nearness to the sea causes unpleasant scents of sewage, but Valencia has a beach, and a big beautiful one at that – and it’s only a 20-minute Metro ride from my apartment. Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:32:34 -0400 http://statenews.com/index.php/blog/spanish_encounters_in_valencia/2009/03/valencias_beaches_beautiful http://statenews.com/index.php/blog/spanish_encounters_in_valencia/2009/03/an_ode_to_barcelona Dear Barcelona, You have surprised and disappointed me. I spent less than 24 hours in your wacky wonderland of Gaudi, Las Ramblas and Picasso and only slept three hours in one of your hip hostels in a less than hip part of town. Sun, 22 Mar 2009 20:55:47 -0400 http://statenews.com/index.php/blog/spanish_encounters_in_valencia/2009/03/an_ode_to_barcelona http://statenews.com/index.php/blog/spanish_encounters_in_valencia/2009/03/fallas_celebration_leaves_town_back_to_normal Valencia, Spain – The round-the-clock booms have stopped. The crowds of the drunken and disorderly have gone home, or left town. Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:06:45 -0400 http://statenews.com/index.php/blog/spanish_encounters_in_valencia/2009/03/fallas_celebration_leaves_town_back_to_normal http://statenews.com/index.php/blog/spanish_encounters_in_valencia/2009/03/weekend_trip_to_madrid_hectic Some say everything happens for a reason, and as cliché as it sounds, my weekend in Madrid reaffirmed that statement. Take the journey to Madrid: I almost went to Palma Mallorca this weekend, but decided at the last minute to join a group headed west to Madrid and Segovia. No destination change, no Madrid. Fri, 13 Mar 2009 23:49:21 -0400 http://statenews.com/index.php/blog/spanish_encounters_in_valencia/2009/03/weekend_trip_to_madrid_hectic http://statenews.com/index.php/blog/spanish_encounters_in_valencia/2009/03/midterm_week_ends_at_bloggers_first_ftbol_game Valencia, Spain – Midterms finally ended Thursday and I don’t think I’ve been more drained from an exam week. Maybe it’s the steep decline in caffeine. I have a cup of coffee each morning and the occasional café con leche in the afternoon, but that’s nowhere near the daily four-cup pot I became accustomed to last semester. Sun, 01 Mar 2009 13:07:03 -0500 http://statenews.com/index.php/blog/spanish_encounters_in_valencia/2009/03/midterm_week_ends_at_bloggers_first_ftbol_game http://statenews.com/index.php/blog/spanish_encounters_in_valencia/2009/02/turning_21_different_in_spain_ Valencia, Spain – This weekend I turned 21. For Americans, it’s one of the most celebrated birthdays of our lives. In Europe — where the legal drinking age seems more like a formality than a law — the big 2-1 is about as big as 20 or 22, or any other age after 18. Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:26:08 -0500 http://statenews.com/index.php/blog/spanish_encounters_in_valencia/2009/02/turning_21_different_in_spain_