Valencia's 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.

Before my visit to this sandy spectacle, I had only seen the Mediterranean Sea in Albufera, an expansive nature preserve outside the city. That is by no means a negative observation. The beach there was tranquil, freighters idled in the bay and it reminded me of the Great Lakes.

Valencia’s beach is exactly what you imagine when you think of Spanish beaches: white sand, sparkling Mediterranean and topless sunbathers. When I visited it was far too chilly to swim, or even really lay out, but there were some brave kids who bit the bullet and swam, naked.

I’ve only been to Valencia’s beach once, but believe me, now that I’ve discovered this gem, that won’t be the last time. My Valencian family tells me the water won’t be warm enough for swimming until June, but they’ve never swum in Lake Michigan – I’ll be taking a dip before this trip is over.

But before I return, I’m spending the weekend in Paris, which still baffles me. Oh, just a weekend in Paris, no big deal. I don’t know any French so it’ll be like Germany all over again in terms of the language barrier, but with crepes and cheese and of course many other enchanting marvels – adieu.