New Zealander travels in Valencia and Barcelona: Tips for NYE

Strolling in Valencia on New Years Eve // Wearing H&M top, Karen Walker sunglasses, Vero Moda jeans, Nike sneakers, Urban Outfitters purse

Take me back to eating white asparagus tapas at a bar in Valencia

Look up and you might see clay hands in Valencia

Drinking, jumping, singing to REM // Wearing Karen Walker blouse and necklace, Cheap Monday dress

Paying to see cats at El Botanico Valencia

Diary entry from: 6th January 2014

Well the holidays are over but it doesn't mean I can't still think about it.

The next stop for us on our Christmas/New Years trip was Valencia and once we arrived there, we checked into our room at Hotel Jardín Botánico and then spent the night trying to find somewhere eat.

Note for anyone going to Valencia for New Years Eve. NYE sucks in Valencia - all the restaurants are closed [well the majority of them were closed and for vegans it was impossible!], everyone was eating with their families in their apartments upstairs - their laughter was falling down onto our poor souls and the fireworks in the town centre were pathetic although the tradition of eating grapes for every chime on the hour rules. Learning more about the fireworks it's actually celebrated for the noise to scare of the dead.. or something like that.

For the next day we bussed to the beach, ate at a flash vegetarian restaurant that I won't care to name, used cardboard fabric rolls as cricket bats and sidewalk oranges as balls.. just your raucous New Zealanders in another country.

We were totally hungover the next day on the train to Barcelona. On arrival we had a beer at Venus a cute little cafe in the Gothic area of town, arrived at Hotel Nitz BCN and went exploring (oh in Valencia we also danced on the hotel bed to R.E.M).

Back in Barcelona we found the beach, had a beer at LiliPep, another beer at Bar Jadi then onto the best veggie restaurant called Juicy Jones - I had the seitan steak and it was the best!

Feeling drunk we touched the gold cats whiskers in La Rambla [I will not show these photos as they are drunkenly terrible], and got another beer at Bootleg with olives. Bootleg was very friendly and definitely had our vibe.

We went up to Park Güell to watch people pay money to sit on the famous mosaic seats. On the walk down to La Sagrada Família we found Soy Cappuccino Milk, for anyone who hasn't spoken to me since the trip - it was probably the highlight! We took back three bottles of it, have since run out and can't find it in the supermarkets over here although it's meant to be stocked in Tesco.

Creeping on dogs we patted our way down to the Arc de Triomf then onto the beach to be harassed by people selling drugs, beer and of all things; massages.

We sat on the pier with a beer (from the harassers) and waited for the sun to set across the city and the beach.

For dinner we assumed that Cat Bar would have a cat so we went there but in fact there was no cat but a french bulldog to greet us. Wouldn't recommend going there for the food though - Juicy Jones for the win!

Barcelona Day Two: wandering, seeing dogs trying to have sex together and full of transport back to Edinburgh.

Lisbon was the best spot of our Christmas/NYE travels. Looking ahead Amsterdam and Rotterdam is the next planned trip overseas but think that we're going away up North with friends in a couple of weekends time....