Finding your balance as a valence electron at Valencia

Yeah, I know the title's pedantic, but allow me to justify its relevance. Valence electrons in an atom are those that are free to form bonds with other atoms (resulting in molecules). And, here I was, for all that I could see, the only Indian in Valencia, out to mix with the Spanish junta, probably to create cultural ties. You may snigger at my highhandedness, but that's what tourists do - we leave behind a little bit of our culture and take away a bit of theirs - simplistically speaking, creating cultural ties!

Anyway, continuing from my earlier post, I arrived at Valencia Nord amidst all the darkness that 5 o'clock of an August morning can muster. Thankfully, it's a city large enough to have people mulling around even at that time. So, I started rummaging my suitcase, pretending to be busy, giving anyone who cared to notice the impression that I was in the station only until my train arrived, and would be off in a jiffy. In other words - no mucking around possible - beware! (Sigh, the precautions women have to take...)

But I'd three hours to myself, because you see, the Left Luggage opened only at 8 o'clock. Hmmm... So, I had breakfast. Petulantly, because the guy who came in after I did was served first. And the lady at the counter conveniently assumed I was "with him" and didn't bother to ask me what I wanted. After 5 minutes of banging my fist on the counter I succeeded in making my presence as a customer felt "separate" from the Spanish guy. I had tea and a funny spinach-filled samosa.

I washed up wondering why there are no shower rooms in railway stations (I mean, there was one in Kolkata!) and commenced my hunt for a plug point to charge my mobile phone. The lady at a croissant shop pointed to one. Did you know the mains in Spain are for public consumption, and you're not stealing electricity if you plug your gadget in one? So, I bought a croissant from her, heaved a sigh of relief and sat down with my Lonely Planet in the hope of charting out the day's potential adventures - a mighty boring task, I should say. I didn't get much out of the book and decided to have a second breakfast - the aforementioned croissant.

I then lapped up the remaining few pages of my Agatha Christie, when a stream of people started trickling into the station - hard-working office goers. I must confess the last thought in my head was of office. And right now, when I'm typing this, I'm relieved it was so. At last it was 8, my phone was charged, I deposited my suitcase and set out to explore the city. I find the Tourist Information opened at 9. What do I do but have another breakfast - vegetable sandwich and tea. I don't know why Europe's so big on asparagus (I shudder each time I think of the asparagus in Luxembourg, which I had to deal with using a knife and fork. What the devil is one supposed to spear the fork into, if the dratted thing simply tears apart soon as it's touched?) as the sandwich had generous helpings of the vegetable, but that's the fate of the vegetarian traveller.

You can find out more on the sights in Valencia from my photo album. I'm only keen on telling you how I came to have two lunches. There's this baguette place where a cute guy offered to custom-make a vegetarian jacket potato (Yes Shilpa, jacket potatoes once again!) for me. I was thrilled to bits. And floored when I tasted the first morsel - it was that good. I gulped it down along with freshly squeezed orange juice and was happy as a child given a brightly-coloured balloon. I went out with a smile on my lips but something told me to go back there and have some more. Not that I was very hungry mind you, it had just tasted that great.

What do I do but go and ask for a jacket potato with some OTHER stuffing, "with aubergines this time, please." When my second lunch came, it had aubergines in it all right, but with asparagus not far behind. My life reeled in front of my eyes as I choked on the serpent. I realised I'd not given the hotel address to my family. Who was I kidding - I was not staying at a hotel in Valencia! There was no way anyone would know should I pass on in Valencia!! With supreme willpower, I swallowed the slimy monster and resolved never to have 3 breakfasts and 2 lunches again. And certainly have nothing more to do with asp(aragus).