December in Valencia: Busy Days and Beautiful Moments

As expected, December was quite a busy month. There were many excursions, goodbyes to both usuarios and volunteers, Christmas preparations, almuerzos and lunches, and probably more. 

One activity I sincerely enjoyed was the visit to La Colección BBVA in Valencia. As a day trip, we went by train in a small group to the museum, where there was a temporary exhibition by Sorolla (a famous painter from Valencia). We also took part in a painting workshop together with the usuarios of Tola. Afterwards, we had a short guided tour of the Sorolla paintings, which I had already been planning to see anyway—two birds with one stone.

Aside from this day trip, most activities at the centre revolved around Christmas. There were lots of creative classes to make decorations and postcards, and of course we also set up the Christmas tree.

Outside of the centre, I tried to fully get into the Christmas spirit in my free time as well. I enjoyed a Christmas dinner with other volunteers I met during the On Arrival Training, and I even stumbled upon the Grinch in a random restaurant. I also went to the Palau de la Música in Valencia to watch a dance performance celebrating Christmas. The performance featured Jotas, a traditional Spanish style of folk music and dance, which I really enjoyed.

The final week before Christmas—and before heading back to the Netherlands to celebrate with friends and family—was especially full. It included a farewell party for the other Italian volunteer, an evening of watching Christmas lights in Valencia, and a final Christmas lunch at the centre with all the usuarios and their families.

All in all, December was a busy but extremely enjoyable month, filled with lovely moments and great memories.