Valencia
is the third largest city in Spain and the largest port on the Mediterranean
Western coast. It is a mix of some very modern buildings and beautiful
old architecture. In 1957, Valencia suffered a severe flood by the
Turia River with 16 feet of water in some streets. As a result,
a decision was made to drain and reroute the river and it now passes
around the southwestern suburbs of the city. The drained area was
turned into a picturesque 4 mile park which bisects the city. It
is used for sports, walking, and bicycling. The city has set up
bike posts throughout the city where for a small yearly fee, people
can pick up a bike in one spot and leave it at another.
After a short bus tour of the city, we had a guided walking tour
around the old town area. Our first stop was a huge covered market
with 300 stalls selling fresh produce, meats and cheeses. We then
walked through the old town with stops to admire the architecture
and learn about the notable medieval landmarks located there. Many
of the buildings have elaborate gothic or baroque designs and there
are large open plazas with fountains throughout.
The highlight of our time in Valencia was a visit to the City of
Arts & Sciences. This
is a new, futuristic set of buildings that is the largest leisure
and cultural complex in Europe. A world renowned architect from
Valencia, Santiago Calatrava, produced the buildings. The six massive,
contemporary buildings are located in 2 miles of the old river bed.
They include the Museum of Science and Technology; a covered garden
promenade with spectacular views of the entire complex; the Hemisphere
whose design resembles a human eye and is used for presentations
on a giant screen; the Palace of Arts; a Sports Arena; and the Oceanografic
which is the largest marine park in Europe. We went inside the Oceanografic
which has more than 45,000 samples of 500 specimens of marine life.
It focuses on the marine life of different climate zones around
the world in both indoor and outdoor venues. The aquariums are designed
so you walk through tunnels while sea life swims around you and
overhead. The Arctic building houses two white beluga whales and
three huge walruses (one male and female were trying to mate which
is quite a chore!) There was also a dolphin show, much llike that
seen at Sea World only with 10 dolphins in the pool at once.
Following
our visit to the marine park, we walked around the whole City of
Arts & Sciences. By this time it was dark so the lights were
on and a full moon rose, giving an even more spectacular view of
the complex.
To view more photos from Valencia, please go to Valencia
Photo Gallery. To read about the next location visited, go to
Casablanca, Morocco.
Home
Locations Visited Photos Map
Contact Us
|