My Life in Valencia

Spring has finally arrived here in Valencia and it already feels like summer! April was full of rain which everyone says is unusual. So far May has been sunny and hot and hotter than usual as well. Regardless, I am enjoying being outdoors as much as possible. One of my favorite things to do in the city is simply walk around (which I do a lot) and one of the best places to do it is the Turia Park. For those who are used to city parks such as Central Park and the Boston Commons, you might think it’s just another city park. But on the contrary. As much as I love Central Park and the Boston Common I have never seen such an amazing landmark that is truly the heart of a city. One can’t get to know Valencia without getting to know the park so I thought I would give you a little tour. See this interactive map.

The Turia park is one of the largest urban parks in all of Spain. Before the Turia was a park, it used to be a river. In 1957 there was a horrible flood. As a result, the city decided to reroute the river and debated between turning the Turia into a superhighway or a green park. Luckily the latter was the end result and today the Turia is a 9 kilometer/5.5 mile park with 18 bridges running through the center of the city down to the Mediterranean sea. In the park there is a biopark zoo (which I haven’t visited yet), the largest jungle gym I’ve ever seen (Guilver park), and the City of Arts and Sciences among a lot of other wonderful attractions. The park was designed by several different architects giving each section of the park its own personality. The area of the City of Arts and Sciences is very modern/space age looking while the Palau de la Música has more of a gothic/Romanesque feel with more classical architecture. The bridges too each are unique from the Puente de Serranos (near where I am currently living), to the Puente de las Flores (a bridge of nothing but geraniums) or the Puente de la Exhibición which is a modern/contemporary bridge resembling more of the architecture of the City of Arts and Sciences.

It’s hard to imagine what life would have been like if the Turia had been turned into a highway because the Turia Park today is the heart of the city. Like Valencia itself, the Turia really has something for everyone. From manicured gardens, to open grassy areas with places to picnic to soccer fields and exercise areas and well-kept bike paths-it really has it all. On any given day the park is filled with people commuting to and from work, getting their daily exercise in or meeting up with friends for a picnic. You can almost always find a shady place to sit to read a book, take a nap or hangout with friends….which in this heat is a must! I love walking around on a weekend and seeing people having birthday parties in the park, lying in a hammock under a shady tree or learning how to salsa dance at the Palau de la Música.

However so far, my very favorite activity has been Yoga in the Park with Jennison. Many of you know I’ve been a committed yogi for a while and always love my weekend Yoga so I was SO excited to find another yoga studio where I could continue practicing. I’ve been doing it for about a month and now it has become my Sunday ritual. I’ve also signed up for Valenbisi-a commuter bike system that you can take to almost anywhere in the city. On Sundays I like to bike down to yoga which is near the City of Arts and Sciences, and then take my time coming back and enjoying meandering through the park on my way home. Here are some of the photos I have taken while walking in the park-although I will admit my photos just don’t do the park justice! I guess you’ll just have to come see for yourselves! 🙂