Valencia, City of Strength

 Valencia

The city of Valencia is over 2000 years old and the third largest community in Spain. It was definitely a planned city with a Parisian influence in development and architecture. The city has large boulevards with gardens running through the city accommodating cars, bikes and walkers. 

Starting from the sea with one of the largest ports in Europe, and moving to the city of arts and sciences on to old town with gothic architecture and history with museums and art galleries out to the end of the city bursting with agriculture, Valencia has successfully mixed the past, present and future.

It is easy to see why Valencia is Latin for “strength” or “valor.”

Valencia port, marina, beaches

The Valencia port is the busiest on the Mediterranean Sea outlined with beautiful brown sand beaches.

City of Arts and Sciences

Turia garden walkway

City sculptures line the parkways

Palace de Musica

The city has a massive public transport system with buses and a Metro. I walked from my hotel to the marina and then took a bus down the Paseo de La Alameda to the Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencias (City of arts and Sciences) which is the most modern architectural part of the city. 

City of Arts and Sciences buildings

Bridge to City of A&S

Old Town

Train station

Rialto Theater next to the Mercantile

Old town square starts with the train station and moves toward the Cathedral (what European city wouldn't have one) with streets lined with restaurants and shops.

Cathedral front

Cathedral side view

Plaza de La Virgen (not Virgin)

Behind the Cathedral is the Plaza de La Virgen completed with a chapel and courtyard area where I happened to see a cultural dance troupe while I was sitting outside enjoying a lunch of paella valenciana.

From there it was a short walk to the Torres de Serranos (Serranos Towers). One of the twelve gates that formed part of the ancient city wall.

IVAM

Near the Torres de Serranos is Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno (IVAM), the modern and contemporary art museum of the Valencia community. All museums in the city are free and there are several sprinkled throughout the city as Valencia has a large and rich art community.

On display is Julio González famous Barcelona artist in the 30’s and 40’s which at the time, artists were seen as tyrants. He is credited with saying, “Why demand everything of the artist?” His answer, “Whether the public understands it or not, the artist does not have to give an inch.”

Julio González self portrait

In other news...

It has been raining pretty steadily every day for the last couple of weeks and I have to say it is waring on me a bit. I have about a week and half left and honestly I am looking forward to my next adventure. I have one more post on Braga and Guimarães

but thought I might take a trip to Braga again first so hopefully will have that one up before I leave Portugal on 30 November.