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at how relaxed the city was. Valencia has an<br />
almost sleepy quality which is a bonus when<br />
you want to walk at a slow pace and take in its<br />
beauty.<br />
Once I’d freshened up it was time to explore,<br />
so I met up with friends and headed towards<br />
the old town for our bicycle tour. We were met<br />
by our tour guide Veronica who was really fun<br />
and full of information. As she led us through<br />
the cobbled streets of the city she told us tales<br />
of past and present and gave us an insight to<br />
some of the future plans for Valencia. After<br />
admiring the 13th Century cathedral, Veronica<br />
whisked us off again towards the City of Arts<br />
and Science.<br />
As we cycled through the quaint streets we<br />
went by building after building, each one more<br />
beautiful than the last, and over the famous<br />
bridge of flowers which opened in 2012. It was<br />
home to an explosion of pink, white and red<br />
blooms that cascaded from flower beds. As we<br />
breezed passed on our bikes the sweet smell of<br />
summer lingered in the air. We turned a corner<br />
and free rolled down a small path to the park<br />
that led us under the flower bridge to a stretch<br />
of green, or as locals call it: the “River Bed”.<br />
It’s actually no longer a river bed; in 1957<br />
Valencia experienced a devastating flood that<br />
sadly killed 60 people and changed the city forever.<br />
The following year, the city changed its fate and set<br />
the river on a new path towards the Mediterranean<br />
Sea, safeguarding the city from future catastrophes<br />
and a new public park was born.<br />
This is surely one of the nicest parks I’ve visited, I<br />
couldn’t wipe the smile off of my face as I looked<br />
around to see my dearest friends cycling beside me<br />
and as we went passed joggers, yogis and picnics; I<br />
knew what was just around the corner<br />
and I couldn’t wait!<br />
I caught a glimpse of L’Hemisfèric,<br />
the futuristic structure, through the<br />
trees and it seemed to be looking right<br />
back at me. The mid-day sun bounced<br />
off a pool of aqua marine reflecting<br />
the structure that it houses. An almost<br />
perfect silhouette of a human eye. One<br />
half standing strong in its futuristic<br />
form, the other half rippling and<br />
glistening in the sunlight. I hadn’t<br />
realised before, but this building<br />
was designed to use the surrounding<br />
waters and create optical illusions like<br />
a modern-day Salvador Dali. Dali<br />
has always been a hero of mine; his<br />
surrealist landscapes could never be<br />
matched (in my humble opinion) until<br />
now. Santiago Calatrava and Félix<br />
Candela’s City of Arts and Science is<br />
my new love. Dali’s paintings allowed<br />
my imagination to run wild and<br />
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