Today [June 15] our group boarded a bus for a long, but comfortable, ride to Valencia. We arrived at the building that houses the permanent site of the FSU Study Abroad Program in Spain. What a lovely historic site! The building enfolds a part of a Roman tower and wall from the 3rd or 4th century. The director of the FSU program, Dr. Ignacio Messana, gave us an overview of the program, the building, the students, and the program's mission. (Current students were in the midst of final exams and presentations, so, alas, we were unable to go downstairs to see the lower ruins.) We loved making this FSU connection, and were so proud to hear comments from shopkeepers in the immediate area who praised our young folks for their demeanor and enthusiasm. Dr. Messana noted that the FSU's international program, which maintains four permanent sites and many more locales, is generally ranked in the top five in the U.S. - go Noles!
After this "campus" visit, we set out to walk in the area. Arleen took us first to the Torres Serranos (Towers of the Mountains), which have stood as sentinels of the city for a thousand years, then into the placa of El Micatel, a bell tower attached to the Valencia cathedral.
After taking a brief lunch break, we crossed the busy street to gaze into a most impressive park - a dry riverbed that has been dedicated as public space by the city of Valencia, which winds through the city to the Mediterranean. Faced with the necessity to re-route the Turia River as a flood control measure, the city and its citizens created this most beautiful space. From the pedestrian bridge we could see soccer fields and long expanses of grass and trees. Dr. Messana had told us that this park compares to both Central Park in New York and Hyde Park in London in size. And we had only just begun to experience its attractions!
Back on the bus, we proceeded to drive along the length of the park (former river) to an area called the City of Arts and Sciences (Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciencies). The buildings that occupy the riverbed are almost impossible to describe. Designed by Santiago Calatrava, the buildings swoop and soar (seemingly) and overwhelm the visitor with their size and grace. My poor camera could hardly do this area justice! We have been so fortunate on this trip to learn about architecture in Spain that spans thousands of years - and the City of Arts and Sciences was the icing on the cake,
After a lengthy bus ride back to Barcelona, we stopped at our favorite tapas place, had a quick bite and are heading for bed. Tomorrow is our last day in this magical place, and we're going to make the most of it! We will finish our studies with a tour of the Sagrada Familia - and figure out one last special treat.
No comments:
Post a Comment