VALENCIA, SPAIN - WARMTH OF THE NIGHT CD

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Warmth of the Night
VALENCIA

Alboraya, the place where my Esteve guitar was made, is an inner
suburb only a few kilometres from the city of Valencia in Spain.

A modern air-conditioned underground railway connected me directly to the city centre from Valencia airport. Upon my arrival I found it to be a truly remarkable and memorable part of Spain. Valencia is Spain's third-largest city and has an estimated population today of around 760,000. The Romans named it 'Valentia' in 138AD. Situated on the eastern Mediterranean coast of Spain, Valencia is approximately 300 km east of the capital Madrid and 250 km south of Spain's second biggest city, Barcelona. Many would recall more recently that Valencia was the port for the Swiss challenge of the America's Cup yacht races in 1997.

I was soon to observe the city scape of Valencia offers the visitor a blend of Gothic, Baroque, Art Noveau and modern architecture surrounded by extensive gardens, palm trees and many fountains.

While the town of Pisa in Italy is famous for its Leaning Tower, then certainly one of Valencia's most imposing icons is the famous Micalet Bell Tower of the Catedral de Santa María in the Plaza de la Reina.

Perhaps one might even say it is strangely akin to London's Big Ben, but on a slightly smaller scale. Certainly its impact on the Valencian city skyline makes it equally iconic.

The Micalet was built in 1381, but today finds itself in Valencia's impressive and busy city centre.

The Micalet is a great, old gothic bell tower that looks down over an orderly rectangular garden and fountain of the Plaza de la Reina, flanked throughout with orange trees.

Only a stone's throw away from here is a phalanx of flower stalls.

Under the light green citrus tree leaves, oranges bulged out brightly in the Spanish sun.

Despite the the hustle-and-bustle of people and traffic passing through the busy plaza, as far as I could see the ripe fruit remained surprisingly unpicked and hung gracefully undisturbed.

Thus the visitor soon becomes aware of a sense of pride about the city's history, which reflects the character of its inhabitants.

Valencians show a strong desire to preserve, integrate and enhance, rather than to spoil and destroy the vestiges of the past for the sake of convenience and progress.

This attitude manifests itself in the meticulous care taken both financially and architecturally to ensure the inside and outside of the buildings of old Valencia remain connected, revered and part of modern day Valencia.

Even more recently constructed buildings, such as the new post office, are modelled on a classic style and are just as jaw-droppingly beautiful as some of the city's oldest churches.

In the late 1950s a disastrous flood made the keepers of the city undertake the massive task of diverting 10 km of the capricious River Turia away from the town.

The vestige of which has given the city a 10km-long green canal.

It is here the old river bed has been transformed into glorious gardens and huge public space leading a path to several amazing modern landmark buildings dedicated to Valencians' enjoyment of the arts.

Whereas the Palace of the Arts Riena Sofia and the L'Hepshpheric are as ultramodern structures as you'll see anywhere on the planet, they in fact are new buildings set in a dry river bed surrounded by water fountains and floral decorations.

There is no doubt a walk around this city took me on an adventure I was not really expecting.

Architectural 'wow' after 'wow' add to a feeling of an historical context that imbues the viewer with a sense of mystery and fascination - PN. [ Part 2 Coming Soon! ]

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