Get in the Back of the Van!: Garden of the Turia

Hi, reader

It was a lovely sunny day in Valencia, so I took a leisurely stroll through Jardín del Turia (Garden of the Turia).

The River Turia used to flow through Valencia, but it was diverted following a catastrophic flood in 1957. The old riverbed is now a verdant sunken park that allows cyclists and pedestrians to traverse much of the city without the use of roads. The park boasts numerous ponds, paths, fountains, flowers, football pitches, cafés, artworks, climbing walls, an athletics track, a zen garden and more. The many bridges overhead carry traffic across the park.

The bridges divide the park into sections. One section can be all weeping willows and people sitting on the grass like you're walking through a Surat painting. Then you pass under a bridge and there's street art and young ragamuffins pulling impressive stunts on bikes and skateboards.

Some parts have stepping stones over ponds.

This bench was the perfect place to relax for ten minutes or so ...

... and just enjoy the park.

The weather was perfect for a walk. Sunny, but not too hot.

Each section is different, so it makes it really interesting to see what comes next. If you visit Valencia City I recommend you put a stroll through Jardín del Turia on your must see/do list. I think this park can be enjoyed by people of all ages and, of course, it's free.

Even the designs on some of the bridges seemed very artistic.

I encountered this posse of young people hanging out under one of the bridges and listening to music. I strode ahead with confidence and purpose, just hoping they'd let me pass through their 'turf' without having to prove my worthiness in a hip-hop dance battle.