Our Second Day in Valencia - Mercadona and The City of Arts and Sciences

Being right by the sea, Valencia's humidity is through the roof and it honestly feels like you’re walking straight into a sauna. It's so humid it easily rivals that crazy heat you get in places like Seville or Cordoba. Our apartment's AC just couldn't keep up with the heat, so we headed outside and started exploring the streets.

We started wandering through Valencia's amazing streets, full of colorful flowers, palm tres, and sweet little two story buildings. As we walked the local parking culture caught our eye. Drivers park bumper to bumper with millimeter precision until they hear a soft bump.

Driven by the hot weather, we popped into Spain's famous supermarket Mercadona. Our favorite thing there is the fresh orange juice machine You pick up a bottle and squeeze it yourself right on the spot. But the price has gone up since our last visit. We grabbed some cherries, Costa Rican bananas, eggplants and strawberries in the produce section. The shelves also feature frozen coconut and Mercadona's own brand of ice cream.

The ready to eat section, Listo para Comer offers plenty of practical options, ranging from Spanish tortila to ready made lasagna in wooden boxes, grilled chickens, paella and various salads. At the deli counter you’ve got freshly sliced jamón and cheeses, the seafood section is packed with fresh shrimp and the bakery is full of sweet treats like pan de crema. These supermarket conveniences in Spain can easily be compared to those in Germany or Zabka in Poland.

After a quick break and a shower at home we made our way over to Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. This is the Valencia's most famous modern spot.The massive futuristic buildings look absolutely mindblowing, resembling the skeletons of dinosaurs and whales. The huge white cable stayed bridge Pont de l'Assut de l'Or, standing 135 meters high right in the middle of the complex is a real eyecatcher. On the side you can spot the arched green walkway of L'Umbracle and signs for the L'Oceanografic aquarium.

The fact that the buildings and ground are completely white reflects the sunlight intensely, making it quite tiring on the eyes and up close, you can notice some wear on the tilework. Even so the overall architectural grandeur of the area easily competes with major projects in Singapore, Dubai or Germany.

After our walk, we stepped inside one of the futuristic structures the Science Museum, to escape the heat and cool off. Once we stepped inside, we saw this massive open space filled with cool exhibit zones. We spotted giant model planes dangling right above our heads and came across all sorts of interesting science stuff.

The cool air of the museum felt like a true sanctuary after the scorching heat and blinding glare of the white surfaces outside. Walking under interactive science setups aimed at kids and curious minds, space simulations and giant suspended models, we could feel the sheer architectural volume of the building much more clearl. That shell of concrete and steel, which resembles a bony creature's body from the outside, feels like a vast, airy cave on the inside. Although some of the exibits seem tailored more for school groups and kids, the building's structure stands as an exhibit all on its own.

Coming out of the museum we kept walking along the edge of the large turquoise pools surrounding the complex. While these shallow waters create a wonderful visual sense of refreshment in the heat, the sunlight reflecting off both the water and the bright white concrete makes walking quite tough after a while. We sat on one of the benches by the pools and spent a bit more time taking in the massive architecture around us.

After this long walk we decided to wrap up our trip to the City of Arts. Bidding farewell to this modern side of the city, we made our way back toward the central streets to cool down a bit and grab something to drink.