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More Than Oranges
A charming city that hosted the America’s Cup in 2007. The Marina District was built up for this event and reflects it. We took a full city tour that included the Opera House and the Science Museum. These are part of the Arts and Sciences District and all the buildings in the complex are part of a park and are architectural wonders. We toured the Opera House and it is amazing: beautiful use of wood and ceramic with Ferrari manufactured leather seats in which to sit and watch the performances. The Science Museum is also quite modern with many hands-on exhibits.
We drove to and walked through the city center, which is also charming and historical. A cathedral of course, that was supported by the Borgia Pope. Note the topless female gargoyle rain gutters. This church has on display (for an entrance fee) the supposed chalice, or cup, that Jesus used during his last Passover seder. Nearby is an indoor marketplace with many, many stalls that only have fresh products. There is another building called the Silk Trade Building. This used to be the 17th and 18th century commerce center for the city and has some unique architectural features (cf. ceiling and Escher-style floor).
