Valencia, Spain

In a city where everyone lives in apartments, the long Turia Park is backyard to thousands. In Turia you might see-

An arch of blue balloons, is it a birthday or a gender reveal? A big red Mylar 6 taller than the birthday girl. A green 2 and is it is 6 or a 9? The group of hipster friends are probably near big that benchmark of 30

Gymnasts who have set up a strap from tree to tree, for a tightrope, and under the edge of a bridge, have strung long bright ribbons of fabric, red and yellow, to practice acrobatics on. Children, youths, even a mom with a palsied gait wraps herself in the aerial silks to rise up higher and higher

Swarming tourist bike groups, gliding by

Kids on scooters, the grandpas sitting on the bench have to pull their toes in!  Teens carrying skateboards to the rink

Discussion groups, meditation groups, language learning groups, sobriety groups, champagne-toasting groups stand holding plastic flutes

Small children sitting cross-legged at the park cafeteria, in front of the poster of all the sweet, cold treats. Which popsicle or ice cream or granizada will they choose? Maybe they’ll ask mama for two?

Scruffy wild cats on ‘Cat Island’ set in the concrete riverbed.

Little frogs whoop whooping as they hide in the muddy algae with their golden eyes gleaming up from the murk

An opera student in a long gown, singing under an overhead concrete bridge for the acoustics, recorded by her friends’ cellphone camera

Salsa students dancing, at a pop-up class on the stone plaza

A big family spread with folding tables, cloths, chairs, and coolers

A small gathering with small bouquets and wine glasses

For my family, this park is a place to spend time together when the apartment is too small. When we need to stretch our legs, scooter, bike, climb a favorite tree. Check out the flowers and the frogs. And we check on the eight new ducklings because they are growing up fast. Now they venture a little further from mama duck and they can dive down, streak underwater, and even paddle backwards.

Now we are together. Well, many of us, not quite all of us.  A special time, too rare. I see my family in this park- some spread out on the plaid blanket, and others tossing sticks into the shallow stream. I see my daughter’s boyfriend wooing Little Curly with his ukelele, while the baby rolls in the grass, laughing.