200 expats tour Sports City and new music conservatory

TWO HUNDRED foreign residents took the opportunity to visit two of Torrevieja’s newest facilities; the acclaimed Sports City and the Conservatory of Music and Auditorium. The tour started with a visit to the Infanta Christina Sports Palace, which houses a full size playing area for football, sala and handball and has multi-use facilities for concerts, inline hockey, rhythmic gymnastics and other indoor sports.

Over 5,000 people can attend any one event in the stadium.

Then a quick visit to the Olympic Size pool, the only one used in the Valencian Community for the Spanish National Championships and European Water Polo Tournaments.

The tour continued around the three new artificial football pitches, the original Sports Stadium with the Blue Roof, the Pavilion Cecilio Gallego and the site of the newest sports pavilion which is presently under construction, before heading over to the second sports zone.

On the other side of the Vicente Garcia Stadium, the new complex houses the Nelson Mandela Rugby and Football Stadium with seating for 3,000 spectators, 11 Tennis Courts, eight paddle courts, two squash courts, an aerobic room plus a new weight lifting and exercise room, which is presently being outfitted.

The International group then had the privilege of being the first to visit the new, €36 million Music Conservatory and Auditorium, located beside the St. Jamie Hospital.

The new conservatory is destined to become a focal point for music students within the Valencian Community with places for 250 students and due to open its doors in September 2011.

The facility is all but finished with the exception of being outfitted with music equipment, chairs, tables and the obligatory artwork to brighten up the walls.

After a short explanation about the complex, the group carefully made their way through the main auditorium that will have seating for more than 1,500, finishing in the Roman Theatre, which is designed primarily for chamber works and smaller performances which has seating for 400 people, more than the Virgen del Carmen, but in a much smaller space.

The tour came to a conclusion when Maurice Thacker, who presently has an art show on at the Casino on the waterfront, made a surprise entrance onto the stage and presented Pedro Hernandez Mateo with an oil painting of a youthful looking Mayor, set back in the days when he first took up office, over 20 years ago.

By Keith Nicol