by Alba, age 8 from Valencia, Spain, asks Santa about Santa Claus watermelons, Valencia’s citrus orchards, and the Turia Gardens.
Dear Santa, my name is Alba, and I am eight years old. I live in Valencia, Spain, where my abuela says our whole city grows some of the best oranges in the entire world.
Dear Alba, oranges that good deserve a proper detour on my route, your abuela picked a truly fragrant hometown.
Santa, I have three questions.
What is a Santa Claus watermelon? My tio grows one every year but it looks nothing like a regular watermelon.
A Santa Claus watermelon, sometimes called a Christmas melon, is a real oblong melon with a green and yellow striped rind, Alba, and it happens to store well right through the winter, which is exactly why it earned its festive name. Your tio is growing quite the seasonal specialty.
My abuela says Valencia is famous for growing citrus fruit like oranges. Is that true?
It is true, Alba, Valencia’s orchards produce some of the finest citrus in the whole world, and that sweet, sunny smell drifts up even as I fly over. I always look forward to that particular stretch of my route.
My abuela says our old riverbed was turned into a huge park that runs right through the city. Is that true?
It is true, Alba, the Turia Gardens now stretch where a river once flowed, transformed into a long, green park winding through Valencia. That kind of creative, thoughtful redesign, turning something old into something new and beautiful, is a wonderful thing for a city to do.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Alba Navarro
Valencia, Spain
P.S. Can you bring my tio a proper trophy for his watermelon patch?
Consider it arranged, Alba, dedicated growing deserves proper recognition.
