On a recommendation, we decided to try out the menú del día at El Yantar de Campomanes, a popular and rustic restaurant serving up traditional Asturian fare on the southern side of the city center.

When the waiter set down my first plate, a rich garbanzo bean stew with cabbage and shrimps, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was enough to nourish half of Kenya for a week! This is something we’ve noticed in Oviedo — instead of presenting a rational serving of food, many restaurants offer up an entire pot and allow you to scoop out the amount you’d like to eat. I wonder what’s done with the left-overs in the pot, because there’s always plenty. I mean, I’m a fairly big guy and have a decent appetite, but there’s no way I could finish even half of what they put down in front of me. And that’s just the first course!

For the second plate, I had fried conger eel and Jürgen enjoyed pig’s cheeks. For our sensible American and German palates accustomed to hamburgers and schnitzels, this was a very adventurous meal. But heaven help us, it was all delicious!

Bread, wine, dessert and coffee are all included in the cheap €11 price tag (workdays) and, although I never need to see another garbanzo bean in my life, we both really liked this restaurant.

El Yantar de Campomanes
Calle de Campomanes, 24
985 208 382‎
Location on our Oviedo Map

We’re always looking for more tips on great spots to eat… if you know of any, make sure to clue us in!

An other great Oviedo Restaurant: Punto y Coma

Picture, for a moment, Manhattan. Important people dressed in suits rush hurriedly down sidewalks, juggling their cellphones, briefcases and coffee mugs. There’s no time to waste, and each confident stride has an extra kick of energy; if you’re faster than the other guy, you’ll get there first and win the contract! Get the promotion! American Dream coming through, make way!

That’s what I’m used to. To me, the reason for a sidewalk, the point of its existence, is to get you to where you’re going as quickly as possible. But here in Oviedo, people seem to have an entirely different interpretation of the sidewalk. They stroll casually along, stopping at every storefront, greeting friends and even just sometimes standing there, having a big time. For ovetenses, the sidewalk seems to be the destination. It’s baffling!

It can get frustrating. I am too busy being American, trying to Achieve and “Be The Very Best I Can Be”. And this group of ladies in front of me, they’re all spread out on the sidewalk. Four of them in a perfect, impenetrable line, and now they’ve slowed down even further. They’re also swaying, walking in unpredictable zig zags, cleverly discouraging any attempt at passing. Devious dawdlers!

There’s no way to fight it, so I’m trying to see the benefit. Life is paced differently here, and perhaps slowing down isn’t such a bad idea. Another thing to remember about Manhattan is that stressed-out grimace of determination on everyone’s face. Here, you don’t see that so much. Try walking at a slow, leisurely pace with a stressed-out grimace of determination. It’s very difficult, and looks ridiculous! So, I’ll slow down. The truth is, I don’t even know why I’m always in such a big hurry anyway.

- Hola Valencia’s Top Five: Festivals

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September has arrived, and that means our stay in Oviedo is one-third complete. August was an incredible month, and we really made an effort to see as much of the city and the region as possible… But I don’t think we’re worn out, yet! Asturias has so much to offer, and we’re excited to see how Oviedo changes with the end of summer vacations, and the arrival of autumn.

So, what do we think about Oviedo after a month of residency? I thought it’d be fun to do a little self-survey. Complete it yourself, if you’d like, in the comments!

Most Memorable

Mike: Standing at the top of Mount Naranco, with the view over the city.

Jürgen: Panoramic view from Naranca

Favorite Food

Merluza cooked in cider… with cider to drink

Fabada

Most Surprising

How perfect the weather has been. I hope it keeps up!

How quietly the people speak compared with Valencia. My hearing is damaged from all the Valencian mascletàs, so you’ll have to speak up!

Most Disappointing

Not a big fan of fabada

No bike paths within the city and very few areas for dogs

Funniest / Weirdest

This maybe isn’t just Oviedo, but I’ve noticed it here — there are a lot of young South American guys who are apparently hired to walk around with extremely old men. And they’re all listening to iPods.

It’s weird that almost all the tourists are Spanish… very few foreigners

How Expensive? From 1 (cheap) to 10 (expensive)

6… there are bargains, but the restaurants seem overly pricey if you don’t stick to the menu

7…

People from Oviedo are…

a little chubbier than most Spaniards, but they’re very open and friendly. Also, their Spanish is much easier to understand than in other regions.

Super friendly

Oviedo in Three Words

Clean, Affluent, Relaxed

Green, Walkable, SIDRA

It’ll be interesting to see how our opinions change in the next two months. Everyone says that September is radically different, as people have returned from vacations and school resumes. And of course, there’s a little festival coming up… we’re already getting excited about that.

Finally, football season has started up again. After the euphoric World Cup ended, we’ve had to wait almost two whole months for meaningful games to resume! It’s sick, is what it is.

Last night, I went down to the Estadio Nuevo Carlos Tertiere to watch the first game of the season for Real Oviedo. Their opponents were UD Logroñés out of La Rioja. Oviedo plays in the Segunda División B. Founded in 1926, the club played for years in the top flight, even claiming 3rd place a few times. But since 2001, the team has been relegated three times, from the Primera to the Segunda, to the Segunda B, then to the abysmal Tercera where they were stuck for 6 years.

They’ve fought back into the Segunda B, and their mission this year is to win a spot in the Segunda. They’ll need more, though, than the lackluster 1-1 draw I witnessed last night.

The Carlos Tertiere stadium is huge. With a capacity of 30,000, it’s befitting of a 1st division team. Over 6000 people showed up last night, but the stands looked empty. The price for a ticket was €25, which seems expensive at first blush, but allows you to sit anywhere you like. I chose a spot right on top of the action, and had fun watching the madmen in the supporters corner. Real Oviedo might be mired in a low division, but its fan base seems to be healthy and enthusiastic.

We’re only here until the end of October, but we’ll be keeping an eye on Real Oviedo’s progress. Go Blue!

Location of the stadium on our Oviedo Map

- Looking for a hotel in Navia?

About 20 kilometers separate Barayo Beach from the town of Navia, and a popular walking route connects them. We recently decided to check it out. If you like cliffs, seaside villages and hidden beaches, this hike is for you.

The Ruta Naviega is a fairly well-marked trail, with yellow and white stripes leading the way. We began the hike on the river Barayo, a small stream which eventually ends at the beach which shares its name (a beach famous in Asturias for its nudity). From here, it was a long, five-hour hike westward along the coast. There were hardly any people, and aside from a few horses, cows, spiders and a snake, we encountered very little wildlife. With the cliffs our only companion, it was as solitary as I’ve felt in Spain.

After a couple hours of walking, we arrived in Puerto de Vega, a charming fishing port where we took a short break. The port is the center of activity, with fishermen were working on their nets and retired men playing cards at the nearby bar. The only women we saw were in their apartments, leaning out upper-floor windows to carry on conversations with one another. It was like we had been transported back in time a few generations.

Near our goal, Navia, we found an amazing little beach called the Playa del Moro. We had been hiking all day, so the 100+ steps down to the beach almost deterred us, but we sucked it up. I’m glad we did; with a deep cave and rocks for the waves to splash upon, this was a neat discovery.

In Navia, we didn’t do much except collapse into the first bar we found. The city probably deserves a little more exploration, but we’ll save that for another day.

- Hiking in Spain