On a rainy Saturday night, I went to a bar which a couple friends had recommended. Al Fondo Hay Sitio… There’s Room at the Back. It was a fun evening out. The bar had a great atmosphere with live rock music, a good selection of beers and an abundance of tapas, which the waiter insisted I try. “Picante, ¡SÍ!” Bowls of fruit were on the tables, and a guest book was at the door; funny little touches that give the bar a unique feel.

Al Fondo Hay Sitio is found at the bottom of Calle Oscura, Oviedo’s most lively party street. I had taken Jürgen’s younger brother with me. He’s two meters tall, about 6’7″, and his height caused a minor sensation at the bar. Within minutes we were talking and trading rounds with a big group, and the bartender even invited us to a beer before we left, at which point I hazily remember declaring “Favorite Bar EVER”.

And the music is great, too. I had been walking by one early evening, and heard Arcade Fire’s new album blasting from the speakers, the same day it had been released. If that’s your style of music, then this is a bar you’ll feel right at home in.

I don’t know if there’s a connection, but Al Fondo Hay Sitio is also the name of a massively popular Peruvian telenovela.

Location on our Oviedo Map
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The official Anthem of Asturias, popularly elected in the 1890s, is a curious song. It’s unlike any “national” anthem I’ve ever heard. There’s nothing grand about it, and it seems more suited to a traditional dance than a national statement of identity. But, here, you be the judge:

Take away the bagpipes, and the tune sounds oddly familiar. Here’s the English language translation of the lyrics, courtesy Wikipedia:

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Until moving to Asturias, I shared the popular notion that bagpipes are from Scotland, and that the instrument’s presence necessarily indicates Scottish influence. That turns out to be completely wrong. Bagpipes have a long history in all Europe, from the Balkans to Scandinavia, and definitely in Northern Spain. There’s nothing uniquely Scottish about bagpipes; they weren’t even invented there.

Bagpipes are known in Spain as gaitas, and they’re the most popular traditional Asturian instrument. The Gaita Asturiana is different than other bagpipes, with just two pipes instead of four: the chanter, which is the melody pipe played by the fingers, and the drone, which rests on the shoulder. I impress you with my bagpipe knowledge, no?

Impromptu bagpipe concerts are a common occurrence in Oviedo, and we happened upon one during the first few days of our stay. The music was actually pleasant; usually, upon hearing the wheezy moans of a bagpipe, I clamp my ears and walk swiftly in the opposite direction, but this sound was tolerable. Almost enjoyable, in fact! Check out the video:

Want more bagpipe fun facts? I’m full of them:
*In German, the bagpipe is known as a dudelsack, pronounced “doodle-sack”. For real.
*The first evidence of the bagpipe in Asturias is a 13th century carving in a church in Villaciosa.
*The Scots used bagpipes to frighten off their enemies on the battlefield.

Well… alright, that’s all I got. Bagpipe knowledge exhausted.

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