Adventures, anecdotes and advice from three months exploring Asturias
An oddly-shaped park on the southern side of the city, the Campillín is the second largest green area in the city center, behind the Campo de San Francisco. To be honest, though, it's less a "park" than the side of a hill outfitted with paths and benches.
We always have a hard time remembering the holidays of new countries and on September 8th, another one sneaked up and took us off guard. The Day of Asturias, which celebrates the Principality's patron saint, The Virgin of Covadonga.
The Plaza de Daoíz y Velarde is a quiet, tree-lined plaza which offers a respite from the noisy marketplace and cafés of the adjacent Plaza Fontán. Especially when bathed in the late afternoon sunlight, it's a beautiful place and home to the city library, a palace, a legendary fountain and, of course, a statue.
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.
The three main cities of Asturias form an almost equidistant triangle, all within a half hour another. Oviedo, the capital, is in the center of Asturias. A short drive northeast brings you to Gijón, the biggest city. Go the same distance northwest, and you'll end in Avilés.
On a recommendation, we decided to try out the menú del día at El Yantar de Campomanes, a rustic restaurant serving up traditional Asturian fare on the southern side of the city center.
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!
With the arrival of September our stay in Oviedo was one-third complete. August had been an incredible month, and we had seen a lot... the idea of two more months was exhilirating, and we were interested to see how our opinions of the city might evolve. So, we had the idea to conduct a small self-survey of our thoughts after one month.
Finally, football season had started up again. The euphoric World Cup in South Africa had ended almost two months ago. Two full months without meaningful matches! That's sick, is what it is!
A popular hiking trail connects Barayo Beach to the town of Navia, about twenty kilometers away. Especially for fans of cliffs, seaside villages and hidden beaches, it's a long walk through paradise.
Found near the historic seat of the University of Oviedo, the Plaza del Riego is a small, triangular shaped plaza in the center of the city, which buzzes with activity from morning until evening, when its outdoor terraces are consistently packed.
Columbian artist Fernando Botero has an instantly recognizable style. Plumpness, I suppose it could be called. Plump animals, plump objects, plump prisoners and, above all, plump women.
