Aventura de Espana: Dia Seis

Cudillero

An hour and a half train ride and we arrived to Cudillero, a town known for its quaint side streets and stair-cased alleyways. We walked from the train station, through the town, to the port, and took in the views of the mountains and ocean. We also climbed the stair-cased alleyways to a lookout point, which was a little tiring, but, when I saw a couple in their 60's doing it, I knew I could too :)

Cudillero


The Port


Views from the lookout point:






We had lunch at one of the restaurants on the port, trying the chipirones (squid with ink). Neither one of us were big fans, but with the help of patatas fritas y pan (french fries and bread), we managed to eat a few.

Chipirones



Upon our return to Oviedo, we made our way to the Santa Iglesia Basilica Catedral de San Salvador. It is a beautiful church with so many ornate decorations, altars, and statues. Unfortunately, no cameras are allowed inside so I wasn't able to take any photos of the inside, but I strongly encourage you to look online to get an idea of the beauty and history of this church. After a quick walk through of the church, we spent 2 Euros to tour the Holy Chamber, which contains the Chest of Agates, the Cross of Victory, the Cross of the Angels, and the Apostle Group. To see some pictures and read about these things, you can click here, if so inclined to do so. Also on the tour of the Holy Chamber, is the Santo Sudario, which is the cloth said to have cleaned and covered the face of Jesus after the crucifixion.

Side view of the Cathedral


Front of the Cathedral (with the very top cut off - oops!)


After the tour, I was off on my own again while Emily went to a tutoring session. I did a little more shopping and tried to use my Spanish a little more this outing, now that I was starting to get my voice back. Even just using simple, everyday phrases like, "hasta luego" made me feel like I fit in. After walking around for the majority of the day, I was ready to sit for a while, so after I was done shopping, I found a bench and just enjoyed watching people and journaling, while being serenaded by an accordion player down the street as I waited for Emily to get back. It was a great way to wrap up the day.

Aventura de Espana: Dia Cinco

Tuesday we started the day by visiting the San Julian de los Prados, a church built in the 9th century. One notable piece of this church is the pictorial decorations on the walls. No photos could be taken inside the church, so I can't provide a close-up of these, but, this will at least give you an idea. For those interested in the architectural details of the church, you can read a little more here.



After seeing the church, we walked to the school where Emily teaches and I sat as she taught her 8th grade English class. She gave them an assignment to bring an item that represents Asturias in some way and explain it. I was very impressed with their English. I sat there thinking back to my senior year of high school and my Spanish was no where near the level of their English! I enjoyed hearing about all the different items the kids brought in. I tried to ask them each 1 question after they presented and they all did a great job of answering them. Some of the items the kids brought in included a soccer jersey from Gijon, a soccer scarf from Oviedo, limestone, honey, milk, bagpipes (which the girl played), and wooden shoes (of which I forget the Spanish name for them)

After her class, we went back to the house for lunch, where Raul prepared Tortilla for us - with onion and chorizo. It was so good! Although I don't have the exact recipe, I'm hoping I can successfully replicate this dish some day. (probably sooner than later while it's still fairly fresh in my mind)

After lunch, Emily had a tutoring session, so I ventured off on my own for a couple of hours. I stayed around the Campo San Francisco area - walked around the park and did a little shopping. I walked away with a pair of gray skinny jeans for 20 Euros, and 3 tank tops, totaling 21 Euros - not too bad for the first day of shopping!


Campo San Francisco


"Oviedo is like a fairy tale" - Woody Allen on one of his favorite cities in the world. This bronze statue stands in the main shopping district, near the park.

That night was the big Madrid vs. Barcelona game, so Raul and Emily had some friends over to watch the game. It was fun to see how into the game the boys were, especially since a couple of them were Madrid fans, while the rest were Barcelona fans - lots of yelling, high fives, expletives, applause, some inappropriate gestures, and more yelling. I can't say I remember too much of the game - I was too distracted by everyone and just enjoyed the opportunity to be immersed into a huge part of the Spanish culture.

Aventura de Espana: Dia Cuatro

Llanes

Monday, Emily and I took a bus to Llanes, a small town in Northern Spain, along the Bay of Biscay. It's a very small town that mainly thrives on tourism, mostly in the summer months, because of the beautiful beaches. Although it wasn't warm enough for us to lay out on the beach, we did enjoy walking around the town and seeing some of the historical sites, including the following:

*Los Cubos de la Memoria (The Memory Cubes): A famous work of art by Agustin Ibarrola, who painted the cement cubes that make up the breakwater along the port in Llanes.

A close up view of the cubes:


It stretches all along the port


And is on both sides of the port



*Basilica of Santa Maria del Conceju:

Side view of the church:


Front view:


*Chapel of Santa Ana:



*The Tower:



*The Walls:



Not being much of a history buff nor a sound architectural individual, I guess for me, what was most impressive is how old these buildings/structures are, with some dating back to the 13th century, and how well preserved they seem to be. Feel free to click on the links above if interested in learning more about the aforementioned things.

More Llanes pictures coming to a Facebook photo album near you.

Ribadesella

After eating a sack lunch, we headed back to the bus station and continued on our Asturian tour to Ribadesella, another town on the coast of northern Spain. We hiked up part of the mountain to enjoy some more mountainous views:







After the hike, we walked around what would be the equivalent to a small town's "main street." Because of the holiday, most of the shops were closed, but there was one store open that I had to go into after seeing their window, as it brought out the inner "cakester" in me:


Yes, all of those things (including the iPhone) are made from chocolate!

The church in Ribadesella:



Kids playing soccer...in front of the church :)


After the bus ride back to Oviedo, we met up with some of Emily's friends for a couple glasses of vino and a free slice of pizza. It was nice to know that happy hours are international :)

Aventura de Espana: Dia Tres

We went to the market in Oviedo, that is held every Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday of every week. Vendors sell many different types of things - jewelry, scarves, shoes, clothing, books, flowers, produce, etc. Unfortunately it started to rain pretty heavily shortly after we arrived, so our time was cut short. So, we went back to Emily's and planned out the next few days while waiting for the rain to pass. Finally after the rain stopped, we headed back out and hiked up part of Mount Naranco to see the Santa Maria del Naranco. It was built back in the 800's and first served as a royal palace before being converted into a church.



Although the overcast skies hindered the panoramic view from up in the mountains, coming from the land of "rolling hills", I was still appreciative of the scenery. Before hiking back down, we took in the views over cafes con leches at a local cafe.

Hesher

Last week on All Things Considered (I have no idea how I was tuned into NPR :) ) I caught a movie review of the film Hesher, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and I was immediately interested. I'll let you read the review on NPR here. Unfortunately, I don't think it's playing anywhere close to here, so it may be a while before I can see it. The trailer will have to do for now:




And a clip from the movie:

Aventura de Espana: Dia Dos

Oviedo

We took a 4 hour train ride to Oviedo, which is the city where Emily lives. It is located in Northern Spain and is the capital of the Asturias region. It didn't take long to see some differences between our culture and that of the Spanish upon arriving in Oviedo that day...

Lunch
Lunch in Spain is a little different than what we're accustomed to in the States. While we consider the noon hour to be lunch time here, there, it is typically had anywhere between 1-4. (the restaurants are nearly empty until after 2:00) Another difference is the size of the meal. In general, dinner is our biggest meal, however, there, it is lunch. I learned of these differences right away, after meeting up with Emily's boyfriend, Raul, for lunch shortly after our arrival. Many restaurants have what is called "Menu del Dia" or "menu of the day", featuring a 2 to 3 course meal. Usually there are several options to choose from as well. We shared the menu del dia that day and had a plate of jamones diferentes (different slices of cured hams), calamares fritos, (friend calamari) and ensalada (salad). Regrettably, I did not take pictures of all the different foods I had while there, so I do not have a photo to share here. But, everything was muy delicioso!

Store Hours
Here, we have become accustomed to having stores open 7 days a week, and some even 24 hours a day. Hell, sadly, retail stores hardly close on holidays anymore. In Spain, it's a different story. Many small businesses close daily for 2-3 hours for lunch or "siesta". Waiting until Sunday to do your grocery shopping for the week? Not there! We had to make sure to pick up a few things after lunch because not only are they closed on Sundays, but the Monday of that week was a holiday, so they were closed that day as well. Closed 2 days in a row? Almost unheard of here, right?

Dinner
Since they typically do not eat lunch until later in the afternoon, it is no surprise that they eat dinner later at night - anywhere between 8 and 10. That night Emily and I headed over to her friend Mary's house for a Tapas party. We got there around 10 and indulged in such delights as ham wrapped asparagus, stuffed with roasted red peppers, tortilla (an egg and potato dish, similar to an omelet, but thicker), bread w/ a raspberry spread, cheese, and ham on top, and a salad. No picture :( but again, everything was fantastic.

Nightlife
The nightlife, overall, is similar here - gather in bars/pubs, drink, and socialize. The difference here, again, is the hours. We didn't leave the house until 12:30 and we were out until 6:00! Our first stop - a sidreria so I could try the sidra (hard cider). You have to drink the entire bottle of sidra in one sitting, (we split between the 6 of us), as it quickly becomes flat. There is a special way to pour sidra - holding the bottle high up in the air and the glass low - this is supposed to enhance the natural carbonation and make it taste better - and pour a small amount into the glass. You are supposed to take all but the last little bit in one drink, dumping the rest out by the drain that most sidrerias have for this very purpose. You can watch this process here (from 0:53-1:16) Next, we headed to a crowded outdoor plaza and shared a few drinks. It almost reminded me of the huge gathering on the hill for UNI's homecoming (when that was still allowed) but not as wild. It was fun to enjoy the cool breeze of the night, highlighted by the moonlight, and just fully be immersed in the nightlife of Oviedo. We continued to barhop, making sure to stop at the bar Raul owns, and ended the night dancing at another bar (fellow Panthers - think Sharky's minus the stripper pole) One of Mary's roommates, Christian, was a dancing fool and had a whole crowd of people dancing around him. He'd be a good fit for a "So You Think You Can Dance" show, just to give you an idea of his talent. Knowing of my poor dance skills, I knew I had to whip out maraca snap to save face....it was a hit, per usual. :) One thing that was true of all the places we stopped at was the playing of American music - Britney, J-Lo, Chris Brown, and yes, even Big Willie Style "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" rang through the speakers. I also enjoyed hearing some Spanish tunes, especially Shakira's, "Loca" and Don Omar & Lucenzo's, "Danza Kuduro".

Aventura de Espana: Dia Uno

Madrid

After a short ride on the Metro, Emily and I arrived in one of the city's main historic squares, Puerta del Sol. We first checked into our hostel, which was very nice as far as hostels are concerned, and then went to a restaurant around the corner from the hostel to use our free breakfast vouchers we received during check in - toast with a tomato spread, orange juice, and cafe con leche.

The Tour:
Another perk from the hostel stay was a free tour of some of the main attractions in Puerta del Sol, and a complimentary drink after the tour to boot!


*Palacio de las Cortes: This building, constructed between 1843 and 1850 currently houses the lower house of the Parliament, the Congreso de los Diputados (Congress of Deputies). Worth noting about the building is the pediment, consisting of statues that represent justice, courage, fortitude, harmony, science, arts, rivers, trade, agriculture, abundance and peace, the bronze door, and the bronze lions that set on both sides of the central part of the front entrance. This entrance is only used once a year, when the king opens the parliamentary year.



*Monumento a los Caidos por Espana (Monument to the Fallen for Spain): This is a memorial dedicated to all of those who gave their life for Spain. The flame you see burns constantly.



*Iglesia de San Jeronimo el Real (Church of Royal St Jerome): This church was founded in 1503 and was once known as the official Royal Church.




*Parque Buen Retiro: It is one of the largest and most popular parks in Madrid and was originally built as a retreat for the Royal Family. It is absolutely beautiful with all of the greenery, statues, and lake. Look for more pictures coming to a Facebook Photo Album near you.











*Puerta de Alcala: This is a monument located in the Plaza de la Independencia.






*Museo del Prado (The Prado Museum): Home to some of the finest European art, including the works of Goya, El Greco, and Velazquez. On the tour, we only saw the outside of it, but Emily and I were lucky enough to go back later in the day and get in for free! I wish I would've done some research on some of the more notable pieces there. I know it was covered in some of my Spanish classes in school, but I could've used a little refresher. :)



After the tour, we joined our tour guide and a few other people from the group and indulged in our complimentary drink and some lunch. I had the Paella, a traditional Spanish rice dish, usually served with different types of seafood. It was muy delicioso!



After lunch, we took a time out - since I had been traveling all day/night and touring around Madrid that morning, and adding into the mix a serious head cold, it was no surprise I was starting to run out of energy. So, Emily and I decided to go back to the hostel and rest for a while before we continued our adventure. After an hour or so of relaxing, we were back on the move.


El Palacio Real (The Royal Palace):
This is one of the largest palaces in Europe, but does not house the Royal family. It only is used for state ceremonies. There are more than 2000 rooms, but the tour only allows you to see a select number of rooms, and unfortunately no cameras are allowed once inside. It was an incredible sight to see, with the rooms decorated in such an ornate fashion, and in such elaborate detail - I was in awe.





Catedral Almudena: This cathedral is located next to the Palacio Real. This, too, had me in awe. It is gorgeous, both inside and out and the sheer size of it will take your breath away.





Unfortunately most of the pictures I took from inside the Cathedral did not turn out too well, but here is the best one, showcasing one of the altars.



Before heading back to the hostel for the night, we stopped at a local restaurant for dinner. Still full from the Paella, I chose something light - a turkey and cheese toasted sandwich. One thing to note - Spanish people usually eat sandwiches by cutting it into pieces, rather than biting directly off of the sandwich - I was thrilled to eat in such a manner :)

**footnote: please keep in mind when looking at the pictures of me above that I was "fresh" off a long day/night of traveling and sick before judging my appearance, thank you :) **