Asturias: Natural Paradise

Asturias is called by the Spaniards natural paradise because nature shines in every corner. It's the only region in Spain that couldn't be invaded during the islamic conquest in the 8th century, and has conserved pretty well its celtic roots. Many of the ancient traditions are still kept: traditional dances, customs and musical instruments like the gaita (bagpipe):

There is a high quality of life here. Nature shines in every corner: mountains, clean rivers & lakes, nice sandy beaches close to meadows, little charming villages on the coast...

If you prefer the atmosphere of cities, you can find it here as well. Cities like Oviedo, Gijón or Avilés are plenty of cinemas, theaters, big shopping centers, monuments (especially prerromanic and gotic) and cultural events. The Prince of Asturias awards, international prizes for individuals who make notable achievements in any field, are given in the "Campoamor Theater" in Oviedo every year (Link).

Having lunch or dinner following the Asturias style is a pleasure. You take a table in a good sidrería (special kind of bar), eat tapas (small dishes of food, very common in Spain) and drink a bottle of sidra, the astur cider that is served in a very special way: bottle above the head, and glass as low as you can, like in the photo below.

Eating tapas is not only about eating, but also about sharing. In a group, usually every person chooses a tapa and then all of the tapas are shared on the table. There's a great variety of tapas to choose, for instance: tortilla española (Spanish omelette), chorizos a la sidra (sausages coooked in Asturias cider), tabla de ibéricos (different air-dried ham and cheese), olives, pulpo a la gallega (octopus at the Galicia style), fried squid, paella (rice with vegetables, seafood and saffron), Russian salad, gambas al ajilllo (Prawns in a hot, garlic oil), patatas bravas (brave potatoes), smoked ham croquettes... And a delicious dessert to finish the meal, like a Spanish flan with cream, cheese cake or frixuelos (a sort of crepes stuffed with marmalade, cream or anything else).

Some photos of tapas:

In September we celebrate a 10-days-fiesta in Oviedo, the capital city of Asturias and the place where I was born. They are named fiestas de San Mateo. This holiday finishes the same day as summer does, so it's a sort of a welcome to the autumn, with its warm breeze and golden veil of leaves. I love autumn!

They are our local holidays and although it is a small city, hundreds of people come from everywhere to enjoy these days. The city becomes really crowded, full of people talking and eating in the streets and parks, laughing and enjoying the time...

There are many concerts in different places at night, also traditional music and dances, fireworks and many other events. Children are the protagonists in the mornings, as there are many activities for them to enjoy in the company of their families. For example there is a little train which tours them around a park in the downtown. Besides, many parents dress their children with the traditional asturian custom and the kids enjoy it thinking that it's a carnival day :-).

As a part of this fiesta, on Sept 19 we celebrate the day of America in Asturias, where people from many countries of America (North, Central and South) and also from Asturias participate in a parade, wearing their traditional costums, playing their music, dancing, showing up aboard original floats...

Here in Asturias we usually celebrate the especial days going for lunch to the meadows and parks to enjoy the day all together. These days we enjoy eating our typical bollu preñao, which consists on an especial bread with a hole inside, where a chorizo (sausage made of pork and paprika) is inserted. Also we drink a typical beverage named sidra (an especial kind of apple cider), which is served in a very original way (escanciar), as it is shown in the pic below: holding the bottle (always green) very high above the head, pouring then the cider into a big glass with very thin walls, and filling the glass only up to one quarter of it. When you are in a group of friends, you usually share one or two glasses between the whole group, it's a community drink :-)

The sunny weather today has driven me to go to the beach for the first time in the year, to enjoy this beautiful spring day close to the sea. I went to Perlora, a village on the Asturias coast, with green meadows and several small beaches.

Here are some photos to bring you the essence of this area in Northern Spain, and a bit of fresh breeze for those of you who live far from the sea :-)

A day at the beach

Sand caressing my feet,
gulls in the sky,
the rumour of the sea,
the smell of the grass.

Fresh breeze blowing around,
water reflecting the light,
waves come and leave...
A great day at the beach!