Christmas has started...

Christmas doesn't really happen here in Asturias until this week, that is, the hype and madness that is associated with the run up to Christmas doesn't start until a few days before Christmas day. The street decorations, nativity sets, shop displays and Christmas tunes have been around for a couple of weeks but until this week, it wasn't really happening. It is a very different experience to Christmas in the UK, so quiet and very little of the frenzied must have mindset...thank goodness.

We drove to Oviedo this week to buy in supplies that we can't get here. Oviedo is about 50 minutes away by motorway. The roads were busier than usual and we must have seen... oh, at least 40 or 50 cars and vehicles....

The shops were well stocked with traditional Christmas foods and prices of key items such as seafood had risen sharply. The market was busier than normal with customers waiting patiently to be served their joints of meat, fruit and vegetables, fish and shellfish.

There was the usual display of Nativity sets outside Oviedo's wonderful Cathedral. Many shops in the area are dedicated to selling figures, miniature buildings, scenery and electrically operated effects that are built into nativity scenes in every church, many homes and numerous shop windows around town. One piece particularly amused us, it was a woman wiping a babies bottom - animated of course, with her arm moving up and down in a wiping bum sort of way...only in Spain.

There were a couple of Christmas markets and fairs open which we visited. There were sited near the central park. One was the usual bought in jewelry, leather goods, clothes and gifts which wasn't really up to much but the other was an Artesan Fair where craft workers display their creations with a few offering live demonstrations. There were some lovely items including pottery, jewelry, treen, games and puppets.

There was a demonstration in the city by Bomberos (fire-fighters) who were rallying support to prevent cuts in services, all was calm and many people were signing their petition.

The main event for many families will be Christmas Eve when a family meal is cooked. Some people will give presents on Christmas day but for the majority, presents will be given on the Epiphany on the 6th of January when the three Kings bring their gifts to baby Jesus. There will be grand parades in most towns and cities on the evening of the 5th January.

We take this opportunity to wish all of you who take the time to visit our blog, a very Happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous 2015. We aim to keep telling tales from Asturias next year and hope you continue to pay us a visit from time to time either here on the blog or if you're passing....

Best wishes

Ian and Luis  

Simple pleasures...

It was Luis' birthday this week and we celebrated in the way we have become accustomed: each choosing what you want to do for your own day. We stopped buying presents many years ago and believe that if we really want something and can afford it, we buy it at any time of the year, the same applies for Christmas. It fits in with our thinking that: life is short; we should all make the most of what we have; less is often more. Somehow, we seem to need less and value simpler pleasures.

The day started well with our friend Birgitta arriving with a glorious chocolate-covered birthday cake with candles. Later in the day we visited Birgitta and Manfred with the cake and took tea in their garden, chased chickens, fed geese and harvested salad leaves.

Luis chose to visit Santa Cristina de Lena, a pre-romanesque church south of Oviedo and to have a picnic lunch and short walk... A bit of background might help here if you do not know about pre-romanesque architecture (which I didn't until coming to Spain). Pre-romanesque architecture is found only in Asturias and is also known as the Asturian monarchy architecture.

We parked the car and walked the rough track that leads to the church which is sited on a hill jutting out from a larger hill/mountain. As we approached, tethered goats and their young kept the grassy entrance and hedges that led to the church, cut and managed. Two elderly ladies sat chatting and told us that this was their daily walk before lunch. A perfect spot for a catch up and intrigue...

The church was attended by a guide who helped point out the features we should look for, chiefly the stone carvings that adorned the pillars, medallions and walls.

Originally, the church would have be painted and highly decorated with brightly coloured murals, motifs and religious texts; reflecting the beliefs and loyalties of the times. This no longer exists and the church has had two known major renovations in the 1800's and, just after the civil war in Spain (1936) when it was badly damaged by artillery.

I am personally not into churches but you cannot but admire and appreciate the grace, simplicity and tranquillity of an 8th century sanctuary. It is not hard to imagine a distant time when the ecclesiastical elite and the noble families met for worship and intrigue amongst other things.

We called at the visitor centre which was housed in the old and rather dour looking railway station: La Cobertoria. This exhibition was particularly well executed with panels and photographs explaining the period in history and setting the context of the church within the other centres in Asturias and further afield in Europe. In addition, the panels had English translations which always helps.

We didn't know of any local picnic areas so we decided to head back to the coast and call at La Isla, always a favourite beach to wander. We ate a great lunch, watch the para gliders descend from the Sueve mountain range and with great precision land on the narrow strip of beach. We took a walk along the beach as far as we could (high tide) and looked at pebbles.

Simple pleasures...

A day in Oviedo at Christmas

Apart from our Christmas tree and decorations, a neighbour's tiny, climbing Santa Claus scaling her otherwise bare balcony and a rare glimpse of fairy lights through lace curtains as you drive by houses and apartments in nearby Ribadesella, you wouldn't know it's Christmas here. Technically it isn't I suppose as the main event is the Epiphany on the 6th of January, the time when the three kings visit carrying gifts or if you're a western Christian, a celebration of the visit by the Magi to baby Jesus. Northern European customs and traditions are gradually filtering down and many Spanish families now celebrate both; Santa Clause and the birth of Jesus (presents); The visiting Magi and the recognition of the baby Jesus as the son of God (more presents).

We decided to visit Oviedo today to take the opportunity to visit the Artisan fair, the Bethlehem exhibitions in front of Oviedo's main cathedral and the markets. The post Christmas sales haven't started here yet so the city was fairly quiet with people still buying gifts for the 6th January. The Christmas decorations are fairly low-key but tasteful in Oviedo. No doubt it looks very pretty with the addition of overhead Christmas lights adorning most main streets, squares and terraces but that's for an evening trip maybe next week.

The artisan fair is an annual event. A large marquee hosts about 40 artisans selling their creations. We often wonder how they make a living as no-one ever seems to buy very much but we see the same stalls and stall-holders year after year so somehow they keep going even through these tough times. There were many jewellery, ceramics, leather goods, soaps and wood-turners, some lovely objects but nothing you haven't seen before.

The Bethlehem and nativity sets outside the Cathedral were fewer than usual but still very impressive. Large dioramas portraying every aspect of life in Bethlehem and the nativity. This year the exhibition was fenced off and guarded by two police patrol cars which seemed rather over-the-top but there was a nearby street protest by the mining community who were demonstrating at the lack of investment in their futures. The demonstration might account for the police presence.

The indoor and outdoor markets are always a joy to wander. Nothing unexpected on sale but the bright, colourful rows of fruits, vegetables and plants in stark contrast to the icy blue and grey hues of fresh fish or the red raw and cured meats were a feast for the eyes. We bought several specialist teas from Inffusions (how they spell their name) which we will enjoy over the coming winter months.

The city has a gentle pace and I doubt that once the sales start it will change much. There is always an air of grace in Oviedo which is punctuated with fine architecture from the past 100 years and historic structures that now house worship, education, fine art and music. It's just a shame more people don't stop and look, up and from side to side. I am often amused when pointing the camera up to photograph some of the buildings, many people spot you, look skyward to see what photograph you are taking and then do a double take when they see the beauty that reigns above eye level.

Oviedo on market day

We rarely need to travel far to shop as we generally buy in bulk or locally. Every so often we will travel to Oviedo to one of the large out-of-town shopping centres and take a couple of hours to walk around the beautiful city of Oviedo. Punctuated by magnificent Art Deco and Art Nouveaux buildings, it's wide streets and central park are a pleasure to stroll.

In the old quarter, stands Oviedo cathedral. Each year at this time there is a display called the El Belen: an exhibition of nativity sets and the landscapes and buildings of Bethlehem. Most of them are really well done and are extremely detailed. The most impressive this year had a flowing mountain stream with living miniature ferns, grasses and moss planted in crevices and rocks.

In an area near to the Cathedral, the indoor and outdoor markets hustle and bustle as the day unfolds. It is always interesting to see the farmers and their wives selling small amounts of home grown and locally produced goods from a collection of crates, sacks and bowls. We believe that from time to time they probably replenish their stock from other not-so-home grown sources but they certainly give the market character and life.

The flower market is small and its stock is limited but there is always a seasonal heady scent and swathes of vibrant plants and flowers which cheer up passers bye, tourists and shoppers alike.

The large indoor market is typical of any Spanish town with sections for meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, coffee bars, health food and specialist teas and coffees. We spent a good half an hour opening the tea samples attached to the tins by magnets. We eventually choose one after sniffing almost every sample in the shop. The staff were very helpful and chatty. We also purchased a traditional Japanese tea pot for infusions which Luis is going to make a mosaic stand to compliment the design.

Elsewhere in Oviedo there was a large temporary exhibition and sale of crafts. The Artisan market is sited in the park and there are over 40 stalls. I am always slightly disappointed with it as each year the variety of goods is reduced and the main focus this year was jewellery  imported wooden fancy goods, imported knitwear and ethnic clothing, leather and a little pottery.

It is good to visit the towns and cities from time to time and live life for a few hours at a quicker pace but we always welcome the tranquillity of home and the gentle sounds of nature.