Closed for vacation

Being the hottest months of the year, July and August are vacation time for the citizens of Madrid. In particular, large numbers of them flee during August. It is not unusual for small businesses to put up a sign in the window that says, "See you in September," which is fairly incomprehensible to someone raised in workaholic America. The larger restaurants and supermarkets are still open, but even offices will reduce their hours in summer.

I decided to follow their head and go somewhere cooler too. This past week I've been in Oviedo, the capital of the autonomous region of Asturias, in the north.  They have a climate similar to the UK or Seattle, WA, and so it seemed like a great place to get away from the heat. It is also one of the few places I have considered living besides Madrid, and once of my goals of the coming year is to visit more of Spain and make sure that Madrid is the best fit for me.

Oviedo turned out to be really, really lovely. It is full of old architecture and a huge chunk of the city center has been turned into a pedestrian zone, which makes it walkable and quiet. It was cool and humid (except for a single day that was hot and therefore especially miserable in a city that isn´t used to even having fans available).

The surrounding countryside was lush and green, something I am already missing. There are huge craggy cliffs and tiny houses and villages tucked in between.

I am not sure it is the place for me long-term, though. Oviedo has 200.000 residents, and its nearby sister city Gijón is about the same size. When I lived in Gainesville, which is slightly smaller, it felt too small to meet people who share similar interests. I think this might be a good place when I am already fluent in Spanish and integrated fully into Spanish culture, but I´m not there yet. 

Still, I had a great visit. My friend P lives nearby, and he make sure we went to a sidra tavern. Sidra is the alcoholic drink in Asturias - a sour, alcoholic apple cider. It´s not really carbonated, so the waiter pours a small amount in your glass from a great height (like this), which adds a few bubbles. Then you drink it up right away, and wait until they come back a few minutes later to pour you a bit more. I liked it, and am hoping I can find a bottle or two in Madrid. (Although I won´t be trying that pouring technique. Even the experts relied on wood shavings covering the floor to soak up their spills.)

P and I at the famous statue of Mafalda, who stars in Argentinian comic books. I will be looking her up next time I go to the library.

A beautiful and very old 9th century church. I climbed a very big hill to get to this. During the tour, I noted the guide´s warning that we were not to take picture while standing on the patio, which is the open area in front without rails, so that we wouldn´t fall. Then I saw people taking tons of photos, which means that either the Spanish don´t follow directions or I don´t really understand the language. Probably both are true.