The mountains were a bit gloomy this morning and we prepared for more weather challenges on our trip back along the coast. After breakfast we took the time to visit the Torre del Infantado – a medieval tower in the centre of town that houses an exhibit on Beato de Liébana, an 8th century monk with a thing for the book of Revelations. The tower had great views of the town and surrounding countryside and the exhibition makes you think twice about being bad. I’m no expert on Revelations so translating the text on the four horsemen and the seven seals was alternatively difficult and frightening. The temporary exhibit on 16th century court dress was incongruous but fascinating.
History box ticked for the day, we hopped in the Fiat and headed back down the torn up road that leads back to the coast. The original plan for the day was some beach time at one of the many little sandy coves along the Asturias coast. The sun teased us along the way making it difficult to predict if we would get any beach weather at all. Our first choice turned out to be quite crowded and rocky so it wasn’t what we wanted. So it was time to test Google maps ability to find an alternative.
The randomly chosen replacement beach, Playa de Guademia, wasn’t really accessible by car so we parked in a village and started walking towards the coast. We followed signs for Bufomes de Pria – which means blowholes and not jester as Google Translate asserts- After about a kilometre, we arrived at a striking area of coast with caves along the water where strong winds and storms have created outlets for the pressure on top of the cliffs – hence the “blowhole” name. We climbed all over the rocks, ignoring the threatening sky, and marvelled at the beauty of the place. (Can’t help but make a comparison to the coastline around Stonehaven or Arbroath given the weather.)
After enjoying a good scramble, we headed back to the beach which was the purpose of the stop. And that’s when God smiled on us: the sun came out as we found my perfect place. A small sea inlet that meets a river, where a small sandy beach is surrounded by trees and hills. Absolutely gorgeous and absolute bliss – definitely my idea of heaven. (Well TBH heaven would mean that the water would be just a tad warmer but I won’t press my luck!)
I would happily have stayed all day but the rumbley tummy meant food was required. We stopped at a small cafe in the village where the toddler Spanish was put to use again. Ensalada mixta (with tomatoes, eggs, and tuna) may be my new favorite Spanish dish. After a peaceful meal, we headed back to the motorway for the final driving part of the day: the road to Oviedo.
And that’s where our convertible luck ran out. With only 30 minutes to our destination, the sky decided to drop some of its liquid and we had to put the roof up while driving for the first time. (In case you are curious, a Fiat 500 convertible roof will go up if you are doing 70 kilometers per hour but not faster. You are welcome.)
We are living like locals here with two nights in a flat. We met the owner at the parking garage and got all the paperwork done. First activity for our new destination; laundry! Packing light really works better when you don’t sweat through two outfits per day. We took WAY too long figuring out the washing machine (you try reading the online users manual in Spanish!) before our first grocery store visit.
These are always my favorite part of any trip. Not just to see what GF stuff the have, but to see what stores in different places devote shelf space to. Here it tinned tuna (nearly an entire side of an aisle) and cooking oil. What does one do with a 25 liter bottle of sunflower oil?!
Time for a quick shower and a wander into town. The main draw for Oviedo is the old city and cathedral, which we’ll do tomorrow. First it was important to get our bearings and see what the vibe of the place is. On a Friday night, the vibe seems to be large groups and families gathering at bars and cafes to drink (and smoke 😡) while the kids played in the squares around the cathedral.
Eventually it was time to eat (again?!) and we found a cafe where everything is GF. It’d not advertised anywhere on the menu but that’s their jam. The menu was eclectic – everything from tacos to felafel to the traditional Cachopo – breaded fried veal cutlet stuffed with cheese and ham. Sign me up! This was the first place we heard anyone else speaking English all day so the celiac grapevine must be alive and well.
A little more wandering and it was time to head home for one more struggle with the washing machine before trying to get some sleep. (Living like a local is much noisier when you don’t have sealed windows, AC, and soundproofing.)
Musings for today:
- It’s possible to find joy in unexpected places. Sometimes you need to remember to look.
- Eating late at night is not good for me. It’s not possible to pack enough Rennies for dinner at 10pm.
- Sunshine is not required for a good holiday but it does help.
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