Oviedo, the main city of Asturias

On October 25th, we drive to Oviedo with incredibly warm, summery weather.

About 3 km northwest of the city, we visit Santa Maria de Naranca, a unique and well-preserved pre-Romanesque building. It has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Jürg and Alfredo in front of Santa Marìa del Naranca.

San Miguel de Lillo, a palace chapel very close to Santa Marà del Naranca.

We stroll through the old town of Oviedo.

There are many unique buildings to admire, there is a lot of activity in all streets, it is lively, noisy and cozy.

We get to know 'el corte ingles', which is a department store chain for wealthy customers that only exists in Spain.

We are amazed by the wide range of fish, meat, sausages, cheeses, fruits, and vegetables in a market hall.

We also notice the many Spanish flags on the houses here. It becomes more and more clear that the government of Catalonia will declare unilateral independence from Spain. There is constant debate and information on television, people discuss and curse in the street and in bars. A serious crisis is imminent. Will there be violence?

The sculpture 'motherhood' by Fernando Botero on Plaza Escandalera spreads a completely different mood. The child, with its arms outstretched into the world, radiates a lot of optimism with its strong mother.

This more than 1300 year old yew tree (tejo) impresses us on the way back to La Peral. It stands next to the church of the pretty farming village of Bermiego.

Elsbeth