La Aventura Loca: La Brisa Fresca de Oviedo

Well, after literally running from my hostel to the train station (looking like a true American with my Oregon Ducks shirt and yoga pants, breathing heavily with a 60-pound bag and a backpack) to catch the 2:00 train to Oviedo last Tuesday, I have finally arrived in my home for the next 3 months.

I wish that I could create an accurate and complete image of this town in your heads. For those of you that have had the pleasure of seeing the movie "Chocolate", think the old architecture with cafés sprinkled throughout the town serving churros con chocolate (unfortunately, minus Johnny Depp). It is an interesting combination of 14th century buildings such as their gorgeous, centrally-located cathedral paired with modern architecture such as the infamous "Spaceship", a building that is shockingly large with features resembling "Star Trek".

As I enjoy telling stories, I have decided to stick with the tradition of telling one story or describing one location that has had a significant impact while I have been here. However, since I have not written a new blog post in a week, I will share two experiences that I have had so far...

On Thursday of this last week, our program directors led our group on a tour of the Old Town area of Oviedo. Let me preface this by saying that Oviedo is the oldest city that I have ever visited. We began our tour at the cathedral, which began construction in the 8th century! It is a part of the Camino de Santiago, which is a story in its own right (I recommend googling it).

We then moved on to see sights such as the Plaza de Paraguas (literally a square with a huge metal umbrella in the middle), and the oldest non-religious building in Oviedo, a 14th century stone structure that I honestly would not have paid much attention to... but I'm sure it was quite metropolitan during its time.

When we returned to the cathedral at the end of the tour, it was finally open for viewing. You will have to watch the video below to understand but this cathedral was spectacular. With so much history and intricate details lining every wall, it was hard to grasp the significance of standing in such a structure. My friends from the program and I are planning on grabbing a café con leche next Sunday before attending mass at the cathedral (I think the café will be necessary because I believe mass lasts for 2-3 hours...).

Later that day, on my way back home from Old Town, Angelina, Kelsey and I ran across a huelga (strike) that was happening for the workers in the mining industry. Apparently, the miners have been significantly impacted by the recession that has happened in Spain and are being mistreated by the managers of the mines (underpaid, overworked, etc.). So, in a diplomatic fashion, they walked through the main street of Oviedo setting off minor explosions (think fireworks with a little extra gun powder). The girls and I were initially shocked by the display until we saw families strolling about with their baby carriages as though nothing was wrong. Interestingly enough, this huelga happened the same day that the fight broke out in Eugene (yep, we heard all about the tear gas situation over here).

So, there you have it: a picture of pure beauty and pure strife. Since I have already written a novel, I will not include the story about my run through the Parque de Invierno. However, let me just say that God truly blessed me with the most gorgeous sunset on my run last week through the largest park in the southern part of Oviedo (I will include pictures at a later date).

Please enjoy the photos and videos from both of my experiences in Oviedo this past week...