With uncharacteristic punctuality, I present the third installment of my blog!! And, as promised, I have prepared a small introduction of my new home. (To those of you who live here, I'm sorry if I misrepresent it in any way; I'll do my best.)
I live in Oviedo, the capital of the Principality of Asturias. It has a population of like 221,000 within 70 square miles (186 km2). Yeah, these numbers don't mean much to me either. Everyone asks how it compares to Salt Lake, but it's really hard to say. In many ways it's more urban here. Most buildings have at least 6 floors, and they're all squished together; something completely lacking in Salt Lake. At the same time, there are only like 3 Chinese restaurants here, and no Japanese food to speak of (send sushi care packages! please!!). The city is 93% Spanish, with Latin Americans (mostly Ecuadorians), Africans, and Roma (gypsies) making up the remaining 6.99%. So, it seems little old SLC (~65% white) is more diverse than Oviedo.
I'd like you to conjure in your mind everything stereotypically Spanish--flamenco, bullfights, paella, dry heat, sunny days, windmills . . . Now forget all of that because I haven't seen any of it. The north of Spain is pretty much like a Spanish speaking Ireland or Oregon; very green, thanks to the copious amounts of rain. It would appear that the rain in Spain does not, in fact, stay mainly on the plain, but rather, on the northern coast. Which can be dreary, no doubt. But after living in a quasi-desert for 17 years, it is a welcome change.
I also like how very temperate it is here. The highs this week are in the mid 60's (16˚ C), fairly comfortable. Each week I can feel it getting a little bit more chilly, but even in the dead of winter it's not expected to drop below freezing. January in Oviedo sounds like October in Utah--it'll maybe snow a few times, but it definitely won't last.
As with all of Europe, Oviedo is also much more accessible and well connected. I can only imagine how imprisoned exchange students in Utah must feel. Here I can walk to all my daily commitments in 15-20 minutes. Beyond that there's a bus or train to almost everywhere. A half-hour north and I'm at the ocean-- beaches, craggy cliffs, fishing villages, seafood. A half-hour in the other direction and I'm in the mountains, skiing even. In four hours and for forty euros I can be in a bustling metropolis, Madrid (7 million people). It would take at least three times as much time and money to get to anywhere remotely metropolitan from SLC. It's all on a different scale I guess.
Another nice characteristic of Oviedo is how clean it is. One of the first things I learned was that it is the cleanest city in all of Spain, and it shows. That is, during the day anyway. On Saturday night unbelievable mountains of trash, beer bottles, plastic bags, cups, cigarette butts and urine fill the streets. It all magically disappears by morning, however, washed clean by a fleet of water guns.
Now that you have some idea of the demographics and such, here's some photos of the place!
The Cathedral of Oviedo. Constructed in various stages from the 8th to the 16th century. It is the highest point in the city, visible from pretty much everywhere. It's unique because most gothic cathedrals have two campaniles (tower thingies) but they ran out of money for the second. Strangely (to me anyway), this area is also the center of nightlife.
The commercial area. This statue is called "Maternidad" or something but everyone calls it "la gorda", for obvious reasons. The building in the back, "La Jirafa", is the tallest building in Oviedo (but lower than the cathedral, which is on a hill). Every time we pass it, people tell me Fernando Alonso lives there. He's apparently a very famous Formula 1 racer I've never heard of. Next to that is the Teatro Campoamor, which hosts the Prince of Asturias awards.
There's also a lovely park in the middle of town called Campo San Francisco. I like to go there when I get sick of the smells, noise, and insane drivers of the city.
Oviedo has lots and lots of statues. Here is one of Woody Allen. Woody was awarded the Prince of Asturias Premio de las Artes in 2002, and he liked the city so much, he decided to come back and make a movie. So they made a statue for him! Sadly, some juvenile delinquent has made off with his glasses.
So that's my overview of Oviedo. It's not the most cosmopolitan place, and nothing can beat the Wasatch Mountains for majestic backyard beauty, but I like it.
I live in Oviedo, the capital of the Principality of Asturias. It has a population of like 221,000 within 70 square miles (186 km2). Yeah, these numbers don't mean much to me either. Everyone asks how it compares to Salt Lake, but it's really hard to say. In many ways it's more urban here. Most buildings have at least 6 floors, and they're all squished together; something completely lacking in Salt Lake. At the same time, there are only like 3 Chinese restaurants here, and no Japanese food to speak of (send sushi care packages! please!!). The city is 93% Spanish, with Latin Americans (mostly Ecuadorians), Africans, and Roma (gypsies) making up the remaining 6.99%. So, it seems little old SLC (~65% white) is more diverse than Oviedo.
I'd like you to conjure in your mind everything stereotypically Spanish--flamenco, bullfights, paella, dry heat, sunny days, windmills . . . Now forget all of that because I haven't seen any of it. The north of Spain is pretty much like a Spanish speaking Ireland or Oregon; very green, thanks to the copious amounts of rain. It would appear that the rain in Spain does not, in fact, stay mainly on the plain, but rather, on the northern coast. Which can be dreary, no doubt. But after living in a quasi-desert for 17 years, it is a welcome change.
I also like how very temperate it is here. The highs this week are in the mid 60's (16˚ C), fairly comfortable. Each week I can feel it getting a little bit more chilly, but even in the dead of winter it's not expected to drop below freezing. January in Oviedo sounds like October in Utah--it'll maybe snow a few times, but it definitely won't last.
As with all of Europe, Oviedo is also much more accessible and well connected. I can only imagine how imprisoned exchange students in Utah must feel. Here I can walk to all my daily commitments in 15-20 minutes. Beyond that there's a bus or train to almost everywhere. A half-hour north and I'm at the ocean-- beaches, craggy cliffs, fishing villages, seafood. A half-hour in the other direction and I'm in the mountains, skiing even. In four hours and for forty euros I can be in a bustling metropolis, Madrid (7 million people). It would take at least three times as much time and money to get to anywhere remotely metropolitan from SLC. It's all on a different scale I guess.
Another nice characteristic of Oviedo is how clean it is. One of the first things I learned was that it is the cleanest city in all of Spain, and it shows. That is, during the day anyway. On Saturday night unbelievable mountains of trash, beer bottles, plastic bags, cups, cigarette butts and urine fill the streets. It all magically disappears by morning, however, washed clean by a fleet of water guns.
Now that you have some idea of the demographics and such, here's some photos of the place!
The Cathedral of Oviedo. Constructed in various stages from the 8th to the 16th century. It is the highest point in the city, visible from pretty much everywhere. It's unique because most gothic cathedrals have two campaniles (tower thingies) but they ran out of money for the second. Strangely (to me anyway), this area is also the center of nightlife.
The commercial area. This statue is called "Maternidad" or something but everyone calls it "la gorda", for obvious reasons. The building in the back, "La Jirafa", is the tallest building in Oviedo (but lower than the cathedral, which is on a hill). Every time we pass it, people tell me Fernando Alonso lives there. He's apparently a very famous Formula 1 racer I've never heard of. Next to that is the Teatro Campoamor, which hosts the Prince of Asturias awards.
There's also a lovely park in the middle of town called Campo San Francisco. I like to go there when I get sick of the smells, noise, and insane drivers of the city.
Oviedo has lots and lots of statues. Here is one of Woody Allen. Woody was awarded the Prince of Asturias Premio de las Artes in 2002, and he liked the city so much, he decided to come back and make a movie. So they made a statue for him! Sadly, some juvenile delinquent has made off with his glasses.So that's my overview of Oviedo. It's not the most cosmopolitan place, and nothing can beat the Wasatch Mountains for majestic backyard beauty, but I like it.
Hello! I absolutely love your overview of Oviedo! What a charming city it seems to be. I would love to find a way to come visit you (and I'd bring sushi for that matter!)...Can't wait for the next installment. :)
ReplyDeleteAre there peacocks in the park?
ReplyDeleteTyler - you have a wonderful way of painting pictures with words. I very much enjoyed my "tour" of your new home.
ReplyDeleteDo you find yourself thinking in Spanish? Do many people there speak English?