Wednesday, February 12, 2025
It was a good day for a road trip, so I headed to the train station to buy my roundtrip ticket to the city of Avilés located about 28 miles/45 kilometers to the west of Gijón.
My roundtrip ticket, thanks to my Senior Citizen Tarjeta Dorada, cost a mere 3.60€/$3.76 USD.
I would be taking a Renfe Cercanias train made for commuters with lots of stops along the way.
Renfe Crecanias trains tend to show
their wear and tear on the outside
Inside these old warhorses of the Spanish rail system are neat, clean and roomy while giving off an air of austerity.
I arrived at the Avilés Train Station
50 minutes after leaving Gijón
As is the custom in Spain, there was absolutely no information about the city in the train station. I had seen the steeple of an old church as the train arrived in Avilés, so I headed in that direction.
For once, I was right.
This cannon in the first park that I came
to, the Parque del Muelle, was a good
sign that I was on the right track
A Spanish park with lots of statues,
who knew?
Pedro Menendez de Avilés
1519-1574
Menendez, a favorite son of Avilés and a noted sailor and explorer, earned the title Captain General of the Indies Fleet and Cuba, for his exploits.
He is most famously known for conquering for the Spanish crown what is now the state of Florida. He further is credited with founding the Florida city of St. Augustine in 1565 which is considered to be the oldest city in the United States.
This bandstand caught my eye
Water spewing horned demons
have a special place in my heart
I felt that I was getting close to my goal, the Tourist Information Office but I got sidetracked.
Seeing the Iglesia de Los Padres
Franciscanos overwhelmed my
desire for a map of Avilés
The broadside of the same church
Avilés had several churches of interest as it turned out.
When I eventually did get a city map with a well thought out, self guided walking tour of Avilés, this church was actually the third stop on the trail.
The church dates back to the 12th century
Holy Week Religious Float
If you have never been in Spain for Semana Santa, the week before Easter Sunday, then add it to your bucket list!
We were fortunate to be living/coaching in Murcia, Spain a decade ago to experience a week of spectacular parades featuring religious floats that were much bigger than the one seen in this photo.
Equally fascinating, were the colorful confraternity of penitents who marched in these parades.
A Spanish penitent's traditional garb,
definitely NOT the American Ku Klux Klan
The tomb of Pedro Menendez de Avilés
is in the Iglesia de Los Padres Franciscanos
Joseph, Mary both with their Son
I enjoyed a good church visit to start my day, now where is that pesky Tourist Information Center?
Found along the way,
Jose Martí is considered a hero in Cuba
This map was a good one but it
was anchored into the wall
Art on the wall of . . .
. . . the Avilés Tourist Information Office
EUREKA!
A store selling everything Asturian
seen on my way to Stop #1 on my
Avilés walking tour . . .
. . . the Avilés Ayuntamiento and
the Plaza de España
Again, an ayuntamiento is a town's City Hall.
This one is located on a bustling, wide open plaza.
As you may know, I'm a fan of heraldry
The 14th century Valdecarzana Palace
Spring was in the air as the
temperatures that last few days
in northern Spain were rising
I simply liked this eating
establishment's signage
A small but informative museum focusing
on the origins and evolution of the city
Weather worn column capitals
A one pedal printing press
The log book from the brigantine
Francisca (1860-1880) that sailed
in Cuban waters
A detailed ship model
The museum also had a special
exhibit dedicated to the comic book
art, film and story telling of author
Javier Mariscal.
Mariscal's 2010 animated film,
Chico & Rita, is set in Cuba
Looks like La Habana to me
This was an unexpected and surprisingly good special exhibit.
On to lion headed water spouts!
The 17th century Palacio de Camposagrado
More Heraldry
A striking statue of . . .
. . . Avilés painter
Don Juan Carreño de Miranda
1614-1685
Fun with Flower Pots
The Mercado Abastos
This is the Avilés food market that was established in the second half of the 19th century.
It was calm and quiet today.
Iglesia de Santo Tomás de Canterbury
An English saint in Spain?
I did not enter as a funeral was taking place.
Iglesia Vieja de Sabugo
13th century
The Sabugo was Avilés' old
fishing district that lay outside of
the ancient City Wall
Eroding faces on the old church . . .
. . . more of the same
The "Table of Sea Merchants"
used in medieval times by fishermen
to plan their fishing seasons
ERIC!
In this house you can eat, drink,
and enjoy, until you body
and soul can't take it any more . . .
A ubiquitous Spanish
National Lottery Stand
You can't win if you don't play.
I don't play, so I don't win.
"Hey Laurie, I just wanted you to
know that Jon Kadletz and I are
going to The Library."
A famous Contreras family quote from 1968, The Library was a watering hole on our way home from the University of Washington campus, not a place for serious study.
Laurie was not aware of our ruse for quite some time.
This is the Avilés version of that long gone Seattle bar of our youth.
A stunning corner building
Dry fountain
Wonderful building façades
Iglesia de San Nicolás de Bari
13th century with a . . .
. . . glorious old cross in its courtyard
These twin tombs were found inside
The Santiago Chapel
The Cross of St. James
The BVM overlooking the Santiago Chapel
The colorful Santiago Chapel ceiling
Lots of tombs in this old church
Seven possible water spouts on
this currently dry fountain
An old boat carving
Don Domingo Alvarez Acebal
1846-1924
Don Domingo was a beloved local teacher of Mathematics. His former students erected this statue in his honor.
Another stunning corner edifice
Santa Cecila
Eat Sing
Bother No One
A simple mural
I wonder how long these
rocks have been here?
A more colorful mural
A Jaleo is a Fuss and this looked
like a good spot for one to me
Arcades like this one are a hallmark
of Avilés' Casco Histórico district
They were a much needed plus today for me when a light rain fell for about 15 minutes at midday.
I love Asturian Hórreos, this one
was on Plaza del Carbayedo
This plaza was once the site of the old cattle market . . .
. . . thus the statue of this farmer
leading his calf to market
Yet another chapel calling my name
but there was not much to see inside
Arcades of all styles and colors
on Calle de Galiana . . .
. . . providing shelter from both
rain and oppressive heat
The bandstand in Parque de Ferrera
Nice witch hat tower
I liked this mosaic in the park
I felt power in this leafless tree
"Keep moving, nothing to see here!"
Interesting window decorations
African art in Avilés
A well located fixer-upper
The Teatro Palacio Valdés
It opened in 1920 and is Avilés' historic theater, dance and opera center.
The Teatro has ornate details
The Teatro is named after this man,
Armando Palacio Valdés
Spanish Novelist and Critic
1853-1938
The Centro Niemeyer
This is Avilés' new arts center that was closed for lunch today when I neared.
It was getting late and I wanted to start for Gijón, so entering the Centro Niemeyer will have to wait for another time.
Mini-harbor on the Ría de Avilés
Wild looking harbor art in the distance
A tile map of the Coast Route of the
Camino de Santiago
The abandoned factory building
across the way from my bench
awaiting the train home
I highly recommend Avilés as a destination should you visit northern Spain, you'll enjoy it immensely I believe.
Once back at the apartment . . .
. . . I saw my first wind surfer of the
season off of the Playa de Poniente
Physical Fitness to the MAX today!
Reading Is FUNdamental!
A MUST read work of non-fiction
when living in Spain
Growing up, the only thing that I knew about the 1588 Spanish Armada's attempt to invade England was that it failed due to intense bad weather at sea.
This excellent book added doses of poor Spanish supply logistics leading to serious health issues, bickering Spanish leadership, poor Spanish metalwork and a reliance on river boats not designed for the rigors of rough seas as all having had a hand in Spain's utter defeat.
The English also employed new cutting edge battle tactics using smaller, faster and more maneuverable English ships to stymie the huge, slow moving Spanish galleons.
It truly was sheer folly on the part of Spain's King Phillip II that saw his Catholic country lose 44 of its 137 vessels and suffer the deaths of as many as 20,000 of the original 55,000 man force it sent out to conquer Protestant England and their Queen Elizabeth I.
The English, in turn, lost none of their 197 fighting ships and suffered approximately but 100 deaths, a goodly number unless you were one of those 100.
Lots of interesting history in Europe for sure.
No comments:
Post a Comment