Wednesday, January 15, 2025
I felt long overdue for a travel day so I headed to the Gijón Train Station to start the day's adventure.
The flags of Asturias, Spain and the
European Union
Using my Tarjeta Dorada discount card for the first time, my round trip train ticket for the excursion cost me only 3.80€.
I did have one snag in Gijón, my train was scheduled to leave at 10:00 a.m. from Track 1.
As I entered the rail yard, there was Track #1 on my left and I boarded the train on it to get out of the brisk air. It was an older train but it was warm inside, so I was good with it. At about 9:58 a.m., I heard the station's P.A. announcer say that the train I needed was about to leave on Track #1.
At the appointed departure time, a sleek looking new train pulled out on a track to our far right, but we just sat there.
I was on the wrong train but still headed to the correct city. We finally left at 10:20 a.m.
The train that I had wanted was an express making few stops along the way. The one that I was on was a local, stopping at every single train station along the way. Slower to be sure, but I made it.
The problem, I later found out, was that the Gijón Train Station has two Track #1s. One is for local trains and the other is for express runs.
Always learning, así es la vida . . .
Regardless, I made it to lovely
Oviedo
Founded in the 8th-century by the Asturian ruler Fruela, Oviedo is Spain's oldest Christian city.
It is now a university city with a charming medieval Old Town.
Time keeping at the Oviedo Train Station
is a MUST!
Oviedo's Train Station is medium sized
The Oviedo Train Station is not new
Based on my years of experience riding the rails in Spain, it seems to be the norm that Spanish train stations in big cities never have a tourist information (TI) center in the station.
Instead, one has to wander about asking kind strangers the way to the city's major sights.
Also the norm, I eventually stumbled upon a TI in the center of town and was given a map that perfectly met my further needs.
As always, the architecture wowed me
This was my one church of the day
Gaudy but cool
But which one was it?
Aha, the Basilica de San Juan El Real
Long time Spanish dictator, General Francisco Franco, was married in this Basilica in 1923.
Let us enter . . .
Ornate
Colorful
This was in an alcove filled with
burial wall units
La Virgen de la Covadonga
is the Patron Saint of Asturias
The main altar
I love cupolas
One last look at this beautiful
Basilica and its intricate decorations
D. Luis Riera Posada
beloved former Mayor of Oviedo
It should be noted that Oviedo has artful sculptures scattered throughout the city.
Yep!
Another random house of worship
a few blocks away, I did not enter
The souvenir store for the
Real Oviedo soccer team
I entered into a mini Real Oviedo
museum in the entryway
The RO club is now 99 years old
Lots of trophies on display
Onward to another huge mural
Ode to a Nudist Colony?
Just a guess on my part, all other sculpture photos have the correct titles.
Laurie and I ate lunch in that
building in the middle years ago
It is called Café Opera.
The opera theater around the
corner from the Café Opera
No comment
"Hope Walking"
The Ballerina
Soothing fountain
Maternity
Palacio de la Junta General del
Principado de Asturias
Hammer Time in Oviedo?
Ponies on Parade
Entry to the University of Oviedo
Anonymous Traveler
Big yellow buildings are all
the rage in Europe this season
Palacio de Valdecarzana
Four friends soaking up the
sunshine and sharing friendship
La Catedral de San Salvador
erected in the 16th-century
A nice fountain on the Catedral's
Plaza Alfonso II El Casto
La Regenta
Nice crest
La Catedral's tall tower
La Catedral's Main Entrance
Lots of detail
It cost 8.00€ to enter.
I didn't.
Looks Roman to me
Plaza Alfonso II El Casto
Remnants of a Renovation
The Camino runs through Oviedo!
Twice!
For the Coastal Route continue straight ahead.
For the Primitive Route, turn left now.
These two Camino routes that will
both end in Santiago de Compostela
King Pelayo perhaps
Ornate, the whole city is ORNATE!
In the Garden of the Caudillo Kings
A bold Warrior Caudillo King
A noble Noble
King Ramiro I
Keeping the Asturian dialect alive
Keeping my waist line alive
I was getting hungry.
How old is this crest?
I wondered the age of this next building
1780 it was!
Oviedo's City Hall
A lion on guard at City Hall
The Fisherwoman
The Fish Peddler
La Lechera
On her way to market
Just a gentle reminder that
Laurie can't get here soon enough
My DK Eyewitness Northern Spain
Guidebook mentioned but two places
to eat in all of Oviedo
This out of the way sidreria was one of them.
I entered.
It was empty when I entered but
packed when I left
Of course I ordered a bottle of sidra
It is the traditional adult beverage of Asturias.
But this tradition can be had by the bottle only. I was game but did not finish it, but not for lack of trying.
This fancy contraption eliminates the need for the usual tall, aerating pours by a waiter.
I got it to work beautifully.
I needed some greens
I ordered this apple and queso Cabrales salad with walnuts.
Amazing, but not for the faint of heart.
The salted veal steak and fries
were fantastic
So was the flan buried under
all of that whip cream for dessert
This was a GREAt dining experience
Thank you DK Eyewitness Northern Spain Guidebook!
Another plaza and an albergue
catering to the needs of pilgrims
on their Camino walk
Close up view of the City Hall
after my sumptuous meal
Randomly on a church
"NO BALL PLAYING ALLOWED HERE!"
Left over from the Holidays,
I think, in a nice city park
The famed Spanish language cartoon
character known as Mafalda
One of several sculptures named
Maternity
Grandson Jacob can rest easy,
Oviedo is indeed a town officially
Back at the Oviedo Train Station
This time I got onto the express train for a much faster ride home to Gijón.
It was good to have a day to myself with no football to speak of.
The Mariners will be back at it tomorrow night, should be FUN!
How about one last statue named
Maternity
No comments:
Post a Comment