Notes From Spain Podcast no. 30! Oviedo
by Ben Curtis
After extreme weather driving to Oviedo, we begin in a restaurant in the centre of Oviedo, eating Fabada, a lettuce, onion and tomato salad, and ‘patatas a la importancia’ - important potatoes! I tell the story of a widow who is forced to live above her husband’s killer in the Basque country - see this Guardian article for the full story.
Next morning we visit the cathedral, where we hear a beautiful misa cantada - sung mass (the clip I play is a catholic version of what I know as the Lord’s Prayer…), and continue up into the hills outside Oviedo to see the churches of Santa Maria del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo.
The reconquest of Spain began in Asturias, at Covadonga, and the Asturians put up fierce resistance to Franco in the Civil War.
Also: we mention one of the finest mounain walks in Spain, the Ruta del Cares, the Cares Gorge. And if you are interested in teching English in Spain, check out my blog post here.
Photos: click to enlarge.
Fabada |
Plaza Alfonso II |
Oviedo Cathedral |
Cathedral Porch |
Posted: January 29th, 2006 under Notes from Spain Podcast, Spanish.
Comments: 8
Comments
Comment from JanesDaddy (Chris)
Time: January 30, 2006, 7:25 pm
This was the second time I had to laugh out loud at Marina’s use of English vernacular (this time, the tea I was drinking was almost sprayed all over my cubicle at work). After the accidental F* word a couple of weeks ago, describing how she was too “knackered” to drive was just too funny.
As always, another very informative and entertaining podcast. Thanks.
Comment from Ben
Time: January 30, 2006, 7:37 pm
Excellent, reading your comment just made her day!
Ben
Comment from César
Time: February 2, 2006, 5:18 pm
Se me hace la boca agua y me renace la morriña gastronómica al ver la foto del plato de fabada…
Me ha sorprendido un poco que hablando de Oviedo no os hayáis acordado de Leopoldo Alas “Clarín” el cual se inspiró en Oviedo para describir la ciudad de Vetusta en la novela más importante del siglo XIX español, La Regenta.
Comment from Ben
Time: February 2, 2006, 5:38 pm
Es que somos un poco paletos, o quizas es q nos gusta mas las experiencias puras como la de comer una buena fabada que darnos cuenta de la historia q nos rodea… Fijate, ni siquiera conocia aquel libro….
Comment from César
Time: February 2, 2006, 5:44 pm
No tires piedras contra tu propio tejado; no sois paletos. A lo mejor es que tenéis otras inquietudes, lo cual también está bien. No tenemos todos que ser iguales.
Comment from Ben
Time: February 2, 2006, 9:25 pm
Totally true.
Comment from Simon
Time: February 3, 2006, 6:18 am
I was hoping that noone would ever comment about Marina’s use of ‘knackered’. It is always used so innocencently that I’d always assumed that its real meaning was one of Ben’s secrets…..
Comment from Ben
Time: February 3, 2006, 9:45 am
?!
No, just UK vernacular for tired!
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