The nativity under construction

This is in the Cathederal Square round the corner from our flat. Week two of constructio.

Sunday ramble

We wandered out of town up a hill and found great views, The rural small holdings are just fifteen minuets walk from our city flat. The pity is that there is huge urbinisation going on and these unflattering tower blocks are creekping ever closer to the mountains. We only took pictures of the good view.

A very flat walk

The horse in the field greets all the walkers on this path,
a restored coal railway track. It runs 25km and follows a river. You pass through a number of tunnels which have automatic lights which turn on when you trigger the sensor.
In true Asturian style the weather closed in and we got very wet.

A red squirrel in the tree

A friend for Heike

After visiting the bears Paca and Tola, we went to a place called Entrado, and found this lovely horse, she had a prime spot, the football field at the foot of a mountain.

we went to visit the bears

Ibe learnt to say b for v

Some grafitti in the bus depo

I caught a bus to Leon, two hours through the mountains and we arriaved to a place I would describe as im batween Sobiet Russia and Baisingstoke. Freezing cold, everything was closed, 2pm on a Saturday. Ate our picnic with purple hands and suaght refuge in the contemporary art centre. Saved by the warmth, pitty about the art.

Masters at work

This is my work in progress, my brain mappings which have evolved into 600 punching words to support my application for a masters in art. That said time for a culture break.

Facing the direction of all the smells

A little dog waiting in the market

odd things from the shore

Friday night and we thought we would have a leisurely snack in the local seafood joint.
What we didn't know was that this would soon turn into an episode of jungle challenge.
Being conscientious diners we ordered the dishes which were 'in season' being sea urchins (oricios here). I stood on one of these in Greece twelve years ago. Have you ever seen a squashed slug, multicoloured and squidgy! Well this is what I ate, little spoonfuls of goo, if you're lucky you don't get bits of crunchy shell in a mouthful too. Soldiering on, armed with a mug of beer we finished the mountain of horrors. Only to be presented with some kind of speciality of claws, these resembled something prehistoric, I passed on these, but Rob took up the challenge, they were succulant at least, as Rob got squirted in the face several times in his attempts to extract the 2cm of edible morsel. I won't be revisiting these dishes again.

King of spreads

This is a sweet spread made from condensed milkand sugar. As peanutbutter costs around 3.50 euros this is the snackaroo standin. Any requests for a jar please contact me directly.

recorded at 16:30 in the shade

nothing much to report

So heres a building I walked past today, would be good to do some shadow puppet show at night here.

Alonso's balcony

Backtracking a bit, to last Sunday when Oviedo became Alonso crazed. the formula one driver being from here came to thank his homegrown fans, well people had flown over from England especialy to see him wave from a bulcony. I avoided the area until the masses had dispersed to eateries for sunday snax and cider drinking. The Paveingstones had been washed down probably because the fans were so excited they collectively wet themselves. I like the reflections and the two kids dressed up in Sunday best.

When a Thursday feels like a Monday

It was all Saints day yesterday or is that today, well it was some public holiday. Which meant the night before the kids were all partying late. I didnt sleep well because of all the noise. As everything was shut we ended up going to the Chinese supermarket, one of about six in
Oviedo. 'Super Bizare' as it is called, sells all sorts of wonderful plastic toys, kitch bric-a-brac
and usefull things like a toolbox for two euros. So anyone knowing me, I find this place like a treasure pot. Apparently the Oviedo local goverment made an agreement with the Chinese goverment which means that any Chinese buisness in the city does not have to pay taxes.