A Day in Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain

The third weekend of February was another long weekend for public schools, which meant we had to plan a trip out of Madrid! We opted to visit two cities in the region of Asturias in the north of Spain. Famous for its food and cider, I knew that the weekend was going to be incredible.

Driving to the north of Spain is like entering a different country. You leave the desert landscape of Madrid and enter a world of snow capped mountains, lush green rolling hills with colorful farmhouses scattered upon the landscape. The north is famous for food, architecture and rain - but we lucked out and didn’t get drenched during our stay.

If you are looking to drink the famous cider (sidra in Spanish) go to Calle Gascona. It’s a street of endless bars and sidrerías, there are so many to choose from and many with outdoor seating. Things close a bit earlier in small towns of Spain - so head out by 10pm at the latest to enjoy a drink (or several bottles of cider) before things start to close up around midnight. And the bottles average out to be about €2 apiece.

Good thing to know about Asturian cider - the trick is to drink it fast. The bartender only pours a small amount in your cup because you are supposed to drink it while it is “aerated” - which is why they pour it from a meters distance. Drink it too slow, and you may find your cup being picked up and dumped out by a bartender! ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).