Day 5 - From Santiago to Oviedo

Today we travelled a little over 300 kilometres from Santiago, north and east to the city of Oviedo. This took us along the northern coast of Spain with a stop in the village of Cabo Vidio for a photo op. And wow, what a photo op it was. The blue/green waters of the Atlantic, whipped by gale force winds against the jagged rocks of the coast, made for unforgettable views on this short detour.

Looking west from Cabo Vidio

My attempt at capturing colour and texture

This boat was a-rockin in the winds and waves this morning

Spain appears to be very serious about alternate energy sources as depicted earlier along this journey.

Only three of the dozen or so we could see from our rest stop

After our arrival and lunch in Oviedo (a city of over 200,000), we were taken to a smallish church know as San Julian, de Los Prados. The significance of the church is that it was solely a Christian edifice from it's beginnings 1200 years ago, rather than the more normal bounce in control between the Moors and Christians. The fresco art (wall murals) of the interior are something to see. Unfortunately photography of any sort was forbidden and strictly enforced by the tour guide and local church officials.

Next stop was the cathedral found in the old quarter of the city. Construction and expansion of this church spanned three centuries.

The "old quarter" of the city is fairly small with the majority of Oviedo being a relatively modern metropolis. The lanes and alleys of the old town are mostly dedicated to historical sites and night clubs and are devoid of traffic, especially during siesta time. 

Lane-ways in old town were usually known by the products available in each location. For example, if you wanted milk, you came to this location which is now memorialized by this depiction of "the milk lady and her mule", who peddled her wares in this location for over 60 years. 

Toward the end of our tour of the old town today, we were treated to a local beverage. Fermented, unsweetened cider. Custom has it that a two finger dose of the beverage has to be poured from a height of 1.3 metres. This next photo shows our tour director Dominic, attempting this feat.

Note the sewer grate in this photo. My attempt at this pour resulted in most of the beverage going "down the drain" rather than "down the hatch"

Some of the more modern sections of this city include more modern "art"?

 And lastly, during a walk in the park we were treated to this feathery show. 

Tomorrow, we travel further east, to Santander. 

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