4th December 2013

Hello all again! I traveled for a long time with several stops until I was introduced in a small warm space where I was for a while. I heard people coming and going.

Then I felt a hand reaching for me and heard an exclamation “You have arrived at last!” . We moved again, this time it seemed a lift and suddenly I was in a heated place.

Then I hear the same voice saying “Come Baby, our friend Sulo has arrived!”

My envelope started to open and when I went out I found a small Polar bear and my host there. They told me that I have arrived just in time because the day after tomorrow started in Spain one of the most famous long weekends called “Puente de la Constitución y la Inmaculada”. Every 6th of December Spanish people celebrate the birthday of their Constitution. This year it’s its 35th Anniversary. And on the 8th it’s Our Lady of the Inmaculate Conception festivity. This year as it is on a Sunday they moved to the Monday , so people don’t have to go to work from Friday to Monday. We are going to spend this days with Patricia’s parents because her birthday is this Saturday.

She left me chatting with Baby while she prepared her luggage. Her car was in the shop to have a dent repaired. She was going to work by bus but tomorrow she will pick it up after work. She told me that I could rest with Baby the next day while she left everything ready for our long weekend.

 

5th December 2013

Today while Patricia was at work Baby showed me on the computer where I am.

Gijón is the biggest town of Asturias with 277,733 inhabitants. It is situated in the central–upper region of Asturias, at 27 km from Oviedo and 25 km from Aviles, forming part of a large metropolitan area that cover twenty councils of the center of the region, vertebrated with a dense network of roads, highways and railways, with a population of 869,723 inhabitants. Patricia works in Oviedo, and she will take me there with her next week.

Baby also showed me “Patricia’s friends”. She had more than 50! And they are gorgeous!

Patricia arrived home and I helped her to close the suitcase. Now we are ready to go to her parents.

 

6th December 2013

Today we had breakfast with Patricia’s mom. She served me a coffee with milk.

and let me choose a piece of fruit.

She also lent me the newspaper to get informed on what was happening in the World.

Her parents had a big lunch with the Elder Association they just joined. So Patricia decided to cook some pasta for our lunch with the ingredients she found in the fridge. I helped her. First we have to find the macaroni.

Then we put the water to boil, while she looked for ingredients I watched it.

I helped her to cut the onion to sautee.

 

We added Spanish cured ham and saussage

A bit of tomato sauce and some parsley and peppermint

A bit of grated cheese and we were ready to eat. I’m a good helper! It was really yummy!

On the afternoon I helped Patricia to write some Christmas for the Spanish forum “Christmas RR”.

 

7th December 2013

Today is Patricia’s birthday and we are going to make a little trip to Avilés to have lunch in an Arab Restaurant called “Alkasbah” with her cousin Violeta who is also a postcrosser. She picked us by car and she let me sit on the driver seat.

Avilés is a village that is also on the coast. It has a sea loch where the dock is located. It has around 83,107 inhabitants. It became a permanent settlement in Roman times and the historical centre is beautiful. We parked the car and took a walk through it to the restaurant.

We also visited the Town Hall, that is a 17th century building.

There was also a Christmas tree in front of the Town Hall. It was not lighted beause it was early.

They also told me that the building behind me was the Palacio de Ferrera. One of the oldest Palaces following the Baroque style in Asturias. It was the home of the Marquis of Ferrera until 2003 when it became a five star hotel where the famous people visiting the Niemayer Center stay. They promised to show me the Niemeyer Center after lunch.

Then they took me to Galiana Street. They told me that in Carnaval (Mardi Gras) people built floats and compete dressed in disguise gliding them down the street that is covered by foam. The neighbours through water to the participants. It’s a well known festivity.

When we were reaching the restaurant we found this “friend”. He was dressed with the traditional costume and was playing the bagpipe. He let me help him to play. I loved the sound of the bagpipes.

Finally we reached “Alkasbah”. We were hungry, so we ordered right away. We decided to share two appetizers and two main courses. First we ate Al´amar (Arab pastry cakes stuffed with minced meat and cheese) Yum! One for me too!

Then they shared their Hummus (Spicy chickpea puree) with me . You have to eat it with bread.

We decided to try a Moroccan dish, Kefta(Moroccan meatballs)

and chicken with curry. It was spicy but really tasty.

I enjoyed the meats very much. As it was Patricia’s birthday Violeta has brought presents for her and she let me give them to her.

She got a DVD film, warm slippers that looked like a pig, some make up and  some Christmas stamps to use on the postcards. Then they choose deserts and I tried them. They were yummy!

A bit of Moroccan tea to finish the lunch.

And as they had promised on our way back to the car we went by the Niemayer Centre. It was designed by the  Brazillian architect Oscar Niemayer and houses exhibitions, concerts, plays,… Oscar Niemayer was awarded in 1989 with the “Principe of Asturias” of the Arts. Several years later when it was the 25th Anniversary of these Awards he donated this beautiful project to Asturias.  In the tower there is a restaurant and a cocktail bar.

8th December 2013

They took me to a “sidreria”. It is a bar where the traditional Asturian drink, cider, is served. They say I’m not old eanough to drink it but I can have a taste!

In the afternoon I played with Pepitilla. She belongs to Patricia’s niece but she lives In Patricia’s parents home. She is very funny and loves to play. It was an enjoyable afternoon.

Later I drove by the house in this beautiful car that also belongs to her niece.

 

11th December 2013

Today I’m going with Patricia to work so I had to get up early.  I am lucky that Patricia´s car “sleeps” in a garage and it’s not very cold. I have a great view of the road from my place in the dashboard. She works in Oviedo, so we have to drive there. She is the secretary in a hairdressers school.

We arrive to the mall where she leaver her car while she works. It’s about 10 minutes from her work but it’s impossible to get a free parking space  nearer.

She invited me to have breakfast in the cafe across work. She had breakfast there each working morning. Coffe with milk, real orange juice and grilled croissant.

Now, we have to work, Christmas is approaching and many clients came to have their hair cut by the students. They also lent their classroom to some commercial firms to impart some classes there. Yesterday they had one of those classes and Patricia needs to send them the bill. She let me help her.

 

13th December 2013

Today I helped Patricia to set the Christmas tree at her parents. See how high I have climbed. They will leave the presents from the Three Magi under it and on the 6th of January they will open them.

This red ball must go here!

 

14th December 2013

Today I went with Patricia and her mum to the mall to do the weekly shopping and we found these friends singing carols for the children.

Patricia’s Mum held me so I could see them over the heads of the children.

After the shopping we were very tired so we went to the “sidreria” to regain our strength. Patricia said the this was the best drink for the cold, a cup of chicken broth. It seems that in winter many bars and “sidrerias” serve cups of broth, it can be chicken, fish or meat broth.

In Gijón most of the bars and “sidrerias” serve you a little food free with your beverage. They broght us a small dish of brown beans with chorizo (spanish saussage), morcilla (blood pudding) y lacón (pork shoulder). It was yummy!

As I was a foreigner they also broght me another dish in case I didn’t like it. A boiled egg, and salt and pimentón (red cayenne) to dress it.

Patricia told me that she had a surprise for me. In the evening we were going to a special place and that I have to dress elegantly. I think we both looked sharp!

Her parents came too. Her father drove us to Oviedo. When we arrived Patricia said “We are here, I will call you when we finish Dad”. Her mother, her and I got out of the car. “Look Sulo, this is Campoamor theatre and we are going to an opera”. The theatre was also decorated for Christmas.

Here we go! We are going to see a 21st century opera called “Ainadamar”.

Patricia and her mum have a season bonus. They come to see five operas each year. Their seats are on the front row.

So they can see the musicians in their pit.

Patricia shares her seat with me. The opera was a bit different but we loved the music and we enjoyed it.

 

15th December 2013

Today we went to a scrapbooking workshop with Violeta. We learnt to decorate postcards and a notebook. I helped Patricia with her two postcards. They were for her niece Xana and her goddaughter Nur. I think we made two beautiful postcards.

Violeta made two Christmas postcards. She let me help her with the ribbons.

Mmmm! A Movermber moustache! I look like a grown up!

 

16th December 2013

Today on our way to work  Patricia took a picture of me with the church of San Miguel de Lillo. It’s in the middle of a park where people goes to walk their dogs, play football, sunbathe. This is the back of the church.

There are some stone benches there and you can sit and look at it.

This is me on the front. It was cold and cloudy. So Patricia only took me out of her pocket for a bit

 

Pre-Romanesque architecture in Asturias is framed between the years 711 and 910, the period of the rise , extension and disappearance of the Kingdom of Asturias. Asturian Pre-Romanesque is a singular feature in all Spain, which, while combining elements from other styles (Visigothic, Mozarabic and local traditions), created and developed its own personality and characteristics, reaching a considerable level of refinament.

When the Church of San Julian de los Prados, or Santullano, was built (approx. between 812 and 842), it formed part of a series of Ryal buildings. The church had a basilica ground plan (central nave and two side aisles), separated by three semicircular arches on impost capitals and square columns. Finally, there was a straight sanctuary, divided into three chapels. The roof was an oaken ceiling carved with a variety of geometric designs. The church was ordered to be built by Alfonso II of Asturias. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998. It’s still used as a church.

When we went to pick up the car the mall has lighted their Chritmas lights too.

 

17th December 2013

Today I went to class with the other students to learn to cut the hair.

First, you have to choose a scissor.

A bit of water to wet the hair

Mmm! here the razor to shave the client.

My first client, I will charge him the service.

 

18th December 2013

Everywhere I look there are Christmas trees.

I love Christmas!!

 

19th December 2013

The time of visiting a new place has arrived so I have to say goodbye to Patricia and Baby who were sad to see to go away.

Bye bye friends!