Gijon—October 3, 2018

We had a relaxing day, starting with delicious coffee at Mepiachi Cafe just around the corner from our place (Balenax Pension), and afterward, walking a mere 4.7 miles as we enjoyed strolling along the streets of the Old Town, eventually having lunch at a cafe recommended by Andrea, our host.

The Del Sur Market was fun to visit this morning.

In this market all the butchers were women.

What you'll see next is the architecture we enjoyed so much.

Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, author, diplomat,
philosopher, judge (1744-1811), is the local boy
who made good and has streets, plazas, and
theaters named after him. 

Yorkies seem to be the most popular breed around here. This
one is waiting for its owner. People take their dogs with them
everywhere it seems.

You end up at the marina at the end of Corrida Street.

Cider Tree is a fun sculpture and appropriate to the region.

Pelayo of Asturias (685-737) was a Visigoth
nobleman who defeated the Moors and
founded the Kingdom of Asturias. His statue
faces the Cider Tree, probably because that
was the first export during his reign.

 

Behind the fisherman is this old battlement overlooking the
harbor, but if you look closely here, you'll see a ramp to the
right. The battlements now protect the skate park from
the wind.

This gives a sense of scale for "Praise the Horizon".

On our way back to the Mayor's Plaza, we
ran into this group protesting cuts to the
pension program. Look out Parliament.

City Hall in Mayor Plaza where the protesters have gathered.

St. Peter's, a 15th century church, faces the 1st-2nd century
Roman baths and is adjacent to the beautiful Cantabrico Sea.

The church has been cleaned and it's beautiful.

The Valdez family built this residential palace in 1564 and
added a chapel in 1625. Just through the main entrance is a
garden square with a fountain. 

Chapel of Our Lady of Remedies
(15th century) is part of the northern
route of the Camino de Santiago to
Santiago de Compostela.

Our host suggested this place for lunch, our main meal.

La Tabacalera Cafe is on Periodista Plaza, a quaint square
surrounded by cafes and apartments from the 18th century.
Even so, they've got high speed Internet and satellite TV.

Of course, some homes are older.

Blue cheese and mushroom melted in white wine over potatoes.

This guy was fixing the sign he
painted for La Tabacalera. He had
spelled dining with two "n's" and
was laughing at his mistake. A
friend across the street called him
Picasso and another guy said,
"No Dali."

And we'll end this blog with another look at San Lorenzo Beach during high tide this afternoon.