The scent of eucalyptus adds to the delight

 I realise that most people reading this regard football as a thing beyond wit and comprehension but as we are by Real Oviedo’s ground I feel I ought to mention ‘The English Connection.’   Dr Sid Lowe is the Guardian’s ‘man in Madrid.’  Before he spent more time watching football than is humanly possible he spent  time in Oviedo as part of his Spanish Language degree. He subsequently did his Phd on the Catholic Youth movement before the Spanish Civil War.  Sid supports Real Oviedo and when the club hit the financial buffers brought this to the attention of the world, partly through the excellent ‘The Spanish Football Podcast.’  Real Oviedo sold ‘shares’. Think of it as a donation. I believe I might be entitled to watch the B team as a share holder.   https://edition.cnn.com/2015/06/02/football/real-oviedo-promotion/index.html

We have so much to see and so little time.  I have yet to really get a grip on Oviedo.  The park, the Campo de San Francisco, seems to be at the centre of things but Oviedo has sprouted off in all directions and so I can not be sure,  It gets 4.7 stars and I agree with Rosana ‘Campo San Francisco  is considered the lungs of Oviedo. It is a beautiful and peaceful Park filled with hundreds of  trees including dozens of different varieties from around the world. The space dates back to the year 1534 when it was area as a public space and in 1816 became municipal property. When my mom was in her twenties, there used to be a live bear in a cage on display for visitors in the park 😭  the scent of eucalyptus adds to the delight of this beautiful natural respite.’

I do have a fondness for Oviedo.  Let me be honest.  I am a morning person and my lovely wife has more commitment to the more middle of the day.  Our son was, at the time, more aligned to his father than his mother.  He would wake. I would wake.  We would go out, him on my shoulders, man and son, looking for adventure in a city which was empty save for a few early morning workers.  We would visit cafes.  Barmen would wonder at the fact a child drank cold milk.  We always got given sweets. The Spanish love of children is a thing of wonder.  Once, in Oviedo, we were sitting up at a bar - the three of us, so it must have been about 11am.  We were eating tortilla and being generally idyllic.  A young elderly couple came in.  They had no sweets so they gave us money to buy him some.  This is a good thing.

To the cathedral.  It was founded in 781AD by King Fruela. It was made bigger.  In 1388 Bishop Gutierre of Toledo built the present structure.  Cardinal Mendoza de Bobadilla added a tower in 1528.  Yes, it is a bit flamboyant and Gothic.  The chief feature of the cathedral is the "Camara Santa", with its venerable relics. Bishop Pelagius relates that the Agate Box, a coffer made by the disciples of the Apostles and containing the most precious relics of the Holy City, was taken from Jerusalem to Africa, and after residing in several locations was finally placed at Oviedo by Alfonso II. In the 16th century, Bishop Cristóbal de Sandoval y Rojas wished to open it, but could not, being overcome with religious fear.

All that and we are now heading out of town.  Oviedo is built on highground and the city falls away quickly.  We are soon on the N-634 and as we are near a branch of the Bank of Santander we will end with a review.  Look, its a bank.  No one is going to write nice reviews.  2.6 stars from 16 reviews may not be a fair reflection of the lovely people who work there. A week ago Serj wrote ‘One star because there is no less, the fatal treatment by the commercial executive is embarrassing.’   HTC wrote ‘Here more than half an hour to withdraw money at the counter without anyone attending to it.... No people in front or anything, simply the person in charge of it is not there, does not arrive, and no one can withdraw money at the counter... Without a doubt, it takes away the desire to be a customer and waste so much time on a simple procedure...... Painful attention.............’

Ok, lets be nice. Jesus wrote ‘Very happy with the attention received, they explain everything clearly and simply. It's a shame that they have closed almost all the offices because the staff that runs them is very competent.’  We can assume Senor J Muniz was well pleased.