yogibarrington

Day Trip to Cudillero

I have had such an exciting couple of weeks! First, my cousin Hannah, who lives in Denver, made the trip out to visit us. After showing her the best of Gijon, we ventured out of town for a day trip from Gijon to Cudillero, a small, seaside village in Asturias that is known for fishingContinue reading “Day Trip to Cudillero”

Sometimes You’ve Got to Walk and Smell the Roses

Walking. We do it a lot and, with no car, it is our primary mode of transportation. It’s a good thing as it allows us to explore the nooks and crannies of the city we would not necessarily see in a car or on a bus route. It also allows us to eat bread, cake,Continue reading “Sometimes You’ve Got to Walk and Smell the Roses”

The Introvert Joins Meetup: A tale of Strength and Triumph

A few weeks ago, Phil and I were sitting outside of a cafe, drinking beer, and enjoying the sunshine when he started looking through the local Meetup groups in Gijon. Most groups are still meeting virtually but he found an outdoor yoga class that was meeting in the park. At that point, I hadn’t beenContinue reading “The Introvert Joins Meetup: A tale of Strength and Triumph”

A Day Trip to Oviedo

On Saturday we look our first trip outside of Gijon. We headed inland via train about 30 kilometres south to the capital of Asturias, Oviedo. The ferrocarril (train station) is a ten minute walk from our apartment. We arrived five minutes before our 10:15am departure time. The coach was almost empty as the train beginsContinue reading “A Day Trip to Oviedo”

Good Friday (not that Good Friday)

Last Friday we had lunch at a restaurant named Topolino (sounds Italian, not Italian). The food was amazing though I forgot to take photos (sorry!). Phil made reservations there after we were standing outside, looking at their menu del dia one Sunday and an elderly gentleman passing by came back to tell us the foodContinue reading “Good Friday (not that Good Friday)”

Surprise! Nude beach!

Gijon has several beaches, a few of which are a hike outside of the main city. Our Profesorra de espanol, Marta, knows we enjoy walking and going to the beach. She informed us that if you walk to the end of the paseo maritimo (beachfront walkway), we would come to “the most beautiful beach.” SoContinue reading “Surprise! Nude beach!”

Living in the City’s Center

Phil and I live in centro de la ciudad (city center) in Gijon. We couldn’t be happier with the location. It’s just a few minutes walk to everything we need; supermarkets, fruteria, panaderia. We live on Calle Corrida (Corrida Street), which is in the shopping district and the most popular street for retail shopping. TheContinue reading “Living in the City’s Center”

Palmera de chocolate: A love story

Palmera de chocolate. Palmerita de chocolate. A chocolate palm. Whatever you call them, I’ll take two! I frequent the panaderia (bread shop/bakery) near our apartment. One of the first times I went in, in addition to my bread order, I pointed to the palmeritas (palmeritas are smaller, palm-sized versions of palmeras) and said, “dos chocolateContinue reading “Palmera de chocolate: A love story”

Jess learns Spanish (a work in progress)

I told a friend recently, “I didn’t think learning a second language at the age of 42 would be easy peasy” …but maybe I did. Or, more accurately, I didn’t really think about it intently. It was something future Jess would have to deal with, something I said and even believed without contemplating what itContinue reading “Jess learns Spanish (a work in progress)”

Churros! The good, the bad, and the ugly. Just kidding, they are all good.

Since we’ve arrived in Gijon, I have eaten churros a handful of times and not once have I regretted ordering them. In fact, I am a little nervous that anytime we pop into a cafe for a snack or desayuno (Spainsh for breakfast) and they are a menu option, I will order them above allContinue reading “Churros! The good, the bad, and the ugly. Just kidding, they are all good.”