yogibarrington

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.”

Hot, cold, and sweaty

We knew it would be rainy and we were vale (Spanish word for ok) with the rain. Now Gijon is extremely humid, as rain allows for the lush greenery that is Asturias. We were spoiled in Southern California with almost no humidity. We could go on a moderate intensity hike and not even break aContinue reading “Hot, cold, and sweaty”

Cachopo de Ternera: A signature dish of Asturias

I love trying new food. I also believe when you’re in Rome (go on…), you should do as the Romans do so while in Asturias, I shall do as the Asturians do. A traditional Austrian dish throughout Gijon is called Cachopo. Cachopo consists of ham and cheese sandwiched between two large veal fillets, then breadedContinue reading “Cachopo de Ternera: A signature dish of Asturias”

A rainy Saturday at the Museum

Today Phil and I visited the Museu del Pueblu d’Asturies (the museum of Asturias). Asturias is the larger region and autonomous community we reside in in Spain (similar to a US state) and Gijon is the city we live in in Asturias. The museum was a rainy, half hour walk from our place. I knewContinue reading “A rainy Saturday at the Museum”