Monday, June 12, 2006

From Oviedo in Asturias



















My friend Cris (shown here next to the statue beside whom everyone apparently must be photographed in Oviedo) has been telling me for several years that her place - Asturias - is the best of all Spain. Well, it turns out she is right.

Asturias is wonderful. Green rolling-hilled vistas and ocean views, with hearty, ountain food and great wines. Oviedo is a true gem - fashionable and smart but still a small enough town that my friend met three people she knew while we were walking the streets.


























Here is a shot of the majestic cathedral of Oviedo which is dedicated to Christ the Savior. (I think anyway, my Spanish isn't what it could be.)

On one of my two visits too the Cathedral, I was being escorted by a charming Spaniard journalist guy. As we were standing in the back of the Cathedral looking up into the massive Gothic arhces, he was whispering to me how he used to believe in religion but then he grew up. I looked at him and then gestured around to the Cathedral and whispered back, "Are you kidding me? If you can't believe religion, can't you at least believe in this place?"























And, once again in Oviedo, we saw great devotion to Our Lady. This statue was adorned in the Church of St. Isidore of Seville, in Oviedo. The people had brought many bouquets of flowers as it was the Feast of the Visitation the day we were there - which is my mother's birthday. Iit was cool to attend Mass and, not understanding a word of the service, just sit there contemplating the beauty of Spain's Marian devotion and pray for Mom.

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