Asturias Travel: A Visit to Gijón, the Largest City in Asturias
Asturias Travel: A Visit to Gijn, the Largest City in Asturias
On this gorgeous Tuesday morning, I had really enjoyed my local tour through Oviedo, the historic capital of Asturias, one of Spain's northern provinces. My expert local guide Liliana Ausn had taken me through the downtown and explained all the important sights to me. On our walk downtown we had run into the festivities of La Balesquida, also called "Martes del Campo" (Tuesday in the Country) and followed a series of musical groups from the cathedral to the Campo de San Francisco Park. I had received an introduction to Asturian bowling ("bolos" -- where the balls are thrown through the air), the famous spicy sausage rolls of Asturias and a "carbayon", Oviedo's typical almond pastry. The entire town was out celebrating on this special holiday.
In the early afternoon I headed back to my hotel, the Barcelo Oviedo Cervantes Hotel, to meet hotel employee Paula Alvarez who was going to take me on a personal tour through the hotel. This newly constructed five-star property is among the top ranked hotels in the city and was opened in 2007.
The hotel features a variety of accommodations; Deluxe rooms for example, feature two washbasins and a jet shower while Deluxe Executive rooms have a hydro-massage bath with glass walls as well as a work area with a writing desk and a living area with a sofa. Deluxe family rooms are composed of two interconnected rooms which allow separate access to each room. Junior Suites and Suites both feature separate living areas and all rooms are equipped with flat-screen televisions, mini-bars, work desks and a safe.
The dcor at the Barcelo Oviedo Cervantes Hotel is based on stylish combinations of browns, beige and orange tones with neutral accents and provides an elegant calm environment. Paula explained that most of the guests currently come from Spanish cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao. An increasing number of travelers arrive from other European countries while clients from North America are still relatively few.
We also saw some of the 12 state-of-the art meeting rooms, fully equipped with high-tech audio-visual facilities and high-speed Internet connections, before Paula took me to the main floor that is anchored by the "La Galatea" restaurant which specializes in high quality Asturian cuisine. The main floor Galatea bar welcomes visitors with its lively pink and green lighting and provides a great view out to the street. The Lobby Bar is another comfortable place where guests come to order room service and watch TV. Many of the hotel's guests like to gather here.
After my personal tour through the hotel I briefly retreated to my room to recharge my batteries, but unfortunately my transformer shorted out. Considering how much photography and videography I do, it is absolutely vital for me to have a functioning charger for both my laptop and my camera. At 4 pm I was scheduled to meet my expert local tour guide Liliana again, this time in Gijn, the largest city of Asturias which is located about 20 minutes north of Oviedo, right on the Atlantic Ocean. It became a priority for me to find a replacement charger.
The weather had progressively turned worse, and a very dark sky was now looming overhead. I met Liliana at our agreed meeting point and asked her for her help in finding a charger. Unfortunately, sightseeing had to wait for a while until I was able to sort out my technical issues. Liliana was eager to help and first took me to a big El Corte Ingls department store. Unfortunately they did not carry any travel transformers that would be able to convert European current for North American electrical devices.
But Liliana, who is a native of Gijn, really knows the area well and suggested another store, an electronics store by the name if Edimar, where I was able to buy a new functioning charger after all. Thanks to Liliana's help this saved the day because I would now be able to download all my photos and videos again. This was a huge load off my shoulders and I was able to rededicate myself to exploring Gijn.
Gijn is Asturias' largest city and has been settled since early human history and was an important regional city during ancient Roman times. Its centre is built on a small peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean and the city has grown to a population of over 270,000 people. During the 20th century Gijn became a very industrial city, but following a decline in the steel and shipbuilding industries, the city changed its focus to become a centre of tourism, higher education and services
Our destination for the early evening was indeed an educational institution: the Universidad Laboral de Gijn is a huge complex that was built between 1946 and 1956. Local guide Miriam joined Liliana and me and started to explain this fascinating institution. With a surface area of 270,000 square metres (almost 67 acres) it is the largest building in Spain. The Laboral University has a fascinating history: after a horrific mining accident in the mid 1940s, the then Minister of Labour created an orphanage for children that had lost their parents in this accident. These children were also supposed to receive educational training in a utopian, self-sufficient city.
Over the years, this university has trained thousands of qualified tradesmen and engineers. However, after an administrative reorganization the majority of the facilities became obsolete and felt into disrepair until 2001 when the government of Asturias started to breathe new life into this important institution. It repurposed the complex as the "Laboral City of Culture" which today houses organizations such as the Laboral Center for Art and Industrial Creation, the Faculty of Commerce, a School of Dramatic Arts and Vocational Dance, a church, a caf, a theatre, an auditorium, and the Escuela Universitaria Jovellanos which teaches university programs in public administration, social work and tourism.
As Miriam took us through the huge complex of buildings, I was absolutely amazed at the stunning architecture. Although built in the mid 20th century, the buildings have a distinct classical appearance and the original architect borrowed themes from the Parthenon in Athens. A gigantic square with dimensions similar to those of the Piazza San Marco in Venice forms the centerpiece that is surrounded on three sides by three-story buildings with arcaded walkways. The western side of the complex is highlighted by a church and an enormous tower.
Miriam took us to a room with an elevator that would whisk us to the top of the tower on the 17th floor. Both the main floor and the room at the top of the elevator are decorated with brightly coloured hand-painted tile mosaics. When I stepped outside on the 360 degree balcony, I was awed by the breathtaking scenery that opened up in front of us. From high atop the tower I could really take in the size of this enormous complex. With a height of 130 m, the tower is reminiscent of the famous Giralda tower in Seville and provides the best vintage point in all of Gijn. Indeed it is currently the highest building in the Principality of Asturias.
Back on the ground we visited the Laboral Church, which is the world's largest elliptical church. The dome weighs approximately two thousand three hundred tons and is supported by twenty pairs of ribs without any columns. Measuring 31 metres in diameter and 35 metres in height, the elliptical dome was constructed in only two months during the 1950s. The floor is made of solid marble; four giant columns of Pontevedra granite surround the altar. During earlier years when the Jesuits were running a boarding school here, 1500 students had to attend mass here at the same time. What an amazing, awe-inspiring structure
Then we went to the Laboral Theatre, a former assembly hall that has been transformed into one of the most magnificent theatre-auditoriums in northern Spain. The dimensions of this performance venue are similar to those of the Parthenon. We also visited several meeting rooms that faced the courtyard and featured floor-to-ceiling murals that illustrated the history of this institution.
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The mining accident is depicted on these wall paintings; so are the orphans who are shown as children and also as the educated professional adults that they became. One of the murals highlights the battle between good and evil, and all the figures have highly realistic, individualized faces. I asked Miriam who wins the battle in the end and reassuringly she responded "the good guys".
This concluded our visit to the Laboral City of Culture and just as the sun started to set, Liliana took me to one more interesting place: with a heavy grey sky hanging overhead and daylight vanishing quickly, Liliana and I drove to the Fishing Quarter of Gijn. This used to be a fishing port and today houses many pleasure craft that were swaying gently on the waves. As a native of Gijn, Liliana loves the city and indicated that in five minutes on a bicycle she can be outside of the downtown, enjoying nature.
My guide also mentioned that Gijn is a big centre of music and culture: Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, Prince and the Rolling Stones have all had concerts here. With the International Festival of Cinema every November and countless other special events throughout the year, Gijn never gets boring. And the city is even in the Guinness Book of World Records for attracting the largest crowd of cider-pouring enthusiasts: over 7200 people came together to achieve the world record for simultaneous pouring of cider, the famous regional drink of Asturias.
With my introduction to the two biggest cities in Asturias completed, I was now looking forward to exploring some of the magnificent nature experiences that this mountain region has to offer. I had to catch a good rest to get ready for my mountain biking adventure that was scheduled for tomorrow. Asturias Travel: A Bicycling Adventure on the Bear Trail Spain Travel – Asturias: Bermiego, an Asturian Mountain Village All Inclusive Adult Trip - Questions You Should Ask Boston Convertible dealer whets buyers appetites for MINI Countryman Simple Guide for London Travel Planning For A Destination Wedding A Christmas Shopping Plan Pet Care during Summer Time Turkey - The country and the culture Enjoy Kerala Tour Packages Why renting a Myrtle Beach condo is the best option? Cairo & Luxor Egypt tours from Marsa Alam by flight, Marsa Alam Tours Daily Le Marche Region in Italy – Perfect Wedding Destination in Italy