Oviedo

Oviedo, capital of the Spanish state of Asturias, is located towards the northwest corner of the country. Surrounded by mountains, it was the center of the pushback against the Moors in the 1400s and was the one part of the country Franco was not able to dominate. Oviedo has about 200,000 people, so it's about the size of the Eugene/Springfield area, but it's much more densely built. Therefore, it doesn't have as much landmass, but it feels like a very dense, large city. It loves its statues. Not sure why, but they're all over. They have the Prince of Asturias cultural award, which has been accepted by some big folks, including Woody Allen and Johnny Depp. Woody Allen even has his own statue in the shopping area. Oviedo is also famous for its cheese, hard cider, and ham. The cider has no bubbles, so they have to pour it at a height and split the flow on the rim of the glass, which forms bubbles in the drink. They pour you about an inch and you have to chug it. If you're sharing a glass, you have to leave a bit in the bottom that you pour over where you drank from to "sterilize" the spot (the cider is only like 5 or 6% alcohol. Food here is super-cheap and tastes great. A full bottle of cider, enough for 3 or 4 rounds at a table, is 2.20 euros. A glass of good wine is about 1.50 euros. You can get a good sandwich and a soft drink for about 2.30 euros. And their hot chocolate is basically hot chocolate pudding, it's so thick.