Walking to Jesus

Last weekend we walked up to Naranco, a hill to the north of Oviedo. On the top, it has a 50 foot statue of Jesus, arms outstretched. At night, it's lit with floodlights. All this in a public park. The cosmetic differences of how Europe handles things, such as religion, are so interesting to observe. While seeing the statue up close didn't give me any great understanding of it, it provided an amazing view of the city and surrounding landscape. Oviedo really is nestled in a bowl of mountains. It's a city of 200,000 people, the size of Eugene/Springfield or Salem/Keizer, and yet it's crammed into such a compact area. I was thinking about it and you could probably walk from one end of the city to the other in 1.5-2 hours. 1.5-2 hours in Eugene might get you from the far side of campus through downtown. What a difference cars make.

We passed by a couple ancient churches. If I understood what my art history teacher said, one is the oldest example of the Asturian style of church architecture in Spain. They're such a perfect example of one of the things I find more appealing about Europe than the US. In the US, almost any building could be torn down for a new mall sooner or later. Buildings change with the decades. In Europe, there are churches that have been there for more than a thousand years and will remain for a thousand more. There's a feeling of permanence, like the buildings mean more than a generation's whims.

I had to make a video of the view from the top of the hill since photos wouldn't do it justice. Email me if you want it.

Bit more about Barcelona

Thought I'd post a few more thoughts and photos about Barcelona. Hard to believe we left a week ago. The city is structured in such a way that it is squashed between hills and the ocean. The hills are similar to the west hills of Portland in that they provide a fairly effect natural barrier to expansion of the city, and you can't beat the ocean for limiting growth. As a result, the city has spread itself out so that it is very long. In a way, this makes the city more digestible. It's not some expansive metropolis going on as far as the eye can see. It's a very manageable strip that doesn't look to be more than 5 miles or so wide. This makes it possible to see landmarks clearly from one side of the city to the other when at a high vantage point, making the whole thing relatable. Still, that doesn't mean it's easy to manage. We were there for four days and barely saw the smallest sliver of it. Can't wait to go back and do some more.

Barcelona

Barcelona is one of the most amazing places I've ever been. It had three of the things I wanted to see before I died, all of them Gaudi creations, and I got to see all of them in one day. It's an incredibly international city, much more so than Madrid. Seriously, if you ever have to choose between seeing Madrid and seeing Barcelona, go with Barcelona. No contest. Barcelona doesn't make you look for reasons to like it. It lays them all out before you. We got to see Montjuic, the Olympic Stadium, a great pedestrian area called the Ramblas, la Segrada Familia, Gaudi's residences and park, the Barcelona Cathedrals, some great ice cream, the Picasso museum, and so much more I know I'm forgetting. Up there with Paris and London for great cities of the world. If any of you plan on visiting while I'm in Spain, I'd be down with meeting in Barcelona. Here are a few pics to get things started.