The Rain Is Here! A walk in the rain, tickets to Portugal, a “tostada” and helados

We have come to Oviedo in time t0 see a unique 2 week weather pattern. Our first week featured no rain and very few clouds with daily average temps 8-15 degrees above normal. Normal should be around 70 degrees. Temperatures are returning to normal for our second week, but rainfall, which is abnormal in June and July is predicted daily until we leave.

The rain we awakened to today is refreshing as it is nothing more than a mist so far. We were out for hours this morning and my felt cap and a fleece was all I needed. I did buy an umbrella to alleviate some Sheila concerns. By the way, the very stable nice umbrella cost about $9 U.S. Sheila barely used it. First, we went to a bookstore, then to the rail station to buy tickets for Portugal. I found the internet to be very confusing when I tried to purchase online. At the station a gentleman was actually excited to get us to Portugal in an expedient way. On the way to Porto we get to spend one last night in Spain, in Vigo, the best seafood port in Spain according to my ticket buying confederate.

After Porto we have made the decision to wrap up the European part of our trip with an Icelandic adventure. Spending money to travel has been an eye-opening adventure in illogicality (it is a word now!) It looks as though we can get to Iceland cheaper than we got from Colmar France to Madrid Spain. That is only one of several monetary travel surprises.

Leaving the train station I briefly got us lost, teenagers unlost us, before we arrived at our adopted coffee shop. It was already one o’clock, maybe late for coffee, but we were excited to try one of their tostadas. What they call a tostada is different from one at home or in Mexico. It is a long narrow toasted slice of bread, and it had smoked salmon, pistachio spread, and a whole sliced avocado on the bread. It was supposed to have burrata also, but as that is a creamy cheese we chose to have it on the side (Sheila’s dairy intolerance). It was delicious and even more so with the cheese.

At lunch we had a fine conversation about travel with a South London couple, then walked across the square to where they have helados that are legal for Sheila’s dietary restrictions. She had peach, oh so good, and I had hazelnut chocolate with fudgy strips. Even with the light rain the city was full of pedestrians, both uptown and in the old town.

Yesterday we went to the Fine Art Museum of Oviedo. It is all about the sculptures and paintings of Spain. I have never been a fan of Spanish painting, but the educational aspect of the visit is enough to make it worthwhile for me. A picture below is of the museum. It never charges for entry. As you walk in there is a large expanse of glass covering the floor. Its purpose is to show the stone remnants of the original foundation of the building. Some may recall an earlier blog where I remarked that a stone mural was my favorite mural so far on the trip. Below is a picture of it from the third floor of the museum. It is followed by two photos of my favorite piece in the museum. Some might think I really like yellow orangish goldish colors.

Ironically? During today’s lost phase we ran across another yellow orangish goldish stone mural, pictured below. We also found the elusive Woody Allen statue, much beloved here for his Vicky Cristina Barcelona movie, partially filmed in Oviedo. One additional sculpture included.

Time to leave the library and check on the progress of the rain.