San Francisco Park, Oviedo

This park is right in the middle of the city, with plenty of fountains, statues and various birds. I took a quick stroll pass the park, the rain was starting to get heavier by the minute. Though it is already winter, there are still many trees which gives the impression of autumn.

It was really nice, when the wind blows, it seemed to be raining golden leaves. Though it was drizzling, I found out that people here don't really bother about it, most would not even carry an umbrella. As for me, the chill of rain falling on my neck is not something I can bear. Umbrella is still a necessity for me.

There are some swans, ducks, pigeons and surprisingly, peacocks! But the swan was the only one not shy to allow me to get closer. The other birds took shelter due to the wet weather.

I went to the park again the next day. This time the weather and the crowd were much better. Caught a glimpse of the peacock and also various other people enjoying their Sunday afternoon. Some brought their dogs, others were playing with their kids in the playground.

The group of people in the park are mostly seniors and parents, with really young kids. I guess teenagers have other more important places to be at this time, rejuvenating from previous escapades I guess.
I was fortunate to get a glimpse of how autumn would look like in Oviedo, with golden leaves covering every inch of the greens. I will have to wait for the full strength of the winter cold to see what kind of effect it will have on this landscape.

Reminds me of a game...

Link to YouTube Video used.Use arrow keys for volume control.

When I first lay my eyes on the buildings in Oviedo, two words came to my mind - Sim City! The buildings in the game are exactly like the ones on the street just ten minutes away from the hotel. The calming soft yellow walls contrasting with the darker shade of brown of the roof paints a very nice picture.

Sometimes when I take photos, I think that I am merely sharing with others what I am seeing. A nice photo is testament to the people who visualized and created it, not the person who shot it. We are merely messengers.

These buildings are mostly apartments with shops at the ground floor. The special feature is that each buildings have their own lifts, own height, own design. I find this setting very unique and pleasing in its own way. It might be because I was too used to the uniformity from where I came from.

Arrival in Oviedo

I am in Spain... Takes a while to let it sink into my mind that I really did take a 20 hours journey and arrived safely in the small town of Oviedo, Asturias, in España! This is the first weekend where I can spend some time exploring the town. I was told that this is the hometown of Fernando Alonso. Confirmed on the Internet as well. Took the following photos while climbing out the window of the hotel room that I am staying in.


I took a walk to the town, looking for laundromat shop, as the hotel is charging cutthroat price for the laundry. There are lots of statues, fountains and churches around the town. The weather is cold, around 8 degC with constant drizzling. Daytime is shorter during winter, so I'll have to take the opportunity to put my camera to work :)

I went out with the 55-200mm lens, there are pros and cons about it. I have to move really far from buildings to get a full shot, however, I can get candid shots without making others uncomfortable about it. Now this is kinda cute, a pigeon sleeping on its perch on the second floow balcony. Never seen pigeons do this before, must be because of the winter cold.



I'd only have time to explore some places as it starts to drizzle more later in the afternoon. Managed to visit one Church thought. This is one of the many statues around the Church of San Juan En Real. For the next stop, I will try to make a trip to San Salvador Cathedral, where "the Other Shroud" is kept. Look online for "sudarium" and you'll find out that this is the piece of cloth which was believed to be used to cover Jesus Christ's face after his death from crucifixion. Like the Buddha's tooth relic, it is only shown on certain days of the year. This cathedral is now on my must-see-list.

The two angels and cross at the pinnacle of the Church of San Juan En Real. I had to stand in the middle of the pedestrian walkway to get this symmetrical shot, and then go dashing back to the side to avoid the human traffic.