Oviedo - Heading South To Leon

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Fontan Plaza got its name from the fountain that was once there.  The plaza fell into disrepair in the late 20th century but was reconstructed and now provides a space for a weekly market and cafes around its perimeter.  

We needed to start our trek back to Madrid.  The needs to be turned in on Friday.  We are still about four hours north of Madrid but I don't want to drive that all in one day.  We spent the Monday night in Oviedo.  I ran across what I thought was an incredible deal on Airbnb.  We took the chance and it was more than we expected.  It has now become our number two-ever Airbnb.  It is a small efficiency apartment in a six-story building. The guy turned it into a luxury apartment.  There is a small room that is considered a workspace but he installed a murphy bed and it makes for a great bedroom.  If you have forgotten anything at all, he has it available.  Great linens, towels, and wonderful coffee although we carry our own for when we have access to a coffeemaker.

We had investigated the town over the weekend so we were prepared to get on the move.  That evening we took a walk down to the centro area which is a short 20-minute walk.  

We stopped for a beer and to do some people-watching.  On the way back we needed to pick up some groceries.  We headed for Mercadona supermarket and also a gas station.  Mercadona has a great wine selection and we found several under 1.5 Euros.  We made the mistake of moving the car.  When we returned to the area where we were spending the night, nothing was available.  Parking is a problem in Spanish cities.  The concentration of people in highrise apartment buildings makes it a difficult task.  We parked in what they call the blue area, the streets are marked with white for free, and blue for pay.  After nine p.m. there is no charge but I had to get up and out early the next morning to move the car hoping to find a white spot.  I sure did but it took me a few minutes of driving around the nearby blocks.

We went to the cathedral of San Salvador.  A fabulous cathedral and museum filled with relics of saints and bishops.  Amazing how we have managed as a society to preserve the past.  Thanks to technology such as drones, satellites, and lasers, it is much easier to detect what is buried underground or covered with heavy vegetation and forest growth.

Relief work over the entrance to the cathedral which was built in the 9th century.  

The altar is considered one of the most important in Europe.  The scenes depict the different phases in the life of Christ.  

The Holy Chamber holds relics of Spanish saints.  The cloth above the golden case is the supposed cloth used to wipe the fast of Jesus.  We'll leave that up to theologians and religious experts.  The Holy Chamber is also classified as a UNESCO site.   

The hallway that leads from the church to the convent and cloister.  I don't know who those people are, they just walked right into the camera. 

An altar honoring the virgin.

The Capilla de Rey Casto holds the remains of Spanish royalty.

The heatwave continues and the streets empty out for lunch.  Everything closes except for a few sidewalk cafes.  Seeing a vibrant city like Oviedo turn into a ghost town for three hours is very interesting.  There are no convenience stores although some supermarket chains have express shops.  We too went home for a nap and then out again after 5 p.m. 

We headed up a paved but narrow mountain road that led to a monument on top.  Again, it's a giant statue of Christ, the Sacred Heart.  It's a winding road and reminded us of our mountain crossing from Linares to San Roberto.  One section is for tourists to see the views of the city as well as the statue and then the finca owners have their land and their cows.  The cows roam freely around the monument.  There is a road leading the opposite way off of the mountain but it is private for landowners only.  We've seen that quite a bit in rural areas as well. 

There are also hiking trails and a map that explains them as you enter the final walk up to the top.  The hikes are from 7 to 10 km.  They look pretty good but Juan's knee has been bothering him.  I see a knee replacement coming soon.  

I apologize but I didn't get to post the pictures of the statue and the mountaintop.  We are leaving Leon in an hour so I will have to post those later today or tomorrow.