Once again, I’m sitting in an airport. This time, me and Gaby are about to take the first trip of the semester to las Islas Canarias, specifically Tenerife. This time as I’m sitting here awaiting my planes arrival, I’m able to reflect on the past two and a half weeks in Oviedo. Honestly, it’s the most relaxed I’ve been in a while, while still keeping busy. When I arrived on September 9th I was a little overwhelmed, a new city and completely new people for the next three and a half months. I had already been away from my family and close friends for a week and it seemed like after visiting Madrid for that long I was ready to go back home and see everyone again. But after a few days in Oviedo, once the weather warmed up, and after I was settled in to my room and grew comfortable with my host mom, everything fell into place.
The first week that we were here in Oviedo, we had absolutely nothing to do, no classes, no obligations, zero stress. In that week I was able to visit los Picos de Europa with Gaby and her family, which involved lots of climbing that my asthmatic lungs could barely handle, but in the end it was worth it because the sights from the top of the mountains took away what little breath I had left. Besides going to sight seeing that first week and walking around the city, the fiestas also started! That first Friday, las fiestas de San Mateo began. These fiestas began the 13th and lasted until the 22nd, and included various events, concerts, and lots and lots of food. The first night everyone gathered around the cathedral to celebrate the start of the week of fiestas, then every night included a different concert at the train station and different events happening all around the city.
Along with live music in the park, a carousel by the cathedral, and fireworks in another park, there was food in every single street. Chiringuitos lined the main streets by the park and sold every single type of food and drink, including bocadillos, bollo preñao, churros, and gofres. With something happening every night and people constantly being in the streets, that week was the definition of “siempre en la calle”. Classes started that following Monday, but still most days consisted of going to class, going back home to take a siesta, and then waking up and heading out because la rumba siempre sigue. I definitely spent way too much money on food and drinks during that week but it was 100% worth it because the fiestas are a big part of the culture here in Oviedo and they only happen once a year. Those nights not only did we go to the fiestas, but we were also able to explore the night life of the city. From those night time experiences we’ve learned that Spanish culture is a little more different from Latino culture than we had originally thought. But we also learned that Oviedo is not only full of Spaniards, but also with people of Latino backgrounds like us, including Dominicans, Colombians, and Ecuadorians. These Latin American countries were represented in a parade that was held on the Thursday of the week of fiestas. I had an amazing time exploring the city and experiencing the fiestas of San Mateo. I also look forward to my return back from Tenerife and am excited to start classes at the university this upcoming Wednesday.