Oviedo - A beautiful hidden gem

Fairly far off the beaten tourist path is a city that has been on the pilgrimage path since the very beginning.  The very beginning.  The first trek to Santiago was made from here by King Alfonso II in 819 when he heard that the bones of St. James had been discovered there.  That trek was called the Primitive Camino - the first walk.

Oviedo was sort of a pit stop for pilgrims on their way to Santiago.  Once they arrived at the cathedral here, they found water, food, communion, etc.

And a really cool archway leading them to the path to Santiago.  Can you see how the arch is twisted...it's like a elbow showing the way.

Inside the chapel is beautiful as well.  It's not the biggest chapel; it's not the smallest chapel.  It's not the most ornate; it's not the simplest.

But what it is, legend has it, is a resting place for the head shroud that was under the shroud of Turin.  DNA and dating experts say that the blood is a match to that of the Turin shroud, and the cloth is the same kind and of the same time period (which cannot be proved to be the same time jesus died).  Whether you believe that stuff or not, this is still pretty cool.  The shroud is the piece on top of the silver crate.  It was once in the crate, but there's really no story of how the crate came to be in Oviedo.  I suspect someone picked it up at a yard sale and brought it with them while on El Camino.

Another item brought along with pilgrims is this olive tree, planted in the cemetery of the cathedral.  We know they brought this with them, as olive trees are not indigenous to northern Spain.

The city of Oviedo is full of public art - there's a sculpture in every plaza and on many of the busy corners.  This one in honor of Rufo.  Rufo was a homeless dog that roamed the city centre and was taken care of by local shop owners and residents.  Rufo died in 2015, and this sculpture erected.

There are no olive groves or wine vineyards around here, but there are apple orchards.  They use the apples to make Sidre (cider).  And it's delicious.  It's sort of a sour, bubbly cider that you have poured for you - in small quantities - by the experts.  You drink it while it's still bubbly, and then the waiter will pour you another couple of sips.  Fantastic!

There's a giant cask at the end of what is basically restaurant/sidre row.  Yum!

Sadly, we head back to Madrid tomorrow and will be on a plane home the day after.  It's been a wonderful trip.  So many surprises.  So much history.  So rich a culture.  We'll be back.  Maybe you can come with us!