Adventures Through The Centuries

Sun Herald

Sunday February 25, 2007

Christina Pfeiffer The writer was a guest of the Spain Tourism Board, flying KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

Asturias has beautiful cities, magnificent mountains ... and a statue of Woody Allen, writes Christina Pfeiffer.

LEFT, right, left, right. I swing my paddle to the rhythm of my partner and our two-person kayak pulls away from the rest of the pack.

We're navigating the Sella River, a winding waterway with many rapids in northern Spain that unfolds picturesque mountain vistas at every turn. Set in the green belt of the Asturias principality, there are stunning views of Picos de Europa, a sprawling mountain range that was named by homecoming Spanish sailors whose first sight of their homeland was these towering peaks.

Among the locals, kayaking is a popular sport but if it's the post-paddle party you're after then the best time of the year to visit is during August when the area's biggest event, the International Descent of the River Sella, is in full swing. Other activities include rock climbing and hiking while the Fuente De cable car, a 900-metre ascent from Fuente De, carries visitors up to a rocky plateau to admire the panoramic view.

Kayaking done and wetsuits hung neatly away, we're off to the beautifully restored 16th century country manor, El Palacio de Cutre. After a drive through lush green countryside, we arrive in time to lie back on cushioned deck chairs with a glass of champagne in hand and to gaze at the rolling green hills while the sun slowly sinks behind the mountains. Later that evening, after a lavish four-course dinner in the manor's main dining room, I tiptoe up the creaky staircase to my room in the attic. Lying in bed, I listen to sounds of the old mansion as ancient floorboards protest and groan each time one of the other guests retires.

The following day we reluctantly leave the comforts of the manor for the appropriately named Dinosaur Coast, situated near the village of Colunga. Dinosaurs roamed the area 65 million to 280 million years ago and this prehistoric era is captured by the Jurassic Museum of the Asturias. The museum building itself is creatively shaped to resemble a giant dinosaur's three-toed footprint, but the displays inside the museum are even more impressive. We amble around the display halls, absorbing history, staring at fossil remains and gawking in wonder at the giant dinosaur replicas.

Another must-see is the charming fishing village of Llanes, once a major fishing and whaling port, where we stroll along the waterfront past colourful fishing boats and elderly fishermen untangling their nets. Llanes' pride and joy is sculptor Ibarrola's The Cubes of the Memory, a striking multicoloured cubical sculpture that stretches along a lengthy section of the shoreline.

Lunch is waiting for us at the region's capital, Oviedo, where restaurateurs take great pride in cooking with the fresh local produce that grows in the region's rich soil.

At Sidreria Tierra Astur, one of the city's more popular cider houses, we're served plates of cold meat and tasty varieties of local cheese. Waiters rush about with jugs of cider, pouring the liquid with a jug in one arm fully extended above the head into a glass held with the other arm fully extended near the hip, usually without looking at either the bottle or the glass. After a hearty lunch, we're ready to explore the town on foot.

Once the capital of Christian Spain, Oviedo can trace its history back to 761 when two monks built a church dedicated to Saint Vincent of Saragossa. As the capital of Asturias, one of the few Spanish territories to avoid invasion by the Moors, Oviedo's unique collection of well-preserved pre-Romanesque 9th century structures is World Heritage listed.

We start at the Plaza de Alfonso II el Casto, where a bronze statue of La Regenta (the regent's wife) provides an eye-catching contrast to the Cathedral of San Salvador in the background. The cathedral is an imposing Gothic building with touches of pre-Romanesque, Romanesque and Baroque designs. Work began towards the end of the 13th century and took a couple of centuries to complete.

Its ultimate jewel is the Camara Santa (holy chamber), remains of a 9th-century church that was once the original place of worship around which the cathedral was built.

La Foncalada, a rare 9th-century water supply system made up of a pond, a chapel and a water channel, is also on the World Heritage list.

In contrast, modern artistic sculptures grace each plaza. There are so many sculptures you could spend days walking around just admiring them. There's even a life-sized statue of Woody Allen by Spanish sculptor Joan Miro, after the American filmmaker was presented the Prince of Asturias award in 2002 for his contribution to the arts.

TRIP NOTES

* KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flies to Madrid via Kuala Lumpur and Amsterdam with connections to Oviedo.

* Stay at El Palacio de Cutre, phone

+34 985 708 072, see www.palacio

decutre.com.

* Eat at Cider House Tierra Astur, Oviedo, phone +34 985 215 679.

* See Jurassic Museum of Asturias, San Juan de Duz, Colunga, phone +34 902 306 600, see www.museojurasicoast urias .com.

* For information, see www.spain.info.

© 2007 Sun Herald

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