On 17th July, a group of 29 young Europeans was heading to Spain. Not to Barcelona or Mallorca, and not even to Madrid, but to Asturias – a region that seems to be missing on Spain’s touristic map. Our intention was to prove that this is just a disappointing mistake. In other words, we were looking forward to breaking the Astureotype!
People tend to think of summer holidays in Spain as of lying at the beach in the boiling sun, and this was the main stereotype we were intending to break. Organizers from AEGEE-Oviedo did their best in showing to the participants how different Spain can be and how much more than just beaches and sun it can offer.
From the very first days, we became conscious of the differences in the climate and landscapes which awaited us. Unlike in the rest of Spain, the temperature in the North rarely exceeded 25 degrees, and we soon learned to take sharp changes of the weather during the whole day for granted. Refreshing rain would come and go unexpectedly, watering the amazing green hills and valleys of Asturias.
The diverse landscapes of Asturias, which include mountains, hills and valleys as well as numerous rivers, proved to be ideal for sports, which was the main topic of our SU. Instead of lying at the beach, we were up for some more challenging activities!
The sports programme started with the 32 km long cycling route through the mountains called the Bear’s Path. Even though many participants felt a desperate need of some siesta time after the first half of the route, we were all soon standing at the finish line, tired but satisfied and inspired to move on.
Two entire days were then dedicated to hiking. We followed one part of the famous St. James’s Trail (El Camino de Santiago), strolled along the picturesque beaches of Asturias and Galicia, made our way through the rocks and thick fog in the Picos de Europa national park and enjoyed the beautiful view of the Covadonga glacial lakes from the top of one of the hills.
Another challenge was the descent of the river Sella. Split into couples, we canoed 16 km down the mountain river, stopping from time to time to take a refreshing swim and enjoy the stunning scenery surrounding us. Canoeing brought in a bit of a competitive spirit as the couples tried to outstrip each other or simply besprinkle other participants with the water. In the end, everyone was rewarded with an official certificate from the local canoeing school.
The rest of the sports activities included paintball, archery, horse riding and padel tennis. This variety brought in by the organizers ensured that every participant could find something of their own taste. Of course, there were bruises and sunburnts involved, and their number grew day by day leaving no participant unaffected, but we were all too excited to take them seriously and woke up every day ready for the next challenge.
Besides sports, the programme obviously included exploring the cultural heritage of Asturias. We enjoyed guided tours through the three largest cities of the region (Gijón, Oviedo and Avilés), visited the towns of Llanes, Cudillero and Ribadesella as well as the pre-Romanesque churches near Oviedo and the sacred places in Covadonga.
Last but not least, the environmental topic was also covered by the visit to the trash removal and recycling company COGERSA where we could learn how to behave in an environmentally-friendlier way in our daily lives.
Even though Gijón, where we were staying, turned out to be a very lively city with a lot of events taking place in its streets especially in summertime, our group still managed to catch the attention of the local community. One of the first days we enjoyed a warm reception at the city hall, which then appeared in the local news, as well as giving some interviews to a local newspaper.
The stereotypes about Asturias were not the only ones broken. It is common knowledge that applying for an SU in Southern Europe often means putting up with a rather relaxed attitude of the organizers towards the plan. However, this time it was absolutely not the case. From the very beginning the organizers from AEGEE-Oviedo positively surprised us with the great job they did.
First of all, It is worth mentioning that the gym where we were staying was located in the very heart of the old town of Gijón, so that we could reach every location we needed on foot. The programme elaborated by the organizers was so thought-out and intense that by the end of it we could say we had explored practically the whole region of Asturias in its diversity. Furthermore, the organizers were quickly reacting to the weather changes which interfered with our plans. So, one of the days was saved by changing the hiking route due to a strong storm approaching. Finally, the choices of the night programme have to be mentioned as well. The list of parties included the best events happening in the region during those two weeks, such as the Holi festival in Avilés, the Oktoberfest in Gijón and the traditional cider festival in Naves.
The organizers were pleased to know how highly all the participants appreciated their job and, on their part, would also like to thank all the sponsors who made this intense programme possible, namely the city halls of Gijón, Oviedo and Avilés, La Salle school in Gijón, Les Camisetes, Café Trisquel, Youth Councils of Asturias, Gijón and Oviedo as well as the Consortium of Transports of Asturias.
As it always happens at AEGEE events, we were all unwilling to leave the new friends we made during those two weeks. The farewell was bitter, but sweetened by the hope to meet again someday somewhere in Europe!
Written by Anastasia Shornikova, AEGEE-Köln
Photos by Gloria Borge, AEGEE-Oviedo, Marcos Herrero, AEGEE-Oviedo, Olga Gladkikh, AEGEE-Sankt-Peterburg, Anastasia Shornikova, AEGEE-Köln