For us, Gijón has been a wonderful city to live in; on the water, great food, good museums, a central location that can reach almost anywhere by Spain via plane, train, or bus; lively nightlife, but also a throwback to a bygone era; most shops are closed on Sundays (which is how it was in the US when we were growing up), and are closed during the week between 2-5pm when most take descanso, a rest to breakup the workday.
While I plan to do a few posts professing my love for our (temporary) home, I have been taking pictures of Gijón after dark, and want to share some of those. It is a great city to walk after dark and take in the city lights, which provide a much different view than during the daytime, when the industrial (re-built) city is not as eye-catching.
The two above pictures were taken in Cimavilla, which is the old town of Gijón, and the street specially is Calle de Claudio Alvarez Gonzalez. Below, on the way into the city center, is the Sidra (Cider) statue, made of hundreds of sidra bottles; sidra is an Asturian tradition, and the more you have, the more you like it (I know from personal experience).
Also in Cimavilla, is the park Cerro de Santa Catalina, which houses the most famous statue in Gijón, Elogio del horizonte, a concrete sculpture by Basque artist Eduardo Chillida. Locals affectionately (or not) call it King Kong’s toilet. Standing directly underneath creates the sea sound effect one receives when putting one’s ear up to a large conch shell. Very cool.
Located in Cimavilla is the Iglesia de San Pedro, which shines brightly from the paseo maritimo.
Walking the paseo maritimo in front of playa de San Lorenzo is one of our favorite walks, and looks especially vibrant after sundown (facing east, away from Cimavilla).
Near the city center is the famous Basilica-Santurario del Sagrado Corazón de Jesus, atop which stands a life-size statue of Jesus. It is lit up at night to give it an extra oompf when you see it.
No post of Gijón would be complete without a picture of the now-famous Gijón sign, where many tourists take their pictures in front of on a daily basis. On a rainy night, however, it is possible to take a picture without people in the background.
The famous Teatro Jovellanos is located on Plaza Begona and is lit up for different events throughout the year. We have been lucky enough to see a few plays, amovie during the Gijón film festival, and even one of our favorite musicians, Jose Gonzalez!
A favorite nighttime walk of ours is through the Parque de Moreda, which has multiple walking paths with a small stream running through it, along with a very tall metal statue, multple kids parks, and even a cafe where, during the day, we see parents taking in coffee or drinks while watching their kids play.
Gijón has proven to be a wonderful city to walk during the day, but especially during the evening, when the temperatures are mild, and even when the rain drizzles down overhead, it adds a sheen to the city and makes it even better.
Phil Barrington's WayPastCool 