As I end my journey in Oviedo, I only have happy memories to look back on. After nearly a month in the city, I have grown to enjoy the slower paced lifestyle and proximity to different places all over Spain. Every weekend I was able to adventure somewhere different and really enjoy all that Northern Spain had to offer.
During my time in Spain, I was able to study at the University of Oviedo. During June, July and August the University runs a summer language program housed at the Casa de las Lenguas. The program was designed for non-Spanish speakers to learn the language- using 3-hour classes for grammar, writing, and speaking and an hour class for history and culture. The University had a required placement test that sorted the students into classes, starting from the Novice and ending at Advanced II. Each program runs for a month, but you can spend two months in the program and move up to a higher level if you so wish. The professors were well versed and knew how to work with kids who knew very little Spanish. My professor spent a lot of our time playing Spanish speaking and vocabulary games.
As I spent so much time in Oviedo, I stayed with a “host mom” for the duration of my studies. Maria Carmen lived alone in a beautiful two-bedroom apartment in the heart of Oviedo. The location meant that I was less than 15 minutes or less from practically everything in Oviedo. She would provide 3 meals a day for me and we would watch the news together in the mornings during breakfast. She was lovely about respecting my personal space and if I wanted to go out. The language barrier put up a bit of a struggle in the beginning but became easier as time wore on.
Oviedo was even better with a solid group of friends to explore with. My roommates that I lived in Madrid with for 5 days became some of my closest friends during the trip. One of them I sat next to in class every day and the other one and I walked to school together every morning. The Temple University program had weekly dinners with our group leader and our professors at some of the best restaurants in Oviedo. We were able to enjoy local food and drink such as Sidra, local wines, seafood, and Cachopo.
Now I am off to see what central and Eastern Europe has to offer me!
Sounds like you had a good time in Oviedo. Never been there but it does seem impossible to have a bad time anywhere in Spain.
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