Tornista

View of Helsinki a couple of weeks ago from the terrace of Torni hotel
Así taba Helsinki hai un par de selmanes dende la terraza'l hotel Torni

Dragsfjärd II

This Sunday we visited again our friends in Dragsfjärd. All the photos of this trip here. Previous trip here
Esti domingu visitamos otra vez a los nuestros amiguinos en Dragsfjärd. Toles fotos del día equí. La otra visituca equí

We went to the forest and picked lingonberries, chantarelles and hedgehog mushrooms
Tuvimos nel bosque pañando bayes y setes (rebozuelos, trompetes pegañoses y llengües de buey. Los boletos yá pasaron equí)

We dried this ones, the yellow chantarelles and the hedgehog mushrooms went straight to the pan
Secamos les trompetuques (Cantharellus lutescens; como les de la foto) pa tener pa l'inviernu y los rebozuelos (Cantharellus cibarius) y llengües de buey (Hydnum repandum) fueron directes pala sartén

Ikkunoista - Desde les ventanes

The autumn is relentless
Nun hai quien pare la seronda

Cantabrian Maginot

During our hiking trip in the forest of Peloño we passed by this machine-gun nest from the Spanish civil war. These remains from the war are abundant in the Asturian mountains. Some even named this line of fortifications against the fascists the "Cantabrian Maginot Line", taking the name from the original Maginot Line built before WWII in France to defend against the Germans. You can find related posts here
De la que caleyábemos pel bosque Peloño, nel colláu Guaranga, pasamos per esti ñeru d'ametralladores republicanu de cuando la guerra civil. Agora que vuelve a tar nos medios el procesu activu de recuperación la memoria histórica nun ta de más insistir nello. Esti tipu construcciones nun son rares nos montes Asturianos, dalgunos nomanles la llinia "Maginot Cantabrica" en correspondencia cola llinia Maginot orixinal construida en Francia enantes la segunda guerra mundial. Podeis topar coses relacionaes equí

In here were fought some of the last combats of the war during October 1937
Equí llibráronse dalgunos de los últimos combates la guerra n'octubre 1937

It makes you think...
Faite pensar...

Laulava sarjakuvahahmo

The comic character Lolita HR drawn by Javier Rodríguez not only sings in the comic books (some sample pages here). Now you can actually listen to her. Click here and there. Cool!!
Lolita HR yá nun solo canta nes historietes (dalgunes páxines) que dibuxa Javi, agora puedes escuchala de verdá na su páxina de MySpace y equí. Moola!!

Ciclo Folc de Cámara Ígor Medio

The chamber concerts of Asturian folk which take place yearly in Xixón are named from now on after our friend Ígor. He was organising these concerts and his commitment and usual contagious optimism resulted in the formation/consolidation of some of the most interesting groups in the Asturian folk scene (i.e. Tuenda). Below a video of Ígor Medio and Lisardo Prieto playing the song Ribeseya.
Los conciertos de folc que cada añu se faen na Casa Natal de Xovellanos garren a partir d'agora'l nome del nuestru amigu Ígor. Gracies al su compromisu, enerxía y optimismu contaxiosu tiró d'esta actividá palantre, que resultó na consolidación dalgunos de los grupos más interesantes del folc n'Asturies (p. ex. Tuenda). Embaxo un video d'Ígor Medio y Lisardo Prieto

Atom Ant

To my surprise, during our last trip to Asturies very few people remembered the Atom Ant. Now everyone can refresh their memories and understand why I cannot tell the difference between the Atom Ant and him
Pala mi sopresa na nuestra última vista a Asturies casi naide s'alcordaba de la "Hormiga Atómica". Hasta na wikipedia vien en gallegu y non n'asturianu o castellanu. Con esti video, amás de refrescar la memoria, entendereis por qué nun encuentro ninguna diferencia ente la formiga atómica y él...

Siideri

Asturies is a cider country. We pour the cider as shown in the photo and explained here. There are even pouring contests, where the participants get points for the style, precision and time spent on pouring one bottle
Pa que nun faltara'l tipismu nes vacaciones tambiém fuimos a ver un concursu d'escanciadores na Plaza Mayor de Xixón y el record anual d'escanciáu na playa Poniente

You have 60 seconds to pour the bottle and get five glasses, which should have 12 cl of cider each

Every year the city council of Xixón arranges a gathering on the beach to break the Guiness record of "number of people throwing sider simultaneously". It's fun but I guess there is not much competence elsewhere in the world :)

Even though the weather was pretty bad...

... still 7.077 people showed up, new record

Harissa

Sonia gave us some Moroccan Harissa spice mixes to bring to Helsinki. Although Harissa is generally served served with couscous we tried the 'Canarian Way' or with 'papas arrugadas'. We boiled some delicious Finnish potatoes (they are really amazing potatoes!) with a huge amount of salt until they get wrinkled, then you just eat them with a paste made with the spices and good olive oil. The green one is a 'mojo verde' I've prepared. Wonderful!
Sonia dionos un par de bolses con Harissa (picante y suave) que traxo de Marruecos. Aunque la Harissa usase p'acompañar el couscous, nós decidimos probar en plan 'papas arrugadas con mojo'. Preparamos unes patates Fineses, que son la bomba, manteca pura, y les comimos coles Harisses y un mojo verde que me curré. Un ésito!

Raúl's got a bike!

Isn't he cool?
See striking resemblance here
Miráilu que chulo que ye!
Nun se vos da un aire a...?

Patikoimassa Vuorilla

As usual we spent some days hiking on the Asturian mountains. This time we went to the forest of Peloño. You can see all the photos here
Como ye vezu pasamos dellos díes de monte. Esta vez tuvimos pel bosque Peloño. Podéis ver toles fotos equí

The weather was excellent
Fízonos mui bueno

We also had fun with our new GPS gadgets thanks to Balen
Echamos unes rises y xugamos abondo colos mapes que nos pasó Balen pal GPS, gracies!

On the Arcenoriu prairie there was plenty of cows
Arcenoriu taba petáu de vaques

We got a bit sun burnt as well :)
Pa nun variar quemámosnos un poco col sol

Sporting Xixón 2 - A.C. Milan 0

We also went to watch the friendly game between my football team (Sporting de "Gijón") against A.C. Milan. It was great fun and surprising result (2-0). We have to enjoy this year, while Sporting is at the very first division of "La Liga" after promoting last year
Fuimos a ver al nuestru Sporting del alma. Pasámoslo mui bien y disfrutamos del partíu y el resultáu

Anne was well prepared and excited. Ramonín helped with getting the tickets. Thanks Ramón!
Anne fue con tolos accesorios. Ramonín ayudonos coles entraes, coses del 'califato', gracies!
Hai que lo disfrutar mientres dura :)

Serín Uimaranta

In between meals we had time to go to one of my favourite beaches close to Xixón, Serín's beach
Entre fartures siempre hai tiempu pa disfrutar de les playes cerca de Xixón. Esti día fue Serín

You see few people because is a nudist beach. Usually the nicest ones
Nun vos faceis la idea de lo qu'echo de menos les olones del Cantábricu

See you soon!
Hasta lluéu!

Love & Anarchy

The Film festival of Helsinki starts tomorrow. Let me know if someone is interested in attending to some of the films. I guess it's too late to get tickets for some movies but who knows. I'll try to see some of the Spanish ones
El festival de Cine de Helsinki empieza mañana. Equí ta la llista de películes, si teneis dalguna recomendación decímelo qu'ando un poco perdíu

Llavandera

Not happy with feeding us at her place, Sonia took us eating to the cider brewery of Trabanco in Llavandera
Nun contenta con danos de xintar na so casa, Sonia llevonos al llagar de Trabanco en Llavandera. Too mui rico

Always ready for some action Susana and Balen joined to sample some food. Before eating we went to the peak Sol, where you have an excellent view of Xixón
Siempre preparaos pa l'aición Susana y Balen xuntáronse pala fartura. Antes de comer subimos al Picu'l Sol pa ver Xixonín dende enrriba

In Llavandera there are gorgeous oaks. To have an idea of the size look at Anne standing by the tree
Delantre'l llagar hai un Carbayu guapísimu. Anne tuvo de tener por él nun fuera a caese (el carbayu)

Cemeteries in Spain are quite different to Finland. Here, many of the people which has gone is in these "apartments"
A Anne lláman-y muncho l'atención los cementerios d'equí, especialmente los nichos. En Finlandia los que marcharon nun tan "n'apartamentos"

Ystaviä, äyriäisiä ja korista

Continuing with the last vacations in Asturies... After Uvieo we headed to Xixón and stayed in Sonia's place. She took extremely good care of us as usual. I was received with the TV on to watch the Spain vs. USA in Basket Olympics with some velvet crabs and Rioja wine as aperitif. Who can ask for more? not me. Thanks Sonia!!
Siguiendo coles últimes vacaciones n'Asturies... Dempués d'Uvieo tiramos pa Xixón y quedamos en casa Sonia. Como ye vezu cuidonos de maravilla. Recibiome cola tele puesta pa ver el baloncestu (España vs. USA), Rioja y unes andariques pa picar. Quién puede pedir más? Nun seré yo. Gracies Sonia!!

To the crabs followed some delicious squid cooked in its own ink. Sluuurp!
Pa seguir Sonia preparonos unos calamares na so tinta que taben de muerte

Good food and better company. All what is needed to be happy. Sonia (left), Maria and Javi (Right)
Buen xintar y meyor compañía ye tolo que se necesita pa ser feliz. Sonia (Izda), Maria y Javi (derecha)

Anne & Sonia

Sarjakuvafestivaalit II

Thoma took this photo of us (left to right: Anne, Cano ja Marja). In my hands holding
Capitaine Mursu's treasure : ) More photos in Thoma's Flickr Gallery
Thoma saconos una foto desde'l su stand. Na foto: Anne, Cano y Marja. Nes mis manes el valiosu 'incunable' del Capitaine Mursu. Más fotos del festival na galería Flickr de Thoma

Syyskuu

Autumn is striking hard, the climbing plant on our home turned completely red and we have 8 degrees Celsius. The shining window is our kitchen
La seronda llego con fuerza, la enredadera de casa yá ta toa colorada y fuera hai 8 graos. La ventana que brilla ye la nuestra cocina

Sarjakuvafestivaalit & Capitaine Mursu

This saturday the Helsinki comic's festival started and I paid a visit.
Esti sábadu empezó'l festival del comic en Helsinki y paseme perellí.

My friend Thoma (proudly holding his work) was there presenting the guide to his (and Axel Maja's) comic Capitaine Mursu. It is lots of fun. Surely they will find a publisher soon.
El mi colega Thoma taba presentando'l (con orguyu na foto) su trabayu, xunto a Axel Maja, nomáu Capitaine Mursu. De momento sacaron una guía sobre'l comic a ver si encuentren editor pronto. Suerte!

I showed up around 12:00 and it was not too crowded yet.
Aparecí a eso de les 12:00 y tovía nun taba mui petáu.

My shopping, I recommend them all!
Les mis compres, recomiéndolo too!

Hiding the Railways

A bit more about Uvieo's architecture. To cover the railways the city built these colourful houses. I find that the conservative government realised at last that we are in the XXI century.
Un poquitín más sobre la arquitectura en 'Carbayonia'. Na mi opinión los edificios que punxeron al soterrar les víes son mui prestosos.

Although the old city (from IX-X century) is very nice, the urban furniture has been, so far, dull and pretentious. This new direction is very refreshing.
El cascu vieyu mola pero col mobiliariu decimonónicu, y el pesebre d'estatues, fiede demasiáu a "rancio abolengo". Lo de Calatrava y estes casines parecenme un pasu refrescante a la contemporaneidá.