When I got to Spain I was not expecting Asturias to be the way that it is. I only know Spain from my time studying abroad in Madrid. Madrid is a huge city, full of skyscrapers, metros, apartment buildings, and shopping centers. Asturias, however, is un paraíso natural (a natural paradise). The main cities of Oviedo, Gijon, and Avilés have business buildings, shopping centers, and other things, but most of Asturias is made up of mountains and beaches. They refer to it as "the green part of Spain." Is that ever true! It has been a year full of beautiful paisajes (landscapes) and fresh, local groceries!
This environment is special and different for a few reasons. The first, as previously mentioned, is that Asturias is a very green environment. There are the three main cities that are more urbanized, and the rest are small farm towns. This is very different than most areas of Spain where the cities are either really urbanized, or if they are more rural, they are full of either beaches or mountains, but not both. Asturias, however, has both beaches and mountains, which is quite different. Asturias is also a place no one really hears about unless they are Spanish.
