501 Places

This week’s guest post is written by Juan Otero Rionda. I spent several days with Juan on my recent blog trip to Valencia, and during that time he described how he owns and manages a couple of rural guest houses in the beautiful countryside of Asturias in northern Spain. His passion for his home region and the restoration work he has done to restore his houses to their full glory shone through whenever we chatted. So I asked Juan to share his story on 501 Places:

The village of Antrialgo

More than fifteen years ago my family had a cottage in a sunny village called Antrialgo in the Council of Piloña, Asturias. This cottage used to be rented from time to time but it was not prepared to receive many people. We have always liked the countryside, and thinking about restoring a typical Asturian house with its wood and stones was an important challenge which would make us work in a different way.

The house during construction

We thought about making the two houses into one to avoid a very uneven piece of land and we aimed to build a typical Asturian rural house, while considering the design of a hotel. A long time ago rural tourism meant that your parents sent you to your family village during the summer, but now setting up a business in the countryside is part of an important economy run by entrepreneurs who do not necessarily live in a rural environment.

The house is finished and ready for guests

When we started to restore the house all the family worked on it, and even during the weekend we worked hard to be able to have it opened for the summer. When building a house for renting it is important to take into account that August is the peak season and it must be ready to welcome customers at this time.

Even harder than building the property was finding the name of a website in order to be visible on the internet which, although slowly at first, was starting to be used by many holidaymakers. The name we chose was that of the area where the house is settled; Campón de Antrialgo (www.campondeantrialgo.es). At that time many hotels did not have their own website and their email addresses were hosted on hotmail, which made them look bad in front of the customer.

Inside the house

We worked hard to create a quality brand although we realized that intangible things were not the key for customers to come to us. Our main worry was to be able to pay the loan we had asked for in order to mend the house, and to gauge our business to make sure we could get full occupancy during the busy days.

Inside the house

We met a lot of people: rural tourism allows you to be nearer to your customers and they even become our friends. Our tourists were and still are mainly domestic, and we have always thought that the real challenge is to make us well known in other countries. Every time we have German, Dutch or British customers we realize that there is still hard work to be done in order to sell our product in Europe.

We have been like this now for ten years, until by chance we were offered a chance to be part of what is known as Huerta San Benito. This has become one of the most important businesses in Asturias, being in several interior decoration magazines and being one of the 180 charming houses classified by the prestigious “Guia El País Aguilar”.

Currently we have a new focus, which is the conversation derived from social media. Being in rural surroundings does not mean that you can’t use the internet in a professional way with your customers, but it does mean that you must talk to them in order to foster your brand. Many of these customers have their own blogs, Twitter or Facebook accounts and they speak highly of us through these channels. Our business, although settled in the small community of Rural Tourism, has and uses the same online resources as any other firm.

Juan Otero Rionda was born in nearby Arriondas, and used to work for a large multi-national business before turning his passion to developing and managing the rural houses.

As well as looking after the growing business Juan also founded Ruralvalue, the first franchise of Rural Tourism in Spain and is the founder of Turismo.as, a forum to discuss Tourism and Technology that had its first meeting in Oviedo in April 2010.

When he is not working hard Juan can be found travelling around Asturias, constantly learning more about this region while enjoying its diverse gastronomy and beautiful landscapes. You can follow Juan on Twitter.

Oxford Street

I grew up in Nottingham and spent my adult life moving around many of England’s provinces, but until recently never lived near to London. I often saw the lights of the London at Christmas on the TV and wondered what I was missing. So earlier this week we took the chance to see the lights of Oxford Street and the Christmas market in Hyde Park.

Regent Street

It’s strange walking through London in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday. With very few children around and workers generally locked up in their offices, Oxford Street is busy but it’s still possible to move along the pavement; something that is beyond difficult on a Saturday at this time of the year. Most of the voices you hear are not English; visitors from around the world speaking in many languages and peering through the windows of Selfridges, Hamley’s and the other large stores, no doubt enticed here by our weak pound.

Oxford Street Lights

We walked down the length of Oxford Street, checking out the famous Christmas window displays at Selfridge’s and eventually reaching Marble Arch and the start of Hyde Park. By this time it was dark and the lights of the big wheel in the Christmas market were visible from a long distance. The ambient light in London is so strong that we could even walk along the paved paths of Hyde Park away from the traffic of Park Lane, and have no trouble seeing our way ahead.

Christmas Market, Hyde Park

The Christmas market in Hyde Park, known by the politically correct term of Winter Wonderland, is basically a giant travelling fair. Rather than being staffed by UK ‘travellers’ as most fairs are, the smiles and greetings are all German. Sausages, fries, mulled wine, pizza, crepes, chocolate, you name an unhealthy food and it’s there, twice. We arrived hungry and soon polished off most of the above. Going on one of the rides is probably not the best option after eating, and fortunately the prices of the rides meant that we were never tempted (£6 each for many of the rides is a bit steep).

Christmas Market, Hyde Park

The market is unashamedly tacky, predictable and very much geared around parting you from your cash. But if you choose to visit the market at the right time of the day (5pm on a weekday was not very busy) it is a little slice of London that does reinforce the arrival of Christmas. And you won’t want to eat again for days!

Christmas Market, Hyde Park

As we drove towards south west London, the rain started to fall, and quickly got heavier until the wipers were working at full-speed. We questioned the sanity of going on, but having come so far and armed with a large umbrella we decided to carry on.

And what a treat! Syon Park, the grand home of the Duke of Northumberland, has set up the Enchanted Woodland for several pre-Christmas evenings. Thousands of lights decorate trees around the park, and waltzes play from hidden speakers to add to the mood of enchantment and fantasy. Apart from the low flying aircraft approaching Heathrow which is only a couple of miles from the park, once inside the park there is little to remind you that you are in London.

The lights are arranged around the park’s trees, statues and buildings, and there is something to stop and look at every few steps. Many of the light displays are constantly changing, providing an animated element to the displays. We even forgot the lashing rain for much of the hour that we spent walking along the pre-set footpath.

I’ll leave the rest of the story to the pictures I took from the walk around the park. The quality is limited by the lack of steady places to rest my camera but hopefully you’ll get the idea despite the effects of a wobbling hand.

For those who live in better climates than ours, it is probably hard to believe that right minded people who go out in this weather, worse still take their children out in it. Yet there were many families walking around the park, enjoying the lights and the displays and ignoring the foul conditions. It reminded me of that old adage “there’s no such thing as the wrong weather; there’s only the wrong attitude” or something like that.

A few weeks ago we took a train into London and got off at London Bridge with no particular plans. We knew we wanted to walk, as it was a beautiful autumn day. But beyond that we were happy to see what came our way. The pictures below tell the story, and are a great example of the richness of walking through a major city and just allowing the place to guide you. No guidebooks or maps necessary, just the curiosity to look and see the world that is carrying on regardless.

London's New Skyline - Looking across the Thames to the City from Hay's Galleria

Just below London Bridge Station is Hay’s Galleria, a modern complex of shops and restaurants in a renovated wharf. Once an integral part of London’s maritime industry, now it is a place for Londoners to grab a bite to eat at lunchtime in a bright and open space.

The Navigators, by David Kemp - the central attraction at Hay's Galleria

Stepping out from here, you are immediately on the riverside and it is a short walk to perhaps London’s most famous landmark, Tower Bridge. Whatever the month or the weather Tower Bridge is always packed with tourists, and I don’t believe I have ever walked across the bridge without hearing at least a dozen different languages spoken.

Tower Bridge, London's most recognisable landmark

Once across the bridge it is a short walk into the East End of London. One of the best things about London is the number of street markets. While some stretch for miles and many cater more for visitors than locals, the market in Petticoat Lane is one of the more understated markets, offering cut price clothing in a very unassuming location, albeit a stone’s throw from the financial heartland.

Market, Petticoat Lane

Walking from here, you soon find the maze of little alleys that sprouted in London’s early growth as a major city, and that make the job of a London taxi driver so much more taxing than a New York cabbie. Some of the names of the streets are fantastic. Here’s just one example:

What is the fascinating history behind this street?

A short distance from here is Liverpool Street Station, considered the eastern end of the financial district. Walking in this area you can see plenty of examples of daring architecture, built in the last 20 years where it seems that architects have had almost a free rein to let their imaginations run wild. Public art too is liberally displayed in the parks and open spaces that dot the office buildings here.

This little space behind the station is a popular place for office workers to step out and enjoy their lunch or have a cigarette break.

Artwork in park behind Liverpool Street Station

Open spaces abound, even in the heart of the city

Walking westwards you now pass through the financial district, and along Fleet Street, once the heart of the newspaper industry. While many of the old impressive buildings remain, some of the new structures form a sharp and uncompromising contrast with their predecesors.

A thoroughly modern landscape, just off Fleet Street

Some of the lesser noticed sights in the city are the underground stations that have long been closed. These buildings have maintained impressive facades, and one of these is in evidence on the Strand. Once a station on the Picadilly line, the lights went out in 1994, and the building now stands empty. Look at the beautiful building next door!

Aldwych (before that, Strand) tube station - closed in 1994

One of the best parts of walking through any city is chancing upon an event or celebration that happens to be taking place as you pass. London and New York are wonderful places for this, and when we lived in NYC we stumbled across film sets almost every time we took a walk. On this occasion we happened to pass Parliament just as Greenpeace were staging a rooftop protest. It attracted a large crowd of onlookers, while the policeman we spoke to was enjoying an easy day and a generous helping of overtime pay. Seemed like everyone was happy.

Rooftop Protest: Greenpeace on the Houses of Parliament

Heading back along the South Bank, here is a scene that you wouldn’t expect to be a mere stone’s throw from the chaos of the London Eye. Yet this little courtyard of bohemian looking boutique shops was almost deserted.

Boutiques near the South Bank

This was all captured in a little over two hours of gentle walking through the centre of London. Many of these sights were buildings or places I had previously passed but never noticed. Every time I visit London there are many new sights that I discover: a building I hadn’t previously noticed, an alleyway that leads to a hidden market or old warehouse, or a neighbourhood that offers fabulous food at great prices.

I don’t believe that even a London resident can say that they truly know the city. There are so many hidden nooks and crannies to explore that it would take a lifetime to truly be familiar with its many faces. But that is no reason not to start exploring!

After a day of stormy winds and rain yesterday, we woke up this morning to a beautiful sunny sky. It was even quite warm. A perfect day to put on the hiking boots and enjoy the autumn colours near home. No words needed today, just some of the delights of home (and only 20 mins by train from central London.

Old Railway path near Wheathampstead

Along the railway path near Wheathampstead

The home of Oscar and Nobel Prize winner, George Bernard Shaw

A country lane in Ayot St Lawrence