Earlier in the year when Padma and I starting dreaming of a home in Spain, I joined a Facebook group of expats in Asturias. Someone posted a question about buying property and a local named Juan provided a detailed response. I clicked some links and found Juan’s website and figured he’d be the sort of local person we’d need to manage any property. Turns out Juan has a strong Aussie connection so I contacted him and for the past few months he has been invaluable to us and has freely provided information on the property and COVID situation here.

We finally got to meet Juan on Wednesday. He invited us to his home and met us in the rain in his driveway. As soon as he opened his mouth Padma and I looked at each other somewhat in disbelief … he has a strong Aussie accent. In fact Juan moved to Australia when he was four and lived in Woolongong till he was 17 and still has extended family there. We spent the evening with Juan and his partner, Terri, and learned about Asturias from locals while dining on octopus, clams, king prawns and Monkfish and drinking Galician wine at their favourite restaurant overlooking Gijon.

Terri and her friends get together frequently for hikes and invited us to join her group the next day for a 10-kilometer hike along the Ruta del Alba. Padma and I found the route stunning and enjoyed it even more as we could share the day with our new friends.