Ice plant welcomes spring

Recently I shared some photos on Facebook of a coastal hike that Rocky and I enjoyed with friends. We hiked from the Lighthouse at Cabo de Peñas to the beaches of Verdicio on a gorgeous spring day last weekend. The bright pink flowers of  the ice plant were popping out to welcome us as we navigated the steep cliffs down to the beach.

After looking at our photos, friends who haven’t seen us for over a year asked if we had discovered the fountain of youth? I mused that we probably looked more relaxed and happy due to our semi-retirement. On reflection, maybe our more youthful demeanor has less to do with having more time to hike and nap and more to do with our lifestyle.

There is a saying here that “Vivir bien tiene su ciencia” (Living well has it’s science.)  A video called Gijonomia was recently released by the tourism bureau of Gijon that celebrates a unique way of being, living and feeling Gijon (Xixon in Asturian). They boast that Gijon is a city that awakens the senses and the will to live, and we would have to agree.

According to the treaty of Gijon: “Gijón/Xixón y sus habitantes merecemos una enciclopedia propia. Nuestra pasión por todo: la comida, la sidra, el mar, la naturaleza, la amistad, la diversión… ¡por la vida! es algo digno de estudio.” (Gijon and her inhabitants deserve their own encyclopedia. Our passion for everything: the food, the cider, the ocean, nature, friendship and enjoyment (of life!) is something worthy of study.)

Daily Polar Plunge at Playa San Lorenzo

The short video that has been making its rounds, focuses on a group of mostly seniors who meet early every morning at La Rampina, one of the entrances to Playa San Lorenzo, the most prominent beach in Gijon. They gather year round to stretch and laugh and then to swim in the ocean, no matter how cold it is. One of the women who was interviewed on the video said, “Instead of taking a bunch of pills, I swim every day.”

The first principle of the treaty of Gijonomia is “Todo cuerpo sumergido en un fluido experimenta un subidón que no veas” (Every body submerged in a fluid (in this case the ocean) experiences a surge that you can’t believe.) Most of the participants claim that it is the best part of their day. “Dirán que estamos locos pero…bendita locura!” (They say we’re crazy but…blessed be the madness!”)

Nuestra relación con el agua es especial. Nos bañamos en el mar en invierno, nos mojamos bajo el orbayu… ¡Pero nos va la marcha! (Our relationship with water is special. We bathe in the ocean in the winter, we get wet from the drizzle, but we like to rock!) My yoga teacher is a regular participant and certainly exudes health and vitality. We have at least a couple of expat friends who have also adopted the daily ocean swim as part of their routine. They swear it has fixed everything from arthritis to allergies and has boosted their immune system.

No doubt the benefits of a daily polar plunge in salt water are superb. I wish I could say that I have embraced the practice personally but I admit that I have only applauded it from a distance. Maybe I just haven’t lived in Gijon long enough? While I loved the few times I have warmed up enough to swim here, I’m not ready for a daily dose of cold water…yet.  My passion for the food, the cider, nature, friendship and the enjoyment of life however, is on par with the other residents of Gijon.

As a foreigner, I  have discovered that you don’t have to be Spanish to celebrate the magic of Gijon. This city is a melting pot of cultures and all are encouraged to enjoy life. While I’ll leave you to discover some of the other principles on your own in the link below, the fifth principle in the treaty of Gijon is: “El secreto de tu éxito es rodearte de Gijón/Xixón” (The secret to success is to surround yourself with Gijon.)

One of our friends from Australia recently announced that she and her family are moving back to Australia at the end of the year after six years of living in Spain. She was depressed just talking about the possiblity. Having never been to Australia, I imagined there would be plenty to do and see there as well and tried to cheer her up with the prospect of returning home.

“I think of it like a warm bath,” she explained. Still not understanding, I said, “Is that a bad thing?” Warm water has always been more attractive to me than cold, after all. “Let’s just put it this way,” she added, “a warm bath can lull you into a slow death. I want a life of challenge and meaning. I don’t want to die of boredom.”

If I were a cartoon character, a giant lightbulb would have appeared above my head. I finally understood what the true fountain of youth might actually be. Not a life of total relaxation, although there is nothing wrong with a daily siesta, but a life full of excitement. The stimulus of overcoming  challenges, learning a language, exploring trails, tasting new foods and drinks and making friends from all over the world may be the real elixir of life.

This is not to say you can’t drink from your own fountain of youth wherever you live! The secret appears to be how you spend your time. One of our goals in moving to Spain was to keep our brains active by learning more Spanish and our bodies healthy by walking everywhere. Additionally, we wanted to travel and explore more of Europe.

While we still feel the distance from our friends and family back home, I think we have made the right choice for this season of our lives. Our senses are awake and we are enthusiastic about life. If “living well has it’s science” than we are definitely living well here in Gijon.

Small natural pools are abundant in Asturias

From the author:

To read more about our beloved Gijon, and watch the short video I mentioned earlier: https://www.gijonomia.es/es/

Curious about where we might travel next? Check out the Global Yoga Trips website: http://www.globalyogatrips.com

If you’d like to join us for a future retreat, consider joining us in Greece in the fall of 2023. See the website for more details. https://globalyogatrips.com/yoga-journey-to-lefkada-greece/

We also have a Walking and Yoga Retreat in Puglia, Italy in the works for May 2023. More about that on the website in the next couple of weeks.