End of the party for this 43rd edition of the Princess of Asturias Awards. Philip VI y Joy and his daughters, Leonor y Sofia, visit the three parishes of Arroes, Peón and Candanal, in Villaviciosa to present them with the Exemplary Town award. An immense green landscape of eucalyptus and apple trees.
We, the press, were scheduled to attend RuralTech, the Peón neighborhood headquarters, this Saturday morning, the 21st. It was time to get up early.
This appointment was cut short last year, in Cadavedo, due to an unexpected gastroenteritis that caused the two young women to become unwell. As a result, Letizia gave the speech on behalf of her heir. This year, the weather is good in this valley that the Queen has known since she was a child thanks to the excursions she took with her Gesta de Oviedo school.
The first stop, with an artistic air: visit to the folklorist’s quintana Javier de Arroes, favorite son of Villaviciosa, who has dedicated his life to creating a great musical archive; and immediately afterwards, the performance of the Villaviciosa-Aires de Asturias folklore group, which performed El Xiringüelu, a typical Asturian dance that is performed in pairs.
They have also visited the agri-food and artisan market with local and organic vegetables and greens, products that the Queen is passionate about. Baskets of onions, peppers, cauliflowers and huge pumpkins added color to autumn.
For this visit, the Queen has chosen a sweater in washed tie dye colors, psychedelic inspiration from the 70s, multicolored and fantasy in green, turquoise and orange tones. As soon as the visit began, she put on a coat because of the rigors of the cold. And the morning looked sunny.
Leonor and Sofía have synchronized in white jeans and sneakers. Looks very casual, simple and country. What happens today. They have gone down El Gaitero de Libardón street until they reach a laundry and on the way to El Fonduxu and from there they have arrived at the parish church of Santa María de Arroes.
One of the closest moments, when the Queen, who loves being with children, met the students of the Les Mariñes Rural School. Her little ones have taught her how to play Cider Truck and have given her a drawing. “She is devoted to Leonor,” the Queen said when she saw him.
Cider and winepresses
Felipe VI, Letizia, Leonor and Sofía have walked through the pomarada (apple orchard) of Juan Manuel, which stands next to the prairie, and they have seen the three winepresses of the parishes. It just so happens that this Saturday, October 21, International Apple Day is commemorated, hence the prominence of the local fruit.
One of the economic keys of the area is the Center for Territorial Intelligence and Technologies for the Rural Environment (CTIC Ruraltech). This center has been a catalyst for the region thanks to the application of new technologies in agriculture and livestock such as virtual shepherds.