And that regression is real. If you look around, in the town square there are few things left to remind us that we're in the 21st century. The knife sharpener is a true relic, as is the Civil Guard. At a street stall, we see a radio that's only missing the voice of an old-fashioned serial. We also discover an enamel chamber pot, the kind that used to bring peace of mind at night, worn leather shoes, and very outdated secondhand clothing. In Benia, the capital of the Onís municipality, there are many antique objects to recreate ghostly homes . There are also photos of people who have lived in these parts, utensils for a coal stove, and chairs from a living room for sitting and chatting. In those days there was no television, you know…
But there's much more to this day of strange commemoration of what once was. Not just objects, but food. Cheeses, wood-fired bread, garden produce, homemade desserts that taste the same as they did a hundred years ago. Everything has been prepared according to traditional recipes, with unique ingredients crafted by skilled hands. We watch as the delicious frixuelos, tortos, and other sweets are made live.
So in Benia, we let ourselves be carried away, drawn into an almost weightless time tunnel. We strolled through the society of an era that belongs to us only as a memory or a story. But alongside the social customs, a certain craft and production methods also persisted. We could delight in watching the masterful finishing of custom -made wooden clogs , marvel at the colors and shapes of the region's typical pottery , experience firsthand the true hue of jet , learn about wood carving as it was done in the past, and observe the traditional tinsmiths at work.
Merchants come from all points of the region, so there is no shortage of local idiosyncrasies or interpretations of the time according to the area.
In the exchange of money for things, the one who wins is the most contemporary man who can seldom enjoy these decorative motifs, or savor such intense meals as before.
And since the atmosphere is quite pleasant, livestock wanders through spaces now reserved only for humans. The farm birds also make their triumphant strolls among the people. The sounds of bagpipes and drums fill the air , along with regional dances performed with the same celebratory spirit of yesteryear, without any stereotypical trappings, and songs learned from grandmothers and grandfathers… It is the music of remembrance, of something that has left us but always returns melodically.
Text: © Ramón Molleda for asturias.com
