Asturian-American Migration Forum

Great photo site. I had run across it a few years ago and then completely forgot about it. Thanks for the link. I enjoyed visiting it again.

If you go to the Salinas photo and scroll to the very bottom, then count up three buildings that are partially cut off by the right edge of the photo (one with an orange tile roof, then one with a black roof, then--after gap--a white building with an orange tile roof (it has a very narrow building with an orange tile roof immediately to its left), you will be looking at the house in which my grandfather, Victor Martinez Artime, was born in 1894. It is called La Casona (not be be confused with La Casona in Arnao, a short distance away). It is now the headquarters of the Guardia Civil.

The swimming pool and the surrounding complex of buildings belong to the yacht club. The builiding with orange tile roof immediately to the right of the yacht club houses a very nice little bar and restaurant. If you are ever in Salinas, it is well worth a visit, even if only to see the huge photographs of Salinas over the bar. They show just how much the town has grown and developed in the last hundred years or so.

Despite the reputation of the Guardia Civil left over from the Franco regime, we found them to be personable, friendly and helpful. They even invited us (my father, my brother and me) to a party (held at their headquarters) celebrating the dedication of a anchor that was donated to the Anchor Museum by the city of St. Augustine, Florida. This was in October of 1999.

Asturias desde el Aire is a collection of photos of Asturias from the air by Nardo Villaboy. The cities and towns in the collection include:

• Avilés
• Cabo Busto
• Cabo Peñas
• Candás
• Castropol
• Celorio
• Covadonga
• El Franco
• Gijón
• Llanes
• Luanco
• Luarca
• Mieres
• Muniellos
• Naranjo de Bulnes
• Nava
• Niembro
• Oviedo
• Pajares
• Picos de Europa
• Playa de Otur
• Playas de Andrín
• Puerto de Vega
• Ribadesella
• Rodiles
• Salinas
• Tapia
• Tazones
• Villayón

Some of these have many photos, some only one.

Bob, if you were partying with the guards, you probably met
Antonio and Fabriciano, two guards that have been stationed in Salinas
since the late 70s if not earlier. La Casona, where your grandfather was
born, still belongs to the company. Salinas and Arnao were both
company towns, as you probably know. The "company" is the
"Real Compañía Asturiana de Minas", founded with Belgian capital in
mid-19th century. In the 1960s the RCAM spawned off an electrolitic
zinc subsidiary (Asturiana de Zinc, S.A.) which, eventually inherited all
assets from the parent company. La Casona still belongs to AZSA, and
there are difficult negotiations between the Civil Guard, the Ayuntamiento,
and AZSA, every year, to figure out which party is responsible for repairs.
When I was a boy, La Casona was used by RCAM employees.

I was born and grew up in the house next to your grandfather's, by the
way. It is the one immediately to the right of the pool, next to the café
you mention (whose name is "La Toldilla"). My father was born and grew
up in the house across the street. La Toldilla (if you were there you
probably talked to Pepón Toldilla, the owner -- father or son) has this
name because, long ago (1930s), when the tramway to Avilés still existed,
the cafe at the tram´s stop had a canvas umbrella. Canvas, in Spanish,
is "toldo".

OK, enough reminiscing. You guys are making me get in trouble at work.
Thanks!

Hello, Juan Léon,

Thanks for sharing some very interesting stories. I am still amazed by the wonderful connections members are making through the site!

Now this post really is going to be off-topic!

I'd like to invite you--and any other member of the forum--to write an introduction about yourself, your life in Asturias, how you came to live in the US, and whatever else you want to include. We post things like that in our About Us pages of the site.

All I need is the text and, if you like, a few images. Then I can take care of getting it up on the Web.

best wishes, Art

Art, Thanks for the invitation. I will do as you say. Just give me a day or
two.

By the way, I have come to understand that you, Bob, and suronda are
responsible for this site. Thank you very much, it is quite fulfilling and
pleasant, and the graphic design and ease of navigation, while not critical
to the content, are critical in achieving the critical mass that you seem to
be bringing together.

Thanks.

Juan

To see this pictures from Asturias in "live" or to see them even fron España is something, but to see them from America so clear, so real, is something alse, make us feel so close to home.

One asturianu in Maryland.

Alfonso