La diferencia entre Gijón y Salamanca

Spending a weekend in Gijón was quite a breath of fresh air (and I mean this quite literally).  The first difference I noticed between Gijón and Salamanca was the temperature.  Gijón had a nice breeze which made spending all day on the beach quite pleasant.  The style of Gijón was quite different from Salamanca's as well.  One of the most obvious differences was the lack of a Plaza Mayor.  The city did not revolve around a giant Plaza and the streets were extremely narrow and winding.  It was a bit more difficult to navigate around Gijón using a map than it is in Salamanca.

Not only was the layout of the city different, but also the people.  It was very obvious to me that my group of American friends walking around were the minority.  The only other American people I encountered in Gijon were from my program.  However, the natives in Gijón were quite friendly.  They were very helpful when I asked for directions and talked to me in Spanish rather than assuming I only spoke English.  Overall, the weekend in Gijon was very enjoyable and I was able to enjoy some delicious cidre that I have yet to find in Salamanca.  Although I missed Salamanca, I thoroughly enjoyed the crisp weather, change in scenery, and welcoming natives.