Oviedo has a tiny fountain that is older than almost everything else in the city, and it sits in a gap between two streets a few steps from the cathedral. La Foncalada, a little stone building with a gabled front and a pool inside, was built in the ninth century in the time of King Alfonso III, and it is the only surviving civil building of the Asturian pre-Romanesque style in the capital. Water from a spring still flows through it, and a pilgrim on the Camino Primitivo, the oldest of the routes to Santiago, passes by on the way through town. It is easy to walk past without noticing, which would be a pity.
Oviedo itself is a handsome, easy city, with a compact old centre, the Gothic cathedral with its single tower, and a lively street life built around cider. The Asturians pour their cider from a height, a practice called escanciar, to aerate it, and visitors in sidrerías are happily taught. Fabada, a stew of white beans, pork and sausage, is the traditional dish. On the hill of Naranco above the city stand two small pre-Romanesque buildings from the ninth century, Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo, built under King Ramiro I, with delicate carving and slender arches. They look out over the valley and are among the oldest and finest buildings of their kind. Statues dot the streets, including one of Woody Allen, who made a film here.
Asturias is steep, green and wet, and the roads are great fun for a motorcyclist. Out of the city, roads climb through chestnut and eucalyptus forest to passes with views over mountains, the Picos de Europa on a clear day, and drop to fishing villages on the coast. Rain is common, and the surface can be greasy, so watch the corners. In the city, traffic is moderate and the centre is partly pedestrianised, so park outside it.
Oviedo has plenty of fuel and everything else, and Lugones and Castandiello, on the edge of town, have petrol stations too. A few hours in the old town, with a coffee and a pastry, is the right way to take the stop. Spring and early autumn give the best weather.